Full Server Versions Quick Install and Start:

You may wish to print off these instructions for convenience.

Unzip your downloaded STACSServerSingleTeacherInstallFolder.zip file or STACSServerMultiTeacherInstallFolder.zip file to a folder STACSServerSingleTeacherInstallFolder or a folder STACSServerMultiTeacherInstallFolder.

Copy the folder to a distribution medium.

For the Server Single Teacher version, you need to have a folder called STACSServerSingleTeacherInstallFolder containing a sub-folder called STACSHowToVideosFolder, a sub-folder called AllSTACSExtrasFolder, a sub-folder called STACSSampleTestsFolder and individual files STACSServerSingleTeacherInstaller, STACSServerSingleTeacherMain, STACSServerSitTest and STACSOfflineTestCreator. In the unlikely event that you do not have these sub-folders and files, the installer will advise you during installation.

For the Server Multi Teacher version, you need to have a folder called STACSServerMultiTeacherInstallFolder containing a sub-folder called STACSHowToVideosFolder, a sub-folder called AllSTACSExtrasFolder, a sub-folder called STACSSampleTestsFolder and individual files STACSServerMultiTeacherInstaller, STACSServerMultiTeacherMain, STACSServerSitTest and STACSOfflineTestCreator. In the unlikely event that you do not have these sub-folders and files, the installer will advise you during installation.

You will need administrator permission for the server or policy may require the server administrator to install on your behalf. Either way, the process is very straightforward.

Copy the required installation folder to the C:\ drive of the server.

Run the STACSServerSingleTeacherInstaller or the STACSServerMultiTeacherInstaller from the installation folder. This will initialise STACS on the server. You will then need to use the ‘Share with’ or ‘Grant access to’ option to grant Read/Write access to the STACS$ folder for ‘Everyone’. STACS checks for an existing installation and if found, highlights the importance of not replacing this installation unless it is what is required.

When STACS has been initialised on the server, copy the installation folder to the C:\ drive of the machine where the STACS Server Main Application will reside.

Run the STACS Main application (STACSServerSingleTeacherMain.exe or STACSServerMultiTeacherMain.exe) from the installation folder on this machine or create a shortcut on the desktop and run it from there. Do not copy the install folder to the desktop as the STACS Main application cannot be run from there.

You can move the mouse over “Mouse Over for Information” label on the introductory screen to view some important information.

Add a teacher using the ‘Add Teacher’ item of the Add menu. For security reasons, you can only add the logged on teacher.

Add one or more classes for this teacher using the ‘Add Class for Teacher’ item of the Add menu.

Add one or more students using the ‘Add Student for Teacher/Class Combination’ item of the Add menu. If you intend to pose as one of the students to sit a test, the student user name and password must be genuine network user name / password combination. You can add yourself as a student if you wish to sit a test.

Using the ‘Upload Test File from External Medium to Teacher/Class Test Bank’ item of the Upload menu, navigate through Computer, local disk, STACSServerMultiTeacherInstallFolder or STACSServerSingleTeacherInstallFolder to the STACSSampleTests sub-folder and click OK. All of the test files in this folder will be uploaded to the teacher/class test bank. When you are using your own tests, you will navigate to wherever you have stored your test bank.

Upload one of the test files to the student folders using the ‘Upload Test File from Test Bank to Student Folders for Student Group to Sit Test’ item of the upload menu.

Exit the STACS main application, choosing not to back up the teacher folder on exit.

The Server versions are designed for students to sit tests as a group logged on to the server from workstations. The Server Sit Test application needs to be uploaded to the desktop of each student. This can be done by distributing the Sit Test application to each student for copying to their desktop on a once off basis while they are logged on to the server. If the student user names and passwords are known, the Sit Test application can be uploaded unknown to the students.

To test the Sit Test application, you can log on to a network workstation as one of the added students (or as yourself if you have added yourself as a student) and sit the test.

When the test is completed, the score is shown and stored in the student folder. You can verify this by running STACSServerMultiTeacherMain.exe or STACSServerSingleTeacherMain.exe file from the install folder and choosing an item such as ‘View Student Results’ from the View main menu item.

When using the Server version, a whole class can sit a test at the same time and the results will automatically be stored on the server. Furthermore, on any workstation, when a logged on student is sitting a test, STACS will only allow the logged on student to sit the test. This prevents a student from sitting a test on behalf of another student.

STACS Server Multi Teacher Evaluation Version:

This is a time limited full Server Multi Teacher Version of STACS. It is supplied by email so the installation folder should first be copied to a detachable medium. Then proceed as above using STACSServerMultiTeacherEvaluationFolder and STACSServerMultiTeacherMain.exe as appropriate. This version will time out after the trial period has expired.