Frequently Asked Questions
Index of Management Issue FAQs
Hardware Issues
Usability Issues
Security Issues
Pricing Issues
Network Issues
Refresher Training Issues
- "Testing out" of a lesson
- Only teach what the worker doesn't already know
- Over-use of the same courses
- Trade-in old courses
Worker Literacy Issues
Courseware Administration/Management Issues
- Managing course materials
- Worker's time required to take the training
- Managing widely dispersed training stations
CD-ROM Handling and Care Issues
Modification of Courses
Interfacing with other Software
Compatibility with other Vendor's Courses
Update and Upgrade Policy
Questions about Specific Technical Issues (Customer Support)
Hardware Issues
What kind of computer is required?
The recommended computer is a Pentium-class (166MHz or higher) computer Windows95 or higher, at least a 2x CD-ROM and a sound card. Older computers can be used but they will often require an additional program or a peripheral card to play the high-quality standard bitrate MPEG video featured in all our courses. Runing the low bitrate versions of our courses on older PCs eliminates the need for a special MPEG card.
Click here for complete hardware requirements.
Can I train using a notebook computer or a portable?
Yes. The notebook or portable needs to meet the same minimal hardware requirements as the desktop system (see question 1).
Usability Issues
Our employees have never used a computer, will this be difficult for them to learn?
No. Your employees fit the profile of the vast majority of our customers. Most of the people trained with our courseware are not computer users.
We've designed the programs with simplicity in mind. The first thing a student sees is an orientation on how to use and control the course. They have an option of viewing this orientation every time they take a course.
Learners control the course with a VCR-like control panel. The control panel has options like pause, fast forward etc. Everyone will immediately know how to use it if they have ever used a VCR or Audio CD player. We've even designed the training so the user never has to touch a keyboard. They can get through a course by pointing and clicking with a mouse or by using a touch screen.
Get a better description. Visit “How It Works”.
Security Issues
I'm concerned about lost and damaged CD-ROMs. Can students take the training without having to handle CD-ROMs?
Yes. By installing the courses to the harddrive of the training computer or to a network file server your workers never have to handle CD-ROMs. No lost discs. No damaged discs.
This method is gaining immensely in popularity because of rapidly falling hard drive prices. It is very cost justifiable to buy a large hard drive and install 50, 100 or more courses completely to the hard drive or server and never handle the CD-ROMs again.
I will need systems set up in unsupervised areas of my site. How can I protect the system from damage?
Mastery can provide you with a system that is totally encased in a cabinet. We call it a Kiosk. It looks similar to a tiny teller machine. The computer and keyboard are locked away in a cabinet and the only thing showing is a touch screen monitor. This will prevent people from tampering with the hardware. You have probably seen similar information Kiosks set up in shopping malls.
Pricing Issues
How much does the software cost?
Courses sell for $495 to $1,995 per copy, or you can rent them for as little as $9.95 per month as part of a library subscription plan. You can also license courses on a pay-per-view basis. Check out our Price List for more details.
Networking Issues
Can I deliver the training over my network?
Yes. Just how you do it depends on the capabilities and the traffic load on your network. The new low-cost 100 Megabit (Fast Ethernet) adapters and switchcing hubs work great. Even if your existing network is unable to handle the added traffic of our video streams, you can use our new low bitrate course versions or we can help you set up a low cost video-capable LAN network segment that can connect to your LAN or WAN for maintaining a centralized learner records database.
Mastery courseware is the only courseware that allows you to set up your network in many alternative ways. Certainly, you can network the student records with minimal effect on your network. However, we'll have to look a little closer at your system to determine whether or not you can deliver the VIDEO training over your network without making special arrangements.
The main factors as to whether your network can support the video are the bandwidth of your network, the type of server(s) you have, the volume and nature of normal traffic on the network, the bitrate you choose to deliver to your users, and your expected level of video traffic on the network.
