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Student Handbook

This page addresses some of the frequently asked questions about PlantWeb University. If you have a question that has not been answered please do not hesitate to contact us!



How do I use PlantWeb University?


It's easy. If you haven't registered before, you'll be asked to do so the first time you try to login or select a course from the Business School or Engineering School course catalogs. After you complete the registration form, simply select the course you'd like to take first.

Selecting a course launches a small Javascript "player" in a new browser window. Use the scroll bar on the right to move through the content on each page, and the [<] and [>] icons near the bottom of the window to move from page to page.

Each course takes only a few minutes to complete, including a brief quiz to help you review what you learned -- and earn Reward Points that you can exchange for merchandise. The more you learn, the more you earn!

When you complete a course click the "Exit" button to return to the course catalog.

> Enroll in PlantWeb University Now!


Do I have to register?

Yes. As a fully registered PlantWeb University student you can take as many courses as you want, and exchange the Reward Points you earn for valuable gifts.


Can I just try a few courses as a "guest student"?

If you don't want to become a fully registered user, you can take up to five courses as a guest student by completing a shortened registration form. You can accumulate Reward Points for these five courses, but you can't redeem your points for rewards from our catalog. You need to be a fully registered user to redeem your points.

You can become a registered user at any time by filling out the complete registration form.


What courses should I take?

That's up to you. The course catalogs for the Engineering School and Business School list dozens of courses on a wide range of topics.

You can take individual courses, in any order, any time you want. Each one requires only a few minutes of your time.

Or you can take a complete series of related courses -- one or two at a time, or all at once.


Do I have to take the quizzes?

No. But they're a good way to review the material you just covered in the course -- and the ONLY way to earn Reward Points.

You must also view all the quiz questions (as well as all other pages in a course) for the course to be recorded as "completed".


How do I earn Reward Points?

Registered users earn a Reward Point for each quiz question that is answered correctly. Reward Points are recorded after you answer the questions in a quiz and close the course window. When you've earned enough Reward Points, you can exchange them for gifts from our Reward catalog. Please note that rewards are available only to registered students who are employed in the process-related industries. Employees and representatives of Emerson Process Management or other automation suppliers may take courses but are not eligible for rewards.


How do I exchange my Reward points for merchandise?

The Rewards catalog displays available rewards and specifies how many Reward Points are required for each.

When you've earned the appropriate number of Reward Points, simply select the Reward of your choice. You may select one item from each reward level with the appropriate points. The reward will be shipped to the address that you provided in your registration form. You can update your profile information at anytime.

Rewards are available only to registered students who are employed in the process-related industries. Employees and representatives of Emerson Process Management or other automation suppliers may take courses but are not eligible for rewards. Reward items will be sent upon confirmation that these requirements are met.


How do I know how many Reward points I have?

After you've registered and taken at least one course, this information will appear in your personalized My Profile Information page.

Your total will be automatically updated shortly after you complete a quiz and move on to the next course, or after you close a course window by clicking "Exit."


Why didn't I get any points for the quiz I just took?

There are several reasons this can happen:

  • For your work and Reward Points to be recorded, you must take the complete course. That includes viewing all the pages, answering the quiz questions, viewing the Quiz Results page, and then closing the course window.
  • Points are awarded for correct answers. If you didn't score any points in a quiz, you can review the material and answer the quiz questions again.
  • The database that tracks your points may need a few minutes to update the total. Wait 4-5 minutes, then use your browser's "refresh" button to re-load the My Information page.
  • We use "cookies" to tell who is taking a quiz. If your browser is set not to accept cookies, we can't credit your points to your account. You can change this setting within your browser, usually within the "Internet Options" or "Preferences" menus.


Why doesn't the "My Progress" page list the course I just took?

In order for a course to display in your Progress page, you must access it or launch it. Courses are considered ‘complete’ when you have scored at least 50% on the quiz. This can be derived by comparing your Score to the Max Score for that quiz. The eye glasses icon also indicates a course that has been accessed or launched.


Why do some course pages take so long to download?

Courses include not only text and graphics, but also the code for tracking your progress and quiz results. That's why some pages -- especially the first page of a course, and the first quiz question -- can take longer to download than others. Download times will also be slower if you use McAfee VirusScan version 4.x or higher and if you use VShield with Download Scan set to "Scan All files" - these programs and settings slow the download of the Java Applet when starting the course. The overall performance of PlantWeb University ultimately depends on the speed of your Internet connection and your PC. We recommend a sustained connection speed of at least 56K, and at least a Pentium or later processor.


Why do I get a “Page Not Found” or ASP 500 server error?

This server error message is occasionally rendered when launching a PlantWeb University course. Heavy PlantWeb University student activity is responsible for this error. To remedy, close the browser window in which the error is rendered and relaunch the PlantWeb University course.


What are the suggested system and browser requirements for PlantWeb University?

PlantWeb University client system minimum requirements:

  • Operating system - Windows 98
  • Hardware - P2 processor with 64MB ram
  • Browser - Internet Explorer 5.0 (w/Flash plug-in)
  • Internet Connection - 56k dialup

Internet Explorer security settings requirements for PlantWeb University are typically "medium", however check to insure the ActiveX controls are configured as follows:

  • Download signed ActiveX controls - "Prompt"
  • Download unsigned ActiveX controls - "Disable"
  • Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe - "Disable"
  • Run ActiveX controls and plugins - "Enable"
  • Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting - "Enable"

Also, your browser must also have the following configurations:

  • Accepts cookies - PlantWeb University makes use of cookies.
  • Pop-Up/Window Launch Blockers - A browser enabled with a pop-up blocker (or similar window blocking tool) may interfere with the launch of PlantWeb University courses. If this occurs, set the blocking tool to "Always allow".

