Information about TESS and PHYWE interTESS - Phywe Systeme ...

Information about TESS and PHYWE interTESS
Welcome to PHYWE interTESS!
Table of contents
Information is supplied on the following topics.
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................... 1
1. PHYWE GOES E-LEARNING WITH INTERTESS ......................................................... 2
1.1. Demo version .................................................................................................................................. 2
1.2. The fully functional version ........................................................................................................... 2
2. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 3
2.1. What is TESS................................................................................................................................. 3
2.2. What is interTESS......................................................................................................................... 3
2.3. What is the usual structure of the experiments ........................................................................ 3
3. USING THE DEMO VERSION........................................................................................ 4
3.1. The navigation window .................................................................................................................. 4
3.2. Main window.................................................................................................................................... 4
3.3. Tool window .................................................................................................................................... 4
3.4. Important notes on the demo version: ......................................................................................... 4
4. FAQ – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT INTERTESS (FULLY
FUNCTIONAL VERSION) .......................................................................................... 4
4.1. On which operating systems can I run PHYWE interTESS...................................................... 4
4.2. How are the results being saved................................................................................................. 4
4.3. Can I open the experiments of other users ............................................................................... 4
4.4. How can I, as a teacher, access experiment-files of students................................................. 5
4.5. What are the additional features available for teachers........................................................... 5
5. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FULLY FUNCTIONAL VERSION OF
INTERTESS................................................................................................................ 5
5.1. Recommended additional software .............................................................................................. 5
6. KNOWN LIMITATIONS AND PREVIEW ........................................................................ 6
6.1. Known limitations........................................................................................................................... 6
6.2. Future versions............................................................................................................................... 6
7. COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.......................................................... 6
8. IMPRINT ......................................................................................................................... 6
© 2005 PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG – All rights reserved. (interTESS / Demo / en / 25.02.2005) Page 1 / 6

