[vet-mm] Exam Help Files

[claire b]

Year 12 teachers,

I know this is very late notice, but just wanted to bring to your attention info regarding Help Files on the exam.

VCAA does allow the Adobe help files to be on the exam. I have double checked this point with them.

With Adobe CS3 or lower there was no choice, when the software was installed so were the Help files, and kids are well within their rights to use them.

In fact, accessing ‘Help’ is stated as a required skill in some of our units of competency (eg “interpret information in software user manuals and help features”) and independence/problem solving are assessment criteria in some of our SACs, so it’s very likely that kids have been using the software Help files in class.

 

Some teachers instruct their students not to waste time consulting the help files in the exam, which is possibly the best strategy.

Other train their students to use the Help in certain circumstances. This is up to the teacher. 

 

With Adobe CS4 and CS5, the Help files are online, so not accessible under exam conditions (because the desktop computers have no network access during the exam). 

However, there are work arounds to load the Help files on the local computer IF that’s what you want.

 

So if you want Help files, you need to ensure your technician is including the local Help files on the exam image.

 

In CS4 –  Go to Window>Extensions>Connections , Click the Arrow in top Right Hand Corner ie Offline Options and tick >keep me offline. 
I think (from memory – no longer have CS4) the offline help files are located by default when the software is installed on C drive\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Help\ ... so that’s where the application will pick them up from, if keep me offline is ticked.

 

 

CS5 is a bit more complicated-

1)      Download and install the Community Help from: http://www.adobe.com/support/chc/  (if it hasn’t all ready been installed with your software)

2)      Once it is installed you can download the help content by going to Edit>Preferences>Download Preferences and select the products that you want offline help for 

3)      Then select the  “General Settings” tab and under “Display Local Help content only” check Yes. 

(the above link explains step by step)

 

In reality, it should not be you (the teacher) doing any of this but rather the technician who has to create an exam image and, on the day, load the exam.

However,  you will need to check if local Help has been enabled if you use CS4 or higher and, of course, IF you want your students to be able to access it in the exam.

 

I hope this is not too confusing. 

Feel free to ask questions, throw in your opinion to the list or contact VCAA directly.

Regards

Claire Bloom

Warrandyte High

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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