PlantWeb University makes use of SkillSoft eLearning software. Check your system and browser compatibility with the following SkillSoft utility > http://support.skillsoft.com/customer/SPJava.htm

In general PlantWeb University support proxies and firewalls. The only exception to this is if the firewall or proxy server at your site is filtering Java Applets or compiled code. In this case the course Player will not be able to load properly. Check with your Network Administrator to see if this applies to you.


Why does the PlantWeb University course not download?


Symptoms: SkillSoft course/player always hangs/freezes when trying to start a SkillSoft course

  • Pop up stopper applications, can sometimes interfere with the operation of SkillSoft course players.
  • There may be an unsupported or corrupted Java version installed on the PC
Known Solutions or Workarounds:

As there may be various technical issues which might prevent proper launch of our courseware on your system. You can access instructions on how to resolve the majority of these problems at:

http://support.skillsoft.com/customer/SPJava.htm
Should you be uncomfortable stepping through the technical instructions contained within the website referenced above, it may be advisable for you to contact us through one of our live support channels.

There is also a known issue with conflicting components of the Sun and the Microsoft Java virtual machines. After granting permission to the "SkillSoft" VeriSign certificate, if the PlantWeb University course does not download, most likely the Java component within the Internet Explorer browser needs to be reconfigured. Note, this configuration requires the Virtual Machine or "VM" preference within the 'Advanced' tab located within Internet Explorers 'Internet Options'. If you do not a preference for VM, please see information below on how to obtain the Virtual Machine or "VM" browser component.

To reconfigure the Java settings within Internet Explorer, open 'Tools'/'Internet Options', click the 'Advanced' tab and scroll down to the Java options. Disable the Sun Java components and enable all the Microsoft VM components. Close all instances of the browser and re-launch. In some cases, you may need assistance from your IT department.


Why am I getting -- "Error 00007: Requested applet privileges denied: You must grant the requested privileges to run this applet. Please restart or please contact your Training Administrator to continue"?

This error suggests that your computer (or network) does not mark Script Active X controls safe for scripting. The solution to this problem in Internet Explorer is to Open Tools - Internet Options, click the Security tab and click on the Custom button. Enable Script Active X controls marked safe for scripting. In some cases, you may need assistance from your IT department. You will also receive this error message if when asked to download the SmartForce Ireland applet, you marked "no". This download is required to run the PlantWeb University courses.

This error (00007) is also generated if student selects "No" for the SkillSoft applet download.

There is also a known issue with new Windows XP operating systems and Internet Explorer browsers. The newest versions of XP do not include the Java Virtual Machine (VM) component required to launch PlantWeb University courses. To obtain the VM browser component, download the install file from the SmartForce FTP site.

ftp://ftp2.skillsoft.com

When prompted, login is as supportdown and password of G7s9fR6s (case sensitive). Find the filename msjavx86.exe and bring that down to your desktop. Once this is downloaded, double click and run through the install. You can accept all of the defaults. Please note that Microsoft VM might conflict with other java applications on your PC - please consult your IT group for advice and details!


Why I am experiencing problems with registration/login in Asia Pacific?

There is a known issue with Windows 2000 global settings used in some countries in Asia. To solve this problem, change the "Regional Options" in the Control Panel to "English (United States)" and set as "default. See attached file for more information.


Why can I not register with double byte operating systems such as Chinese OS?

Unfortunately at this time, the SkillSoft software which runs the PlantWeb University courses does not support double byte operating systems such as Chinese OS. We recommend you use a computer with English OS. If you continue to have problems and please send us an email and we can send an electronic copy of the courses as pdf files.


How can I print a course?

Registered users can download PlantWeb University courses in PDF format from the Library Section.



How will my registration information be used?


Your registration enables us to track your Reward Points and progress in PlantWeb University, even if you leave the site and return later, and to send you the gifts you earn by collecting Reward Points. The information you provide about your job and industry will also help us ensure that PlantWeb University offers content that will be useful to you.

From time to time, we may send you additional information that will interest you. If you prefer not to receive such information, just update your profile to let us know. We will not sell your address or other registration information to anyone.

For Emerson's complete privacy and legal statements, click here


How do I update my registration information?

Use the "My Profile Information" link at the top of the page to review the information you provided previously. Update any of the information that needs it, and click the "submit" button at the bottom of the page.



Why am I being asked to download and run something from SkillSoft?

SkillSoft provides the e-learning software used in PlantWeb University. When you select a course in a course catalog, the link opens a new browser window and begins downloading a small Javascript "player" that displays the course material and records your progress.


I forgot my password. What do I do now?

Click here and tell us your e-mail address. We'll check your registration information and e-mail your password to you right away.


Contact PlantWeb University

We are always interested to hear from our users. For questions and comments, please contact us at PlantWeb@EmersonProcess.com


Send comments to:
PlantWeb@EmersonProcess.com



Last Updated 01/17/08


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