Academic Technology
Student LearnLinc FAQ
- What is LearnLinc?
Requirements
- What do I need to participate in a LearnLinc-based course?
- What kind of computer do I need?
- Can Learnlinc run on a Macintosh? On Linux?
- What kind of Internet connection does LearnLinc work with?
- Does LearnLinc work with AOL?
- My company has a firewall. Can I still participate in a Learnlinc class?
- What standard ports does LearnLinc use?
- I have a personal firewall. Can I still participate in a Learnlinc class?
- How do I get the Learnlinc software?
- What if I have problems with the automated download and installation of the client?
LearnLinc Virtual Campus
- What is the difference between the terms "course" and "class" in LearnLinc?
- How do I register for a course?
- Does registering for a course in LearnLinc register me for the course with the UNH Registrar's office?
- How do I participate in a class session once I'm registered for a course?
- I forgot my LearnLinc Login ID and/or Password. What should I do?
LearnLinc Recordings
- Can I save what happens in a class?
- Can I get the LearnLinc Recorder software to make my own recordings?
- How do I view or play recordings of a class session?
- Can I fast forward or replay sections while watching a recorded class?
Troubleshooting
- Normally, I connect to a class session and everything is fine, but now, I'm seeing yellow or red icons indicating a slow connection. Audio is dropping out and I'm having other problems. What should I do?
- I hear an echo on my headset or the sound is too loud or soft or the audio is garbled. How do I fix it?
- What if I can't hear anything while in class?
- My instructor makes reference to something I don't see on my screen. What should I do?
General Information
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Please see the LearnLinc general information page.
Requirements
What do I need to participate in a LearnLinc-based course?
A Windows-based computer, an Internet connection, and the LearnLinc client software.
What kind of computer do I need?
Minimum configurations are based on the operating system your computer has.
Windows 95/98/ME or Windows NT (SP6)
- 233MHz Pentium II or compatible processor
- 64M RAM
- Internet Explorer version 5 or newer
- Sound card
- Microphone and headphones
Windows 2000 or XP- 300MHz Pentium or compatible processor
- 128M RAM
- Internet Explorer version 5 or newer
- Sound card
- Microphone and headphones
Can Learnlinc run on a Macintosh? On Linux?
No. Currently client software is not available for any version of the Mac OS or for Linux. It may technically be possible to use LearnLinc via an emulation system like Virtual PC or WINE, but this is not supported. The LearnLinc Virtual Campus web site is accessible from a Macintosh and Linux computers using Netscape web browsers.
What kind of Internet connection does LearnLinc work with?
Your computer must have a reliable Internet connection of at a speed of at least 56Kbps, the standard for current dial-up Internet service using standard telephone lines. While dial-up based Internet Service Providers do work, Faster connections such as cable modem service, DSL, or the quality of Internet service available on most companies' or schools' local area networks provide for a better experience for taking a LearnLinc course and are recommended, where possible.
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Dial-up service through AOL, in theory, meets the minimum connection speed requirements for using LearnLinc, but based on past experiences with students trying to take UNH LearnLinc courses with AOL, it is not recommended.
My company has a firewall. Can I still participate in a Learnlinc class?
Yes, Learnlinc software does have the capability to send all communiations over port 80, the standard port for web communications, which is open on most corporate firewalls. To ensure connectivity, it is recommended that you contact your company's network administrator for details and restrictions.
More details are available on the configuration of LearnLinc's firewall and proxy settings.
What standard ports does LearnLinc use?
Since the LearnLinc virtual campus is a web-based system, TCP port 80, the standard HTTP port is used. In addition, for the audio communications, LearnLinc can either use UDP port 11730 or TCP port 80, if the UDP port is not available.
I have a personal firewall. Can I still participate in a Learnlinc class?
Yes, you should be able to. However, if you are experiencing connection problems, it is advised that you determine whether there is a conflict with your personal firewall software by turning it off, then re-connecting to the UNH Learnlinc Server.
How do I get the Learnlinc software?
- Using Microsoft Internet Explorer, go to UNH Learnlinc server at http://learnlinc.unh.edu/. You will need to create an account prior to downloading the Learnlinc client software.
- To create an account, click on the "Create Account" button found under the "New User? Create an Account:" prompt. This will transport you to create an account page where you will be asked for information such as your name, login ID, and your password which you will create. For your Login ID, we recommend you use your UNH IT ID (aka CIS Unix account name). Additional information that you may include is an email address, telephone number, and web page address. This information is optional.
- Once the login information has been completed, click on the "Submit" button located at the bottom of the page. This will create an account and will open your Learnlinc home page.
- You will see a yellow menu bar of buttons near the top of the page. Click the "Download" item. This action will begin an automated download and installation of the Learnlinc client onto your computer. Click the "Yes" button to proceed and follow the remaining dialog box prompts.
What if I have problems with the automated download and installation of the client?
The LearnLinc client software can also be downloaded by using the links that appear on the Downloads page. Select the "Standard Classroom" client which is the first item on the page. Clicking on this link will download the client software installer to your computer. You will then have to run this program to install the client software on your system. Direct links to the installers are also outside of the LearnLinc Virtual Campus.
