MHC Interactive: GED

Integrated Online Solution

Student Manual

Welcome to the GED Integrated Online Solution.  This manual will introduce you to using the application to its greatest potential.  Your institution gave you an installation CD-ROM, which contains “Getting Started Instructions” that will walk you through the installation process. Also, your school should have supplied you (or emailed you) a username and password to access the GED Integrated Online Solution system. In order to use the GED Integrated Online product, and to follow along with these instructions, install the program to your hard drive using the instructions mentioned above, have your username and password on hand or memorized, and make sure that your computer can connect to the internet.

STEP 1:  LAUNCHING THE PROGRAM

Running the MHC Interactive GED Online program is similar to running any other program on your pc.   Click 'Start', 'Programs' (or 'All Programs), and locate and point your mouse over the 'MHC Interactive' menu option.  Then select 'GED Online', and then click on the GEDONLINE program name.

STEP 2: SIGNING ON

Once you select the GEDONLINE program, it checks to see if you are connected to the internet. If not, the program will attempt to launch your default internet connection for you; therefore, there might be a delay when you first start the program, while it attempts to verify that there is an internet connection.   The program automatically launches your browser and navigates to the GED Integrated Online Solution sign-on page.  Type in your school supplied username and password into the fields, then click “Submit”.

STEP 3: THE WELCOME SCREEN

You are now successfully signed on to the GED Integrated Online Solution program.   This welcome screen provides you with your first name, last name, username, teacher’s name, last date of recorded activity, and your class ID.   Please check the Notice Board for any broadcast messages left by you school and/or teacher.  They may contain important instructions for you.   This screen will also indicate if there are any private messages sent to you by your instructor.  If there are messages, a yellow “New Message Found” bar will be present over the Notice Board.  To access that message simply click on the New Message Found yellow button to enter into the messaging system.

STEP 4: CHECKING NEW MESSAGES

From the Welcome screen, you can access the Message System two ways.  First, if you have a new message simply clicking on the yellow New Message Found bar will open the \Message Center.  Second, the Message Center may be accessed from the Messaging System menu located at the top of the Welcome screen.   The Message Center displays new messages as well as old messages.  If there are new messages, a New Message Found alert will appear upon opening the Message Center.  To open, read, and reply to any message, simply select the Select button to the left of the message.   Please note that each message has an expiration date and will automatically be deleted from the system on that date.

STEP 5:  RESPONDING TO MESSAGES

When selecting a message, the message detail screen appears.  From this screen, the entire message can be read, replied to, expiration date modified, or deleted.   To reply to a message, simply click the reply button and type your message in the message body box.   To delete a message, click the Delete This Message button.   As long as you are connected to the Internet, this window may be kept open and minimized.  Every 30 seconds the messaging system will automatically check for new message and alert you if one is present.

STEP 6:  CHECKING YOUR GED PROGRESS ONLINE

You can check all of your progress data from the GED Online Internet site.  From the Welcome screen, select the Links menu and choose Performance Summary.  The Performance Summary screen may take a minute to load.   This screen displays progress market for lessons, displays unit test scores, and shows GED scores for each pre-test and post-test.  Each progress mark may be clicked on to show further information regarding each score.    Clicking on a lesson summary progress mark will display the date, length of time, and mastery of each lesson in that unit.  Clicking on a unit test score (always a percentage) will provide a skill level breakdown of your test score.  Clicking on a pre- or post-test score will also reveal a skill level breakdown as well as testing time and mode.

STEP 7:  ACCESSING THE GED LESSONS AND TESTS

To begin your study within the GED lessons and tests, click on the Launch GED button from the Welcome screen.  Since the GED lessons and tests reside on your local computer, GED Online will download all your user information as well as lesson and test scores.   A window showing progress of the download will appear and when finished, the GED software will automatically load.

STEP 8:  GED SUBJECT AREAS

Once all of your user data has been downloaded from the GED Online site, you have the option to disconnect from the Internet.  Since all lessons and tests are on your local hard drive, you will not need your Internet connection during your study time.  You will, however, need your Internet connection activated when exiting the software portion of the program.   If this is your first time logging in, you may see a Tutorial screen appear.  If you wish you may use the tutorial to become familiar with the usage of the software.  The Tutorial may be accessed at any time by clicking Tutorial at the bottom right side of this screen.   The GED Test is comprised of five different subject areas.  This program provides study on each subject area and follows the exact skill format of the test.

STEP 9:  SUBJECT AREA FORMAT

Each GED subject area is formatted the same.  A Pre-Test is a half-length GED test that will help to identify areas of strength and weakness within the subject area.   There are several units of study and each contains lessons relating to the units topic.  Each unit specifically relates to GED skill area.  Lessons within each unit break the skill area into manageable pieces and provide interactive activities, graphics, and some may contains videos   A full-length GED Post-Test ends each subject area and is in the exact format of the GED Test.  This test will not only introduce you to the question types and length of the actual GED Test, but also provide you with an indication of your progress within the subject area.

