FirstClass Online Testing
FirstClass Online Testing (FCOT) is an application that lets you create a bank of questions, create tests based on that question bank, and administer tests to students. It also generates reports, and has an Import/Export utility that lets you import questions from supported file types.
 NoteIf you will be using FirstClass ED, it must be installed first. However, FCOT does not require FirstClass ED to run.
To install FCOT, you must:
 CautionDuring the installation of FCAS, a group called Clustered Gateways is created. This group allows the gateways to deliver the appropriate content between the server and the gateway and should not be modified or deleted.
Install FirstClass Application Services (FCAS)
Run the FCAS installer and follow the prompts, installing all features.
A folder will be created on your hard drive called FCAS, and install scripts are placed inside FCNS/Server/Batch.
Run FCAS batch scripts on the FirstClass server
Once FCAS is installed, the batch scripts it added need to be run on the server that contains your FCNS.
If the FirstClass server is running
Log in as the admin or subadmin. Click Batch Folder located in Core Services > Server Control.
If the FirstClass server is not running
Start it to run the batch files automatically.
This adds the RAD Developer and Clustered Gateways User Groups, and the FCAS Monitor.
If you installed FCAS on a separate server, these scripts need to be run on that machine also using the same method described above.
Configure the FCAS gateway
After you have installed FCAS and the associated batch scripts, you need to:
• set a password on the gateway that enables FCAS to talk to the server, for security
• update the fcas.fc settings file that connects you to the FCAS administrator's Desktop.
To set the FCAS gateway password
1 Open the Gateways & Services folder on the administrator's Desktop.
2 Open the FCAS gateway form.
By default, "Service Name" is FCAS and "Service account number" is 5000000000 (5 billion). If you have several clustered FCAS services, each will have a unique name.
3 Click Directory.
4 Type a password at "Password".
To update fcas.fc
1 Double-click the fcas.fc settings file in the FCAS folder.
This folder is on the dedicated machine or in the FCServer/FirstClass Server folder.
2 Click Setup on the FirstClass Login form.
3 Fill in the following information:
User ID |
5000000000 |
Password |
The password you entered for the FCAS gateway. |
Server |
The IP address of your FirstClass server. If FCAS is installed on the server machine, this is 127.0.0.1. |
Use the fcas.fc file whenever you need to log into FCAS.
Test the FCAS installation
The FCAS installation places an FCAS executable in the FCAS folder with this icon:
To test if FCAS is installed and working correctly, start FCAS and run one of the default applications supplied with the FCAS installation.
To do this:
1 Start FCAS by double-clicking the above icon or a desktop shortcut to it.
The FCAS console opens. When the console displays "FCAS initialized and ready", you are ready to use FCAS.
2 Open Clustered Services > FCAS Config on the administrator Desktop and double-click the Application Monitor.
This is a RAD application which lists which applications are loaded and running. If it starts correctly, that is a good indication that FCAS is installed and working correctly.
Install FCOT
FCOT can be installed in one of two ways. You can use the FC Update Service to automatically download the file, or update manually using the ZIP file.
Update using FC Update Service
The FCOT file is automatically downloaded into your FC Update Service container. To update:
1 Open the FC Update Service container on the administrator Desktop.
2 Read and follow the instructions provided with the update pertaining to FCOT.
Update manually
If you are updating your system manually, you will receive a ZIP file containing the compressed online testing files.
1 Unzip the FCOTvx.zip file to your hard drive, where x is the version number.
2 Move the contents of the zip file to FCNS/Server/Batch.
3 If the FirstClass server is running
Log in as the admin or subadmin. Click Batch Folder located in Core Services > Server Control.
If the FirstClass server is not running
Start it to run the batch files automatically.
Regardless of which method you use, if the installation was successful, FirstClass installs the FC Online Testing container inside the FirstClass Applications folder. If FirstClass ED is installed, it also installs the following on the admin Desktop:
Note
Systems without FirstClass ED do not need to create any Model Desktops, and will not see the above folders on the administrator Desktop. For systems that have installed FCOT only, adding users to the appropriate FCOT groups in the last step will model the application onto the user's Desktop.
Model FirstClass ED groups
Note
This step is only necessary if you installed FirstClass ED.
The next step is to model the appropriate FCOT objects to the model Desktops. You can do this in one of two ways:
• Manually model the objects
• Script the objects
Manually model the objects
Open the FCED User Student, FCED User Faculty L1, and FCED User Faculty L2 objects on the admin Desktop.
Drag the aliases to their respective FCED group model Desktops.
Script the objects
Run the following script to put the Online Testing object into the My Classes folder for each existing student.
reply
LINK SPECIAL DESKTOP userid "My Classes" DESKTOP admin "firstclass applications:fc online testing:online tests" +i 23068 +l 83 145 +p
For future students, Drag the Online Tests alias object to the My Classes folder of the FCED User Student Group.
Run the following script to put the Online Testing object into the My Classes folder for each existing teacher.
reply
LINK SPECIAL DESKTOP userid "My Classes" DESKTOP admin "firstclass applications:fc online testing" +i 23073 +l 83 145 +p
For future teachers, Drag the FC Online Testing alias object to the My Classes folder of the model Desktop of FCED User Faculty L2 group or FCED User Faculty L1 group, whichever applies.
Subscribe users to groups
Four user groups are created when you install FCOT:
• FCOT Online Test Users
• FCOT Online Test Report Makers
• FCOT Online Test Authors
• FCOT Online Test Admins
Students will only ever be in the FCOT Online Test Users Group. Teachers can be in any combination of the other groups depending upon the modules they use. Teachers who use the Import/Export utility should be put in the FCOT Online Test Admins group.
Add all users who will use FCOT into the appropriate groups.
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