Refresher Training Issues
I have people that have been trained in these topics before or they will be taking the course as an annual refresher. Can they “test-out” of the courses by proving mastery on a pre-test.
Yes. All of our courses feature a pre-test option. You can set this option so that it requires the student to take the pre-test, or makes it optional for the student to take the pre-test. You can also turn it off so that it is not available.
Only teach what the worker doesn't already know
Can I make the course play only the material that relates to questions that the worker answered incorrectly in the pre-test? In other words, can I only teach what they don't already know?
Yes. Each topical area has its own pre-test. If the worker masters the material for a particular topic, they can bypass that lesson. They still get instruction on the topics for which they cannot prove mastery on the pre-test. If you are thinking that this might reduce worker's boredom over being trained in material they already know, and if you think it might drastically reduce training time and costs, you're right!
My workers get tired of seeing the same material every year. Do you have more than one version of a course to choose from?
Yes. Only Mastery has several courses to choose from on most topics. For example, we have 4 different Forklift courses, 4 Lockout/Tagout courses, and 2 Hazcom courses.
Can I trade-in a Lockout Tagout (or other titles) for a different Lockout Tagout next year?
Yes. We will give you a 50% trade-in credit toward the same topic if you subscribe to the Extended Support Plan. For example if you get tired of one Lockout/Tagout, you can trade it for another for half price. The same goes for Bloodborne Pathogens, Personal Protective Equipment, Hearing Protection, Hazcom, or any other topic where we have several titles to choose from.
Worker Literacy Issues
Reading and comprehension issues
I have workers who cannot read very well or can't read at all. Sometimes its their level of education, sometimes English is their second language. Some have difficulty comprehending what they read. How can I train this group of workers with this system?
You are not alone. Most of our customers say the same thing. To address this problem we make sure we narrate every menu and every question and the presentation within the course. The course will be presented to them with audio and video, and when there are questions or menus, the system will read them to the worker. This approach not only helps workers with reading and comprehension deficits get through the training, it also assists them in a subtle way, to learn to read and improve comprehension.
Multiple languages at the worksite
Our workers speak different languages. Many of our worksites have to accomodate two, three, and even four different languages. In some cases we provide translators to go through the training with the workers, at a great cost I might add. Unfortunately, in other cases we just can't get the training done because of the language problems. Do your courses address this problem?
Yes. We've developed a unique method to support any number of languages on the same computer using the original CD. Our MODIFY™ system lets you define an unlimited number of alternate languages. You simply record standard audio files (.wav) to the hard drive of your system. Your workers are then able to select their language at the beginning of the course. You can even replace screen text for questions and glossaries with MODIFY™.
Worksites in multiple countries
We are a multinational company with locations around the globe—different languages, different cultures. However, we want our training to be consistent. We want to teach the same material the same way at every location. Creating, deploying, and managing several versions of a course in several languages is costly and complex. How do your courses and systems address this problem?
This is a complex problem, however, it can be solved in an elegantly simple way. Our MODIFY™ system lets you create alternate versions of our off-the-shelf courses and any course you develop using our MODIFY™ Course Shells. An alternate version can include replacement audio tracks and altered content to meet the language and cultural differences of each of your locations. Making changes, even language overdubs, is amazingly simple and innexpensive.
Courseware Administration / Management Issues
I'm concerned about managing the training materials. Can I deliver the training without having to worry about physically managing the CD-ROMs?
Yes. You can install the programs and courses so that you and your workers never have to handle CD-ROMs. No lost discs. No damaged discs. Course materials are always where they're needed, when they're needed.
Use a hard-drive installation. This method is gaining immensely in popularity because of rapidly falling hard drive prices. It is very cost justifiable to buy a large hard drive and install 50, 100 or more courses completely to the hard drive and never handle the CD-ROMs again. You can even connect several machines in a workgroup network and have potentially hundreds of courses available online; for peanuts!
