LearningExpress
Midwest Collaborative for Library Services, MeL Training Materials
LearningExpress Library
reviewed 7/09 SR
LearningExpress has many products, but the specific list of practice tests and tutorials that are available as part of the Michigan eLibrary can be viewed once a user is logged on to the individual account.
Explain that LearningExpress Library differs from all the other MeL Databases because patrons MUST be logged in to an individual, private account (called My Center) in order to do anything. However, before a patron can access an account, he/she must first be recognized as a Michigan library patron in one of several ways:
- IP recognition
- Driver’s license or MeLCat library card authentication from mel.org
- The library registers its own webpage URL with LearningExpress (Contact the MeL Support Desk for assistance)
Once authenticated as Michigan library user, a patron may set up an account or click on “Returning User” to access an existing account. However, because libraries may purchase LearningExpress products that are not part of MeL, when a patron sets up an account at one location then logs in at a different location, he/she will be prompted one time to select a “Parent Institution.” This will then give access to the complete list of products of that parent institution (in case a local library has purchased something beyond the MeL offerings). This could make using LearningExpress a bit more confusing to the patron.
BEGIN BY LOOKING AT THE HOME PAGE:
The top banner has LearningExpress Library, with the library name directly below it. Please note that LearningExpress Library is a link to get back to the home page. On the right side are small links for Login and Help. Those links will always be visible if the user needs them. The help sections are pretty good.
The home screen is divided into 3 main columns. The left column has learning centers that group the tests by the type of user or content. The right side has a news box and a help box.
The middle section has two choices for getting to the tests:
1. click to go to a specific learning center
2. click to browse the complete list of tests
At the center bottom, there are two ways to login: Returning User and New User.
Remind the class that every user must have an individual account as a place to store test data.
Have the class look at the left column again. Next to each center is a link to "more info." Clicking on that will bring up information on that center in the middle column, but it will still display all the centers in the left column. Have the class click on MORE INFO about the Middle School center to see how that works. Have them click on one of the small white triangles to see that the specific tests are then listed. Some categories will have “plus” marks which means there is even more detail to be listed if the plus is clicked.
Clicking on the white triangle also takes you into the center, which changes the left column display to a help section. This is good.
Point out the tabs across the top that allow the user to jump to any of the test centers from this type of page. Have them all click on the LEARNINGEXPRESS LIBRARY link in the top banner (there is a little house next to it when you are in a center) to get back to the home page.
Directly beneath the black banner is a search box. This is a new feature that allows the user to type in a term and find the corresponding test(s).
Ask the class to click on the COLLEGE PREPARATION tab on the top of the page to move to that test center. This is where many high school students will want to practice the ACT.
HINT: for ease of access to this important test, click on ACT, then copy the URL. It is stable and can be placed on any library or school webpage. Before actually using the practice test, the user will be prompted to logon. The same type of thing can be done for GED test and any others that a library may want to highlight for users. This is a good thing!
ADDING TESTS TO A PERSONAL ACCOUNT:
Explain that the personal account name has been changed from My Account to My Center. All user data was migrated from the old accounts to the new ones, so no user lost any test data. To add a test to My Center, the user finds the test (by any of the methods we have shown above) and then clicks on the right side of the screen to ADD TO MY CENTER.
In My Center, users will have records of any test completed, paused and ready to continue, or newly added and ready to take.
Have the class click on the LEARNINGEXPRESS LIBRARY logo to get to the main page. If class participants already have logons, have them logon as a returning user. Otherwise, have everyone create a new account and login.
Ask the class to open the center for HIGH SCHOOL, then click on VOCABULARY AND SPELLING SKILLS IMPROVEMENT, then on SYNONYM AND ANTONYM PRACTICE. Have them “add” SYNONYM & ANTONYM PRACTICE 1 to their personal center.
Have them click on START THIS TEST NOW. Explain that a user would want to read all the directions, but we are skipping those today in the interest of time. Tell them we are all going to fail the test together, then have them answer the first 3-4 questions. We don’t care what their answers are!
Have them look at the top and find the SCORE MY TEST button and click on it. Explain the warnings and how often they have to click the score button to get it to finish.
Have the class click on SCORE MY TEST, then OK in the warning box that pops up. Everyone will see a screen indicating the number of questions not answered, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click SCORE MY TEST again and then click OK again in the warning box. LearningExpress really wants to make sure you’re ready to get the test results and don’t need to finish up any questions!
Finally, have each person click back on MY CENTER at the top, then on the VIEW RESULTS link for the test he/she has just taken. At the bottom of the next page, users will then need to click on the VIEW ANSWERS button. For each question (right or wrong), there is an explanation of the answer. This is where users can really learn more about the subject and how to take the test more successfully in the future.
Have everyone logoff. This is an important step.
