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Technical Summary

Description of Application
Mastery's interactive multimedia training uses a computer to deliver and administer the training. It uses video to teach the concepts. It features interactions, practice activities and questions throughout the training to make sure that the workers learn the material. When workers miss questions, it will continue to teach until they reach 100% mastery.

Hardware Requirements

Stand Alone Training Station
The recommended hardware configuration for a stand alone training station using standard full-screen video is:

• Pentium Computer, minimum 100mhz
• 8MB RAM, 10MB hard disk per course (average)
• Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT
• Soundblaster-compatible sound card
• 4X CD-ROM

Networked Training Station
The recommended hardware configuration for a networked training station using network-optimized (lowbitrate) video is:

• 486/25 Computer
• 8MB RAM, 10MB hard disk per course (average)
• Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT
• Soundblaster-compatible sound card

Formats Available

Standard CD-ROM Version
This version runs from the CD-ROM drive on the training computer. Or, if you have a large hard drive and do not want your workers handling the CD-ROMs, you can install the entire CD-ROM onto the local hard drive. Currently, this method is the most popular because of the low cost of large hard drives.

Network-Optimized
This version is identical to the standard version except for the video files. The video files have been encoded at a low bitrate, and a smaller size. This version takes 90% less bandwidth than the standard version. This makes it ideal for corporate LANS, WANS, and Intranets. The bandwidth requirements are 128 kilobits per second.

Database Format

Recordkeeping
The system tracks and stores the results of the training in an ODBC-compliant database format. The files (.DBF extension) can be viewed directly with Microsoft Access, Excel, or any other application that is ODBC compliant. The system is fast and efficient. The file sizes are small. A typical location will probably only require about 3 megabytes of disk space for learner records.

Administration
Whether you are using CD-ROMs or the Network-Optimized version, we recommend that you keep all of the training records in a single database on a file server. This will allow any worker to take the training from any training station and have the system update the records in only one database. This also allows the Course Administrator, using our STARS system, to view and print reports from his/her workstation without having to go to each training station.

Network Preparation for Learner Records
All that is required from the IT department is to set up a directory on a server and give the Training Stations access to that directory. On the training stations, you simply use our Training Manager application to define the path for the learning records, or the UNC (universal naming convention).
Examples:
t:\video\training\records; or
\\NTSERVER\SAFETY\TRAINING\)

Content Management

MODIFY™, Mastery's customization software, provides an easy way for users to customize the courses to meet site-specific requirements. With MODIFY™, you can add change or remove content (video, graphics, text, audio), you can convert a course to a new language (Chinese, Portuguese, etc.), you can add, change, or remove questions; you can add, change, and remove glossary terms and video index items. When you have completed your modifications, MODIFY™ has a feature to deploy your changes across your network so that all systems will be operating with the same version of the course. In addition, with a course shell, you can create a custom course from scratch with all of the features of Mastery's off-the-shelf courseware.

Customer-Created Courses
Customers can create their own Mastery Advanatage courses using MODIFY™ Course Shells. These inexpensive "course kits" let customers quickly publish their own training on Mastery's platform, using the full feature sets of the Mastery Runtime System, Training Manager, Training Requirements, STARS Recordkeeping, multilingual support, and other MODIFY™ courseware customization capabilities.