STEP 10:  PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST OPTIONS

When you select a pre- or post-test, you will be presented with two testing options.  Your instructor may request which option you should select.  A description of each testing mode is below.   Study Mode provides you with two chances to correctly answer a question.  Also, hints, feedback and a indication if you answered the question correctly are provided.   Test Mode simulates a testing environment only allows one chance to answer a question, hints and feedback are not provided, and a Timer option is available.  The timer will see if you can complete the test within the allotted GED time limits.   Click on the Begin Test to start your testing session.

STEP 11:  PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST FORMAT

A pre-test and post-test question will always appear on the right side of the screen.  The left side of the screen will contain any graphics and reading passages that relate to the test question.  To answer a test question, simply click on the number circle below that corresponds to the answer in the test question box.   The number bar to the right of the test question allows quick access to jump to any test question.  Question numbers in yellow indicate a competed test question.  Question numbers in white indicate unanswered test questions.   The “Hint Box” under the graphic appears only if a test is taken in Test Mode.   Please note that each pre-test and post-test is randomized.  Each time you access the same test the order of the test questions will be different.

STEP 12:  COMPLETING A PRE-TEST OR POST-TEST

Once a pre-test or post-test is completed and scored, the skill summary appears.  This summary breaks the test down by the GED skills, indicates your raw score on that skill, percentage score, and whether you mastered that skill.    A green check mark under the Mastery column indicates that you successfully mastered that skill.  If the word “Resource” appears in the Mastery column, it indicates that that skill has not been mastered.  The work “Resource” can be clicked on to display a list of additional study resources to use for further study on that skill.   The left side of the screen indicates your GED score and displays the two most recent testing session with the test mode selected, timer on or off, date test taken, scores, and total testing time.   The bottom of the screen provides a link back to the Subject Area menu, a link to the Performance Summary screen, and a Review Test option to return back to the test and view your responses and the correct answer for each question.

 

STEP 13:  ACCESSING A UNIT AND LESSON

Each unit contains a series of educational lessons.  Each lesson contains interactive features such as drag-and-drop activities, answer selection, list sorting, graphics, and may also contain educational videos.   After a lesson is completed, a six question quiz assesses your mastery of the lesson material.   After all lessons are completed in a unit, a comprehensive unit test assesses your mastery of all lesson topics in the unit.

STEP 14:  LESSON FORMAT

Each lesson contains a series of educational screens.  This sample screen shows how an educational video is displayed.  When each lesson is completed, a six-question quiz will assess your mastery of the lesson topic.

STEP 15:  LESSON QUIZ

The format of each lesson quiz is similar to the pre-tests and post-tests.  The test question appears on the right side and any related passages and graphics appear on the left.   Mastery on the lesson quiz translates into answering a minimum of 80% of the questions correctly.  If you pass the lesson quiz, you will be taken directly to the next lesson in the unit.  If you don’t pass the lesson quiz, you will be taken to a reteaching lesson.

STEP 16:  RETEACHING LESSON

If you don’t pass the lesson quiz, a reteaching Lesson Review will be presented.  This Lesson Review will present the lesson material in a slightly different way, hoping that the new material will help you understand the lesson topic.   When finished with the lesson review, another six-question lesson quiz will be given.  If that quiz is not passed, you have the option to continue to the next lesson by returning back to the main menu.

STEP 17:  UNIT TEST

After each lesson in the unit has been completed, a comprehensive Unit Test will be provided.  Before the Unit Test begins, a video tutor will highlight the general concepts of each topic in the unit and provide bullet points summarizing the content of the lessons.   The format of each unit test is the same as the pre-tests, post-tests, and lesson quizzes.

STEP 18:  PERIODS OF INACTIVITY

GED Integrated Online Solution is a time-tracked system.  There may be periods of inactivity during your study within the program.  If you have a period of inactivity in ten minutes, you will see a Time-Out Inactivity prompt.  If this appears, simply click OK and continue working.

STEP 19:  MESSAGING YOUR TEACHER WITHIN THE SOFTWARE

You may find it necessary to send a message to your instructor within the software.  If you have a question for your teacher or simply wish to send a message without returning to the GED Online Internet site, select the Messages menu from top of your screen, then select Send Message.   If you are connected to the Internet, the message will be immediately sent.  If you are not connected to the Internet, it will be send next time you connect.

STEP 20:  CHECKING MESSAGES WITHIN THE SOFTWARE

You may also check your messages from within the software.  You must have an activated Internet connection to perform this function.  Your messages will appear in a list and simply select a message to view and click the View Messages button.  You may read and respond to any message.

STEP 21:  EXITING THE SOFTWARE

When finished with your current session of software usage, select the File then Quit menu options.  All of your GED session data will automatically upload to the GED Online Internet site.  If you do not have an activated Internet connection, you will need to connect in order for the upload to proceed.  Please note that you must successfully upload your GED data before using GED Integrated Online Solution again.