LearnLinc Virtual Campus
What is the difference between the terms "course" and "class" in LearnLinc?
A LearnLinc "course" represents the entire academic semester-long study that you are enrolled it. A LearnLinc "class" is a single interactive session of that course. Courses contain one or more classes along with other course resources and materials.
How do I register for a course?
Login to Learnlinc with your account. From your Learnlinc home page, click on the "Register for a Course" button. Select the course or courses for which you would like to register by checking the box to the left of the course name. Then, click Register.
To find a course, enter the course's name in the Search box and click "Go", or sort the courses in this folder by the first letter of the course's name.
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No, enrollment in the UNH course so that you are an official student and will receive credit for the course is handled through normal UNH registration procedures. Regisering within LearnLinc is simply a part of the LearnLinc system's processes and had nothing to do with official enrollment in a course.
How do I participate in a class session once I'm registered for a course?
Login to Learnlinc with your account. On your LearnLinc home page, you will see a list of courses for which you are currently registered. Under each course is a list of the class sessions currently available. There will generally only be one. Click the "Join" button to the right of the class session. This will start the LearnLinc client software on your computer and join you into the interactive class session.
I forgot my LearnLinc Login ID and/or Password. What should I do?
First, try it again making sure that you type everything correctly and that the Caps Lock on your keyboard is off. If your still cannot login, since users can currently create their own accounts, you can feel free to create yourself another new account. This will mean that you will need to re-enter all of your information and re-register for your LearnLinc courses.
LearnLinc Recordings
Can I save what happens in a class?
The standard Learnlinc client software does not give this option to students. Your instructor, however, does have the option of recording each class session for future student access and archival purposes. The class recordings will be posted in the Course Materials section of your LearnLinc course.
Can I get the LearnLinc Recorder software to make my own recordings?
Yes, the LearnLinc Recorder can be downloaded and installed on your computer. In most cases, however, this will not be necessary as your instructor will be recording the classes and posting them for your access.
How do I view or play recordings of a class session?
The Learnlinc Player is a component of the standard LearnLinc client installation, so if you have downloaded and installed the client software on your computer, then you have the capability to view archieved course recordings.
The Learnlinc Player is also available for download as an individual application.
To access the recordings, login to Learnlinc with your account. From your LearnLinc home page, click the plus sign (+) next to the Course Materials item for the course in question. This will expand the Course Materials section to display all items within your course. For class session recordings, you can either click the "Play" button to the right of the recording to play it as a streaming download, or you can click the "Download" button to download the entire file to your computer first. Generally, clicking the "Play" button is the best option. If you do download a recording file, it will have a file extension of .lrc and will opent he LearnLinc Player if you double-click on it.
Can I fast forward or replay sections while watching a recorded class?
Yes, you can use the slider control on the LearnLinc Player's small control window to jump ahead or back up as you are watching playback of a recorded class.
Troubleshooting
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The Internet is a complex network beyond the direct control of both you and UNH's support staff. At times, problems with Internet routers or high levels of communications traffic from other users of UNH's network or of systems located along the path between your Internet Service Provider and UNH's ISP may lead to insufficient bandwidth and slow connection problems. Many times, simply logging out of the LearnLinc class session and then joining back in again may be enough to help correct the problem. Other times, it is beyond your or our control. If you are experiencing frequent problems with slow connections, please contact the UNH LearnLinc support staff who will try to assist with troubleshooting the issue.
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To correct these or other sound-related problems while you are in a Learnlinc class, run the Audio Wizard. Audio Wizard will walk you through a series of audio checks that will assist you in properly configuring the sound on your computer. To access the Audio Wizard while in a Learnlinc class, select the Audio Wizard from the Tools menu of the LearnLinc palette's menu bar. If you wish to run the Audio Wizard before joining a class, select it from the Start Menu in Programs-->LearnLinc-->Audio Wizard.
Be sure that you have indicate correctly whether you are using a headset or speakers in the Audio Wizard, and run through all of its steps to acheive the best results.
What if I can't hear anything while in class?
You can let your instructor and others know that you are not hearing anything by using the Text Chat feature of LearnLinc to send a text message. If others in the class are hearing the instructor fine, then use the following steps to check your own computer's audio playback.
- Verify that your speakers or headset are properly connected to your computer and are on.
- Check to see if the sound is muted on your computer. To do so, open the Sounds control panel. Verify that the output is not muted and that the volume level is turned up. NOTE: IS THIS CORRECT??? NEEDS VERIFICATION!
- Run the Audio Wizard. The Audio Wizard includes a step were it plays back a sound to allow you to adjust your own volume settings. If you cannot hear this audio, then the problem is with the speakers, headset, or settings on your computer. Return to the previous steps until this works properly.
My instructor makes reference to something I don't see on my screen. What should I do?
Let your instructor know that you are having difficulty by using Text Chat. Be as specific as you can be, noting what it is that you think you are not seeing. The instructor will most likely be able to reload the content to make it appear on your computer. This is generally a very quick and transparent procedure. After this is completed, you should see what the Instructor is displaying. If not, try logging out of the class and quitting the LearnLinc client software and thenn logging back in again.