Finding your way around in the software
For technical support, please call 1.952.607.3899 or go the the PLATO support website (you can submit email requests from there) at http://support.plato.com/asalgebra.
To use the new PLATO Academic Systems Algebra program, you should not need to install any software from a CD. It will run from within your web browser, using Macromedia Flash and Adobe Acrobat software plugins (which can be downloaded for free off the internet, if necessary). When you run the program for the first time, you may be prompted to install certain software (Flash and maybe Acrobat), to which you should answer Yes. You can use this software from any web browser and computer that meets the system requirments, as long as you have your PLATO login and password (which your instructor will provide you with at the beginning of the course). If you can log in to the PLATO website, but nothing happens when you click to open one of the lessons, check to make sure any popup-blockers are disabled (or disabled for platoweb.com, at least).
To start working in PLATO Academic Systems Algebra program, you need to go to https://asalgebra.platoweb.com/ and log in there (you must use the PLATO username and password to log in; the "Account login" is ACC). Before you get too far, however, you should view this video on how to use the software:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Before you open the cellophane wrapper on your book, go ahead and log in using the information I send you and begin working with the software. When you first start, the computer will ask for your validation number; for a while, you can click on "Remind me later" and continue working in the software. You can even view the material in your textbook on a section-by-section basis if you click on Tools, then Personal Academic Notebook, from within the tutorial program. You should to this until you are certain that you are in the right course and will not need to withdraw or transfer section. At some point, it will ask you again and the "Remind me later" button will not be available. At that point, you must enter your validation number. That number is included on a card that came with your book. In order to work, it must not have ever been used by any other student. Be careful not to lose it - if you do, you will have to buy another license.
So, when you first try to view an Assignment or Lesson online, you will see a window like the following asking you to input your validation code:
DO NOT ENTER THIS NUMBER NOW. Just go ahead and click on the "Remind me later" button for now.
You should only fill this in later, during the second or third week of class, when you are certain you are in the right course (and don't need to move up or down a level) and it asks for this validation number again. (At some point, it will no longer allow you to click on "Remind me later".) However, be sure you keep the card that came with your textbook that has your validation number on it; if you lose it and can't enter your validation number at the appropriate time, you will have to buy another license for the software.
Once you have logged in and viewed the tutorial above, you should also view the "Getting Started" lesson. (Click on Assignments, then Open your Elementary Algebra course, then click on "A", and Getting Started. If you have everything set up already, you may be able to go directly to this lesson by itself here. You will still need to log in to view other lessons, however.) This will walk you through how to use the actual math and tutorial parts of the software.
To do a lesson:
- Open the PLATO Academic Systems Algebra website at https://asalgebra.platoweb.com and log in using your PLATO username and password (the "Account login" is ACC).
- Click on the option "Assignments" button.
- Click on the "Open" button next to your "MATD 0370 Elementary Algebra" folder.
- It should open in the last lesson you were working on. Use the lettered and numbered navigation buttons to move to other lessons (see the "PLATO location" in your course schedule page to find which buttons correspond to which sections).
- Be sure to click on the Exit button at the bottom of the lesson and then Log Out from the webpage when you are ready to quit. If you do not do this, your work may not be saved and you will have to do it over again.
If you have questions or problems, the following might be useful to you:
- Academic Systems Algebra Student Orientation Tutorial
- Resources for using Academic Systems Algebra - There is a lot more information here, including information on how to use the built-in equation editor and other tutorials. This can be accessed from inside the program by clickin on "Resources" on your Home page.
- For technical support, please call 1.952.607.3899 or go the the PLATO support website (you can submit email requests from there) at http://support.plato.com/asalgebra.
- Academic Systems Algebra orientation webpage
- Detailed computer setup information (including information on firewalls and popup blockers)
Once you have logged in, if you click on Assignments, and then Open your Elementary Algebra class, you will see a screen that looks something like this:
With all the different letters and numbers here, it can get a little confusing about what section you are actually looking at. If you look in the Schedule for the semester, you will see that for each week, I list which sections you should be working on. Right after the section number, I list a "PLATO location", to help you find where that section is in Plato. So, for example, section 2.3 lists Plato location: C - 4. This is actually the section I displayed in the picture above. To make that a little clearer, take a look at this:
As you can see, C - 4 means first choose letter C in the top row, then click on number 4 below that. The chapters match up with the letters like this:
The row of numbers underneath is sometimes longer, sometimes shorter, depending on how many sections there are in each chapter. If this seems a little confusing, I agree. Hopefully, someday they will make this clearer. However, as you start using the software for a while, you should get used to it pretty quickly. Remember, you can always find out where to look for a particular section on the Schedule page of this website.
(P.S.: The "Exercise Set 2.3" I put in a box at the bottom of that page is the same Handout for section 2.3 you can download from the Schedule section of my website; I just linked it from inside PLATO to help you remember about it.)
