4overview of the sUB-MENUS
User Profiles menu
Allows you to set the tutorial for multiple users and create an analysis of your own typing.
Create a New User
Click on the
new user button
to
set yourself up as a user and then type in your own name. You need only
create a password if more than one person is using Touch Typing NoW! to
prevent other people’s statistics being shown against your user name.
If you choose to enter a password, you will be asked to type it in twice. If the passwords you type are different in any way (for example, you might make a spelling mistake in one or mistype an upper or lower case character) the new user name will not be created and you’ll need to try again. If you decide to enter a password, note it down and keep it somewhere safe, as without it, you will not be able to access your records.
Delete a user
To delete a user,
click on the name you wish to remove in the User Profiles window (the
selected user will be highlighted green while any other users will stay
yellow). Click on the
delete user button
to
delete the selected user.
WARNING!
All statistics related to a user are deleted when you remove that user’s name, so print any statistics you want to keep BEFORE deleting the user.
Rename a User
In the
User Profiles
window, click once on the name of the user you wish to rename, then click on
the
rename
user button
and
enter
the new name in the Rename User window. Click the
ok button
or
press the Enter key to complete.
Statistics
Records of all lessons and tests taken by a user are stored here. Speed and accuracy are recorded both individually (i.e. separately for each lesson and test) and globally as an average of all lessons and tests taken to date.
These results can
be printed out in a table format by clicking the
print button
.
Statistics table
example:
Table Key :
|
Dur |
duration – time spent on lesson or test. |
|
Typed |
how many characters out of the required total have been typed, e.g. 450/455 is 450 characters out of a total of 455 characters. |
|
Err |
errors – the number of errors made in a lesson or test. |
|
Acc |
accuracy – the percentage of characters typed correctly. |
|
WPM |
words per minute (average achieved in the lesson or test). |
|
CPM |
characters per minute (average achieved in the lesson or test). |
|
Mark |
This is your grade for the lesson or test. |
To delete a
statistic: click on the statistic line which will turn green when
selected, then click on the
delete statistic button
.
We recommend that, at least to begin with, you work your way through the lessons sequentially, starting at Lesson 1.
However, if you choose not to follow the lessons and tests in this order, the tutorial allows you to pick and choose your lessons in any order you wish. You can also go back and repeat any lesson or test as many times as you like, until you feel confident in the skill covered.
You will see that when you hold the mouse cursor over the lesson of your choice the keyboard below the lesson list will highlight all the keys covered up to that point. The new keys to be covered in that particular lesson are shown in a darker colour to those already practised.
To select a lesson, simply click on its number with your mouse. The lesson will then start.
You
will automatically be offered the choice of doing a test when you complete the
relevant lesson successfully. You may also choose to do a test at any other
time by clicking on the
test
button 
in
the main menu. It is recommend that you only take a test when you are
competent in the related lesson.
There is a choice of five test types in total. However, the free test and customised test are designed specifically to be used in a classroom environment and should only be used in that way. The fifth test, dictation, can only be accessed when you have reached lesson 14. Up to this point all tests involve copy typing only.
In every test there is a maximum number of mistakes you can make before the test terminates. In such cases, your Interactive Teacher will recommend that you repeat the relevant lesson.
A green tick
will
appear in the lesson selection menu by the appropriate lesson number
after the associated test has been successfully completed.
Here are the different types of tests available:
Regular test
Tests for accuracy only. There is no time limit in which to complete this test.
Timed test
Tests for speed and accuracy. You can choose from three time limits:
|
|
slow | 80 seconds |
|
|
medium | 60 seconds |
|
|
fast |
40 seconds |
Custom test
- Teachers only
This test is for use in a classroom environment only.
For information on how to design these specially created tests, please refer to the Creating & Using Custom Tests section on page 30.
Choosing this test
will take you to the
Custom Test Management menu
screen, where you
will find tests that have been specifically created for you by your classroom
teacher. Click on the test you want to take and click on the
ok
button
.
The test will then begin.
Your classroom teacher will set the number of mistakes allowed in each custom test.
Free test
This test is for use in a classroom environment only
Your classroom
teacher will give you text from an external source (e.g. typed page, book,
magazine etc.) for you to type. When you have finished typing you should
print the test by clicking on the
print button
and
then hand the results to your teacher, if required.
The printed test will automatically include your user name and your typing speed.
Dictation
test
This test can be accessed once you have reached lesson 14. It offers a choice of five different dictation exercises; select one by clicking on it. Your Interactive Teacher will then dictate it so that you can practise your audio typing. You must try to type what you hear her say. If you forget what your Interactive Teacher has said, wait and she will repeat the last sentence.
There is no limit to the number of mistakes allowed in this test.