Full File server networking of the courseware can also be done with no special video servers or high performance network upgrades. Our low bitrate video files deliver great looking video without dragging down your network.
Worker's time required to take the training
How much time does the average course require to complete?
Most course take about 20 to 40 minutes. (Our competitors courseware requires 2 to 4 hours because of the complexity of their system.)
Managing widely dispersed training stations
My plant is spread out over two miles and I would like systems at several key locations within the plant. Can I maintain the courses and change course options without leaving my office?
Yes. Training Manager allows you to “sign-on” to your remote training stations without ever leaving your office. When you “sign-on”, you will see the options for that particular training station. You can then make changes to the options without ever leaving your office. No other courseware vendor has this type of capability.
I will need systems set up in unsupervised areas of my site. How can I protect the system from damage?
Mastery can provide you with a system that is totally encased in a cabinet. We call it a Kiosk. It looks similar to a tiny teller machine. The computer and keyboard are locked away in a cabinet and the only thing showing is a touch screen monitor. This will prevent people from tampering with the hardware. You have probably seen similar information Kiosks set up in shopping malls.
CD-ROM Handling and Care Issues
I'm concerned about lost and damaged CD-ROMs. Can students take the training without having to handle CD-ROMs?
Yes. Your workers never have to handle CD-ROMs. No lost discs. No damaged discs.
Do a hard-drive installation. This method is gaining immensely in popularity because of rapidly falling hard drive prices. It is very cost justifiable to buy a large hard drive and install 50, 100 or more courses completely to the hard drive and never handle the CD-ROMs again. You can even connect several machines in a workgroup network and have potentially hundreds of courses available online; for peanuts!
I will need systems set up in unsupervised areas of my site. How can I protect the system from damage?
Mastery can provide you with a system that is totally encased in a cabinet. We call it a Kiosk. It looks similar to a tiny teller machine. The computer and keyboard are locked away in a cabinet and the only thing showing is a touch screen monitor. This will prevent people from tampering with the hardware. You have probably seen similar information Kiosks set up in shopping malls.
Modification of Courses
I need to add site-specific information to several of your courses. Can I do that?
YES! Mastery has the most powerful and flexible customization package available. With Mastery's MODIFY™ software you can add full motion video clips, slides, graphics, scanned pictures to any lesson. You can also add your own questions and reviews.
I have seen courses that cover information that doesn't relate to our operation. Can I take out material that isn't relevant to our operation?
YES. With MODIFY™ you can remove any video, audio or question that you want. No one else gives you this flexibility.
Interfacing with other Software
Can I share the student records with my other software programs?
Most definitely. Mastery uses Windows ODBC standard data file format. This means that the majority of your Windows applications can read Mastery student record files without any programming. Examples include Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, dBase, Lotus 1-2-3 and many more.
Compatibility with other Vendor's Courses
Can I run other vendors' courseware on your system?
Yes. We even go so far as giving you a simple way, with our Training Manager system, to place competitor's courses on the Mastery Course Listing which lets your workers launch all your training from one place. Even our Training Requirements system lets you assign and track requirements for non-Mastery training.
Update and Upgrade Policy
Can I trade-in a Lockout Tagout (or other titles) for a different Lockout Tagout next year?
Yes. If you're a subscriber to the Extended Service Plan (ESP), we will give you a 50% trade-in credit toward the same title. For example if you get tired of one Lockout Tagout, you can trade it for another for half price. The same goes for Bloodborne Pathogens, Personal Protective Equipment, Hearing Protection, Hazcom or any other topic where we have several titles to choose from.
The same trade-in provisions apply to new systems you may buy that replace your current equipment. If a new technology comes out that obsoletes your current systems, you can trade-in your old technology-based courses for the newer ones as they are available.
How much do updates cost?
If you're on our Extended Support Plan, the cost of updates is zero. Many program updates and course updates are available here on our website for free. Otherwise our average program update price is about $100.
