This readme file is for system administrators installing modules on servers under their control. eLearning Desing Lab modules are designed to be used by students from a server located at your institution. Your web server can be any standard server on any platform. No CGI or server-parsed scripting is used. The modules do require a RealMedia server, available at http://www.real.com/

Each eLearning Desing Lab module includes more than 1500 individual files (.gif, .html, .jpg, .rm, .smi, .rp) and is approximately 30MB to 50MB in total size. You will install the majority of these files in a directory of your choice on your web server. The remainder of the files will be installed in the content folder of your RealServer. The installation of the files is easily accomplished. The following will help ensure that your installation is as trouble-free as possible.

• Make sure that index.html is an accepted default page for your web server.
• Make sure that you have sufficient room on your web server to house the module(s) you are installing.
• Know the http port used by your RealServer.

http://carhop.sped.ukans.edu:8080/ramgen/a201c1/xstream/a201c1_6.smi

Notice that the port 8080 is used in this example. The RealServer defaults to port 80. If that is not available, it often selects 8080 or 8090, but your server may be different. You must specify the correct port or the media will not stream. The 'ramgen' reference in the example above also is needed. However this does not refer to a ramgen directory that you need to create in the content folder of your RealServer. Rather this is an addressing convention used by the RealServer to allow it to parse the files for streaming.

These instructions are general in nature and strict compliance with them is not necessary to successfully install eLearn Design modules. Expanded information on each of the following steps appears below this section.

1. Create a directory on your web server. We recommend " elearndesingmodules" as a directory name.
2. Download desired module(s) from the Teach Special Ed directory.
3. Uncompress the download package in the "elearndesignmodules" directory.
4. Use a web browser to navigate through the module you have installed to ensure that it is accessible and functioning properly.
5. Move the 'rmedia' directory (located at the root level of the module) to your RealServer content folder.
6. Use a text editor to modify the base address of your RealServer in the rmedia_server.js file, which is located at the root level of the module.
7. Use a web browser to test the functioning of the Real media previews and presentations.
8. Password protect the modules. The eLearn Design requests that all modules be password protected.

Expanded Installation Information and Instructions

1. Create a directory on your web server. We recommend "elearndesingmodules" as a directory name.

• The directory that you create on your web server may be named almost anything you like. You may choose to create an alias or symbolic link to make the path to the modules shorter or easier for your users to remember.

• The modules are currently available in .zip and .tar.gz formats. You may or may not choose to download the compressed module directly to its eventual destination. You may choose to download to a machine that is not a server in order to check the module for viruses or to be sure that you have sufficient room for the module on the server in its uncompressed form.

• Use the utility of your choice to do the uncompressing. Once the module is uncompressed, you may want to navigate the resulting directories to familiarize yourself with the structure of eLearning Desing Modules modules.

• You should begin at the index.html page at the root level of the module directory and use the navigation arrows located in the upper right hand corner of each page to move through the module. You will not be able to initiate the Real media streams until you complete the next parts of the process.

• Each module's rmedia directory is uniquely named by appending an underscore and the module identifier to the 'rmedia' directory name. This facilitates the copying of the rmedia directory to your RealServer content folder. For example, if the module you are downloading is a101 or the Instructor's Module, you will find that the rmedia directory is named, 'rmedia_a101' and that it includes a directory for each lesson in the module and a directory called gs. The gs directory contains the files needed to provide the streamed media portions of a "Getting Started Overview" to eLearning Desing modules.

• The rmedia_server.js file is shown below. This file supplies the correct address for the RealServer to all links that need it in several pages of the module. Notice the http address in the first line following the 'var rmedia_base ='. You must edit this line to reflect the address of your RealMedia server. The address you supply must begin with 'http://' and end with 'ramgen/'. You need to supply the address of the server and the port to which the RealMedia server is assigned. In cases where large numbers of files are to be streamed from the RealServer, you may elect, or may be required to create a separate directory for the media files you place on the RealServer. In such cases be sure to include the directory name after 'ramgen/'. For example, "http://carhop.sped.ukans.edu:8090/ramgen/soeacademy/" indicates that the media is to be streamed from a directory named 'soeacademy' in the RealServer content folder. As you edit the rmedia_server.js file, notice, and comply with,the comment, '// ------ DO NOT CHANGE BELOW THIS LINE ----- //. After you edit the first line of the rmedia_server.js file, save it. Do not rename or move this file.

var rmedia_base = "http://carhop.sped.ukans.edu:8090/ramgen/";


// ------ DO NOT CHANGE BELOW THIS LINE ----- //
function get_rmedia_base () {
  	return  rmedia_base;
}


function set_rmedia_link (file) {
	fulladdress = rmedia_base + file;
	window.location = fulladdress;
}

• After modifying the rmedia_server.js file to reflect the address of your RealMedia server, you should use a current-generation browser and navigate to the pages to test functioning. In each lesson, you should check the functioning of the RealMedia streaming on the pages whose filenames end in 50100.html and 60100.html. These pages are accessed in each lesson by navigating to the lesson level and selecting the Preview and Presentation pages. Be sure to check the functioning of both the embedded version and the play in RealPlayer versions of the media streams. It should be noted that your computer must have the Real Player installed and properly configured to test the streamed media.

• The method you use for password protecting the eLearn Design modules depends on the practices and policies of your institution. You may find it sufficient to use a basic server level authentication with a single password. On the other hand your institution may require an individual password for each class using the modules, or even each student using the modules.