These options allow you to customise the look, feel and sound of the course so that it is personalised to suit you. All settings are saved by user name, so your tutorials may look and sound completely different to that belonging to another student using the same computer and studying the same lesson.
|
|
Interface Choose the interface look of the program. Young –designed for children’s use / home use. Elegant –designed for adults / office use. |
|
|
Keyboard Choose the On-Screen 3-D keyboard style: Standard – A model of a typical 104-key keyboard. Ergonomic – A model of an ergonomic keyboard – specially made for users with an ergonomic keyboard. For Children – A model of a keyboard specially designed for children. No Keyboard – Turns the keyboard 3-D model off – so you can’t see it on the screen. |
|
|
User level Decide if you are a beginner or more advanced user: Beginner – a new typist with no typing experience whatsoever. Advanced – someone who’s had some experience and so allowed fewer mistakes in tests. |
|
|
Text used Do you prefer to practise typing real words or random letters? The real words option applies to lesson five and above and the lessons, tests and games use words containing only the letters covered by the course so far. |
|
|
Login Choose whether you want to sign-in every time the tutorial is run. Always – shows the list of available users every time the course loads and lets the user choose his user name. Never – doesn’t show the login screen when the course is loaded. |
Learning should be fun, so these games allow you to take a break from formal lessons and tests, but enable you to practise and improve your typing.
Because of the complexity of the games, you will not be able to access them until you have reached lesson five.
The same menu appears at the bottom of every game screen:
|
|
The Maze
Guide your friendly bug through the jungle maze by having him eat his way through the letters to the exit. But watch out, there are enemy bugs out there that will eat him if he strays across their path.
To move your bug, type the letter next to it in the direction you want your bug to move.
You score one point for each letter you type correctly, but lose one point for each letter you mistype.
TIP: To be given a clue to the quickest way out of the maze, press and hold down the space key.
Alien Invaders
The aliens are attacking and must be shot down before too many land and seize your fortress. Every alien has a unique identifier code and if you can type that code before the alien lands, you will destroy it.
The aliens can also be destroyed by drowning in the lake or by being squashed by another alien that has been shot and has fallen to the ground.
The aliens win if four of them land on either side or your fortress (enough to storm the fortress), or if a single alien lands on the fortress’s island.
If you type any part of the identifier incorrectly, you must start typing the whole code again.
You score one point for every alien you stop.
Stay alert – don’t let them win!
Letters Tetris
This game is played in the same way as the original addictive arcade game. You must build complete rows of shaped blocks before they pile up and reach the top. As you complete a row with no gaps, it disappears from the screen and you score two points.
The difference from the original game is that in order to move the shapes left or right or rotate them you need to type the set of letters written next to the command you want to perform. To stop you getting complacent, these codes change every time you use them.
If you type any part of the code incorrectly, you have to type the whole set of letters again.
Once you have the shape in place, you can force it down quicker by pressing the space bar.
(Your computer must be connected to the Internet via a modem to use this menu)
The Online menu connects you to NikaSoft’s website www.nikasoft.com and shows a list of students currently on-line, using Touch Typing NoW!
The website enables
you to contact NikaSoft, register your product and also provides news about
the company and also information on its current and future educational
programs. To connect to the web site, simply click on the
homepage button
.
In the menu, you will see a list of users of Touch Typing NoW! from around the world who are currently studying the course and online at that moment . A small flag alongside the user name shows in which language that person is learning to type. Any of those people may be willing to chat with you and at the same time practise their typing, because you ‘talk’ to each other using your keyboards.
While connected to the Internet during your work with the course, you may see a pop-up screen with a user name asking you to chat. You can answer in one of three ways:
YES you accept the request;
NO you don’t want to chat;
DON’T ASK AGAIN
which means you don’t wish to be involved in online chat and do not want to receive any further chat requests at that time. In this last case you will be disconnected from NikaSoft’s server until you either choose to return to the Online Menu during the same session or the next time you use Touch Typing NoW!
If you would like
to initiate a conversation, either double click on a user name from the list,
or click on it once and then click the
connect button
.
This brings up the “would you like to chat?” message on the other person’s computer screen. If a chat window opens – it means that the user has accepted your request and that you can commence chatting. If not, it means that they don’t want to accept your call. Sometimes you may have to wait a short while for the person to take the call, so be patient.
The Chatting
window is split in two. On the upper part you type what you want to say and
on the lower part you see what the other person is typing. You may change the
colour of the letters by clicking on the
colour button 
,
choosing a colour from the list and clicking on the
ok button
.
This menu allows you to choose the on-screen teacher’s language and the keyboard language. You can then hear instructions in one language and be able to learn to type in any other language available to that course. In the English version you may choose between a US-English or a UK-English teacher and keyboard.
If you need help at
any time, click on the
help button
to
display the Help menu. In the menu you may click on the
help button
and
choose the topic you are looking for or simply browse through the help pages
by using the
previous page button 
and
the
next page button 
.
To exit the
program, simply click on the
exit button
.
You will be asked if you are sure you want to exit. If you wish to, click on
the
ok button
.
The program will close and you will be back in Windows.