1. PHYWE goes e-learning with interTESS
Independent learning by doing is recognized as being the best method to acquire knowledge. For this
reason, PHYWE has successfully offered experimental systems for teaching natural science for many years.
In the age of mobile phones and the world of computers, it is becoming increasingly difficult to motivate
students with traditional means. They much prefer to play in the computer or surf in the Internet. Future-kids
love computers.
PHYWE offers a completely novel and optimal combination of excellent practical equipment and interactive,
computer supported experimental instructions - interTESS!
interTESS helps to both reduce preparation time and make lessons more interesting and more efficient. The
student is led step by step through each experiment, and is accompanied during measurement and
evaluation:
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Step 5:
Step 6:
Selection of the experiment
Collection of the materials needed
Computer-guided experimental setup
Detailed instructions for carrying out the experiment
Consolidation of acquired learning with questions that can be answered
by multiple-choice, drawings or text input
All experiments can be individually saved. The print-out of the results can be
used as documentation for the student, or for evaluation by the teacher.
The password-protected teacher section offers suggested answers to all questions and examples of
measurement results. Pre-prepared additional information supports the teacher and reduces preparation
time. The results obtained by the students can be assessed simply and quickly.
interTESS is first available for the branches mechanics, theory of heat, optics and electricity/electronics: It
combines the proven TESS collection of equipment with innovative interTESS software.
Printed experimental instructions are also available for the experiments described in interTESS. Further to
this, PHYWE offers a diverse range of additional experiments with appropriate instructions. These will,
however, be first included in a later version of the interTESS software.
PHYWE interTESS is basically available in two versions, a demo version and a fully functional version. Both
can be easily and intuitively handled.
1.1. Demo version
The free interTESS demo version can be started directly from the CD. As it is programmed in HTML, it can
be viewed in common Internet browsers. An installation is not necessary.
The demo version provides an overview of the possibilities offered by the fully functional version of
interTESS and of the experiments made available in it. The presentation covers the description of the task,
the information on the materials required, instructions for a setup, the performance of an experiment with the
capture of the results and a part on questions for evaluation and consolidation of knowledge acquired.
Interactive functions are reserved for the fully functional version, however.
1.2. The fully functional version
Alongside the presentation of the experiments, the fully functional version allows data capture and
evaluation, the automatic presentation of measured values in charts, the calling of answers to questions
for consolidating and deepening acquired learning.
The teacher has at his availability, and password protected, extending information, exemplary measurement
results, example charts and suggested answers to the questions presented to the students. The teacher can
also open the files containing the results of the students without knowing the specific password. The teacher
has the choice of uncovering either all answers or each answer separately at the press of a button.
interTESS is based on the programming language Java, and is so extensively independent of the system
environment used (Windows, Mac. Linux) with the greatest possible uniformity of the operator surface.
interTESS software need only be installed on the fixed disk once, and can thereafter be started as often as
required.
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2. Introduction
2.1. What is TESS
TESS stands for PHYWEs “Training and Experimenting System for Students”. TESS covers a wide range of
natural science experiments in physics, chemistry and biology. Optimised storage systems contribute to
reduced preparation time. Detailed and practical experimental instructions allow safe and successful
experimentation.
The experimental equipment and printed versions of the experimental literature are also available from
PHYWE. They cover a far wider area of natural science, including chemistry and biology, than the present
software.
Further information is given in the “interTESS_Info” directory on the CD. Alternately, visit us in the
Internet under http://www.phywe.com/. Here you can obtain detailed information on further products in the
extensive PHYWE line, which covers natural science from the start up to University study and research.
Should you require further information on these, do not hesitate to visit us in the Internet, or to contact us
directly (see the Imprint).
2.2. What is interTESS
interTESS is an interactive software that supports both students and teachers in the setting-up, performance
and evaluation of experiments from the PHYWE TESS program. interTESS supplements the known and
proven TESS experimental system, and offers teachers and students more different possibilities than the
current extensive experimental literature.
Students are led through the experiment, and can record results and findings on appropriate forms. These
results can be stored and printed. From measurement results, graphs can be generated into diagrams.
Numerous additional functions are available for the teacher, protected by a password. In the corresponding
sections of this tool, all functions are explained in detail.
2.3. What is the usual structure of the experiments
Each experiment consists as a rule of five sections:
(Description of the) “Task”
“Material”
“Setup” (of the experiment)
“Action” (Performance of the experiment)
“Evaluation”
The section with the “Description of the task” exactly defines the problem, outlines the experiment and
presents a photo.
The “Material” section gives a complete list of the equipment required for the selected experiment, informs on
where these are to be found in the storage box and shows the listed material in an overall picture.
The “Setup” section gives detailed instructions, with illustrations and useful notes, that take the student
through the setting up of the experiment step by step.
The “Action” section gives stepwise instructions for carrying out the experiment and provides pre-prepared
tables for recording the experimental results.
Finally, in the “Evaluation” section, questions lead to an evaluation of the results, and the acquired learning is
consolidated and deepened.
The fully functional version of interTESS offers the teacher further information, which is protected by a
password. In the “Description of the task” section, for example, there are extra notes on carrying out the
experiment or on the background to the experiment. In the “Setup” and “Action” sections, and after logging
in, the teacher can call exemplary measurement results, charts and answers to the questions that the
students have been asked on the documentation and to consolidate and deepen acquired knowledge.
A further application is the presentation using a beamer. The contents have been so designed, that an
optimal presentation is given even with a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels. An additional possibility that is
supported by the software is to first discuss the question, then to uncover the exemplary answer question by
question.
© 2005 PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG – All rights reserved. (interTESS / Demo / en / 25.02.2005) Page 3 / 6

Put briefly, interTESS allows experimentation with the shortest preparatory time and ensures safe
and sure performance and easy examination of results.
3. Using the demo version
The interTESS demo version consists basically of three windows:
3.1. The navigation window
The navigation window is on the left. It serves for the selection of the subject area and, finally, of a particular
experiment. In the demo version, the individual sections of the experiment are selected here. Operation is
oriented on common navigation methods. Entries can be opened by a click on the symbol in front of the
particular entry, or be closed by a double click on the entry.
3.2. Main window
The main window is on the right. The individual pages of the selected experiment are usually shown here,
whereby access to the individual sections of the experiment (e.g. description of the task, material, setup,
action, evaluation) is via the navigation window.
3.3. Tool window
The demo version has a tool window instead of a toolbar. Here it is possible to print out the actual page,
change the language, or have further information on the fully functional interTESS version displayed.
3.4. Important notes on the demo version:
All information and data entered in the tables and input fields are lost, when the corresponding section or the
experiment are changed. In the fully functional version, data can be saved and are also maintained during
navigation within an experiment.
Appropriate storage capacity must be available for installation on the fixed disk.
4. FAQ – Frequently asked questions about interTESS
(fully functional version)
4.1. On which operating systems can I run PHYWE interTESS
Since PHYWE interTESS is a Java application, it is independent of the platform. Please consider the system
requirements and the respective installation guideline.
4.2. How are the results being saved
In one file for each experiment, every student’s entered data can be stored separately. Every file for an
experiment is protected by an individual password which is assigned by the student while storing and which
prohibits foreign access, e.g. by other students. In order to help the teacher to relate the experiments to the
students, a name is requested while storing and will be saved in the file.
Again, the stored data can be opened separately. The password, which has been assigned by the student
while storing, is required in order to open these data. Signed in as a teacher, i.e. having activated full access,
every file can be opened without knowing the password that has been assigned while storing. Like this, the
teacher is able to evaluate the students’ results without knowing their passwords.
4.3. Can I open the experiments of other users
Every experiment-file is protected by an individual password. One can only open an experiment-file if one
knows its password. Teachers though, have access to all experiment-files.
© 2005 PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG – All rights reserved. (interTESS / Demo / en / 25.02.2005) Page 4 / 6

