The Institute's course interface is intended to be as intuitive as possible. Chances are you will have no problem simply diving into your online learning experience. But, just in case, some basic troubleshooting and overview information is provided here:
Taking a Lesson
Required Browser Settings
The following browser settings are required for the Isoph Institute interface to function properly. If you are encountering trouble, check to be certain that your browser is set up to meet the following requirements:
Browsers
We supported Netscape 4.0 and higher browsers and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and higher browsers. Although other browsers may work, Isoph does not provide support for them.
Cookies
Your browser must be set to accept cookies. The Isoph Institute uses cookies to maintain a logged on session for you between requests. If your browser does not accept the session cookie, the Isoph learning community system will continually prompt you to log on. See your browser help for information on setting cookie options.
Javascripting
Your browser must accept scripting and support javascript. Javascript is used to open new windows for courses and lessons and is also used in the navigation buttons. Netscape 4.0 and higher browsers and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and higher browsers meet this requirement.
Frames
Your browser must support frames. A frameset is used to separate the header, navigation, and content areas in the Isoph Institute. Netscape 4.0 and higher browsers and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and higher browsers meet this requirement.
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Special Components
No special components (such as Java applets) are used on the standard Isoph Institute pages at this time. To take full advantage of simulations within the courses, you will need to have Flash Player 5 or higher. Go to the Macromedia Web site at http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash, and follow the posted instructions for downloading and installing the software.
To make sure that the simulations play properly, ActiveX must be enabled. In Internet Explorer, click on Tools, and select Internet Options. Click on the Security tab and then the Custom Level button. The only settings that should be disabled are Download unsigned ActiveX controls and Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked safe for scripting. Everything else should be enabled.
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Logging In
In order to control access to courses, learner information, and the discussion features, certain areas of the Isoph Institute require that the user be logged in.
If you try to access certain restricted areas of the Institute, your will be directed to a log-in form. You must supply a valid log-in and password before you will be able to access the restricted areas.
You may also have to log in again if your session has timed out. After a period of time in which no requests are received from you, the server will delete your session. This is done in order to recover server resources in case of abandoned sessions (sessions not logged out properly). The default timeout period is 20 minutes. You should simply log in again.
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Course Menu ("My Courses")
The learner menu page is personalized just for you. Your name should appear in the title line of the page. If it does not, please contact Isoph at support@isoph.com before starting any courses. This ensures that you will get credit for any course work you do.
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General Information and Procedures
We've made the learner interface for the Isoph Institute as intuitive to use as possible. You can use this interface to view your courses, launch lessons, and track your progress. You can also engage in threaded discussions, chat, attend online conferences, take part in surveys and polls, and browse our list of online resources.
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Descriptions of Course Menu Items
From the course menu, you can view the full description of a suite of course by clicking the "View the full description" link beneath each title. To return to the course menu, click your browser's Back button.
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Logging Out
It is important to log out when you finish a session with your online courses. Just closing your browser does not close your session. Your session continues to use server resources until the session times out. More importantly, if you don't log out properly, we may not have an accurate record of the work you've done.
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The Course Menu
A basic course menu looks similar to this. There are three parts to the listing of suite of courses:
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Suite Name: The name of the suite marks the beginning of each entry on the course menu page.
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Launch Link: Clicking on the text "Launch courses" will open the lesson menu from which learners can choose a lesson to launch from within the selected suite.
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Description Link: Clicking on the text "View the full description" will open a description of the selected suite.
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Courses and Lessons
A course is made up of one or more lessons that contain the actual material you are to learn. Sometimes these lessons are grouped into series the way chapters in a book may be grouped into units. When you click on the name of a suite from the main menu, you will see a menu of the series and the lessons that make up that suite.
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Taking a Lesson
From the pop-up lesson menu, select a lesson. 
Click on the plus sign to the left of a series name or on a series name (such as Business Communications) to expand the view and see the lessons contained in that series. To launch a lesson, simply click on a lesson name (such as Business Communication: Documentation).
Note: If a lesson is not ready to launch, you will see an error message instead of the lesson launch window. If this happens, log out, and close your browser. Restart your browser, and try again. If you still cannot start the lesson, contact Isoph at support@isoph.com.
The lesson will launch in a separate window. Proceed through the lesson according to its instructions. When you finish the lesson, click the x in the upper right-hand corner of the window to close the window.
If you exit a course by using the exit button, the Isoph learning community system will bookmark your location so you can start at that point the next time you launch the lesson.
Note: Be sure to either finish the lesson or use the lesson's standard exit method. Do not simply close your browser. If you do, we will not be able to accurate record the work you have already done.
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