4.4. How can I, as a teacher, access experiment-files of students
Every user who has knowledge of the teacher password, can open every experiment-file without being asked
the individual password of the specific file. To be able do this, „full access“ has to be enabled.
4.5. What are the additional features available for teachers
Functionality of the program that should only be available for teachers, is password protected. The teacher
mode is activated by clicking the “full access” icon. After entering the correct teacher password all additional
features can be used. Please make sure, that students don’t get knowledge of the teacher password.
The following features available when the full access is activated:
- additional information to the experiments is available,
- suggested answers to the questions are available,
- sample measurement results or diagrams can be displayed,
- the display of answers remains even after selection of a different experiment,
- with “Activate answers” all answers for all experiments can be displayed,
- files with experimental data can be opened without knowledge of the password of the file,
- files can be stored with a new password (“save as”),
- the object pane shows the file and user name presently in use.
When “full access” is not enabled (student-mode), you can activate the sample answers for the current
experiment with the „activate answers“ icon.
When “full access is enabled (teacher mode) the Icon „activate answers“ displays all sample answers This
feature is especially helpful when preparing lessons or checking the results of students.
Furthermore you can copy contents of the experiments and paste it in suitable programs for your
own preparation of lessons.
5. System requirements for the fully functional
version of interTESS
Computer on which one of the following operating systems runs reliably and quickly:
Microsoft Windows 98 / ME / 2000 / XP, Apple Macintosh OS X, Linux in a suitable configuration (minimal
hardware requirements acc. to those of the operating system used, e.g. for Windows, at least Pentium II
with 200 MHz and 64 MB RAM; we recommend at least Pentium III from 500 MHz and 128 MB RAM on)
with Macintosh: Java Runtime Environment (JRE) from Sun from version 1.4.2 on
(for Linux and Windows, a suitable version is included on the CD)
Monitor or beamer with a screen resolution from 800 x 600 pixels upward
Graphics support of the hardware and colour setting High Color (16 bits = 65536 colours) or higher
At least 100 MB free fixed disk storage
(up to 500 MB, acc. to the language version, experiment content etc.)
CD ROM drive 4x (only required for the installation)
(The fully functional version of interTESS was developed in the programming language Java from Sun. This
allows, in principle, the use of the software on all operating systems for which a Java Runtime Environment
(JRE) from Sun is available. The JRE used should be the “Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition” (J2SE),
version 1.4.2 or higher. For Windows and Linux, a suitable version is standardly supplied.
5.1. Recommended additional software
A software for the generation of PDF files, so that the results obtained by the students can be displayed in
a PDF file instead of a print out.
A software for the display of PDF files, e.g. “Adobe Reader” (see also http://www.adobe.com/)
© 2005 PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG – All rights reserved. (interTESS / Demo / en / 25.02.2005) Page 5 / 6

6. Known limitations and preview
6.1. Known limitations
This interTESS version does not yet cover the full extent of the experiments possible with the TESS system.
We are working on the continuous completion of the content of experiments, however.
The German version can presently only give a rough overview of the experimental possibilities. We will
gladly inform you, when the all TESS experiments are available.
The automatic generation of diagrams from entered data is reserved for the fully functional version, just as is
the saving of results and answers.
The demo version does not contain the information for the teacher. This is to avoid students using exemplary
answers.
In the demo version only, sometimes special characters like “Theta” are not shown as intended. This
Problem is caused by missing of an appropriated font on your system. In the fully functional version such a
font is included.
6.2. Future versions
Future versions of interTESS will include not only improvements in the functionality of the software, but also
completion of the content of suitable experiments and language versions.
7. Copyright and intellectual property
Copyright © 2005 PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG. All rights reserved.
All rights for “interTESS” software, the name and the design are held by PHYWE. Reproduction, even of
extracts, requires the express authorization of the proprietor of the rights. This software, including the
computer programs, contents and documentation, is protected by copyright.
PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG
Robert-Bosch-Breite 10
D-37079 Goettingen
Germany
Phone: +49–551-604-0
Fax: +49–551-604-107
E-Mail: intertess@phywe.de
Internet: http://www.phywe.com/
8. Imprint
© 2005 PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG – All rights reserved. (interTESS / Demo / en / 25.02.2005) Page 6 / 6