Help with Computer Issues

Homework

The homework exercises allow each student to practice the problem they may use to understand pharmacokinetics. Some of these problem may appear on exams in this course. Each time the opening page is refreshed, revisited a new problem is displayed. The browser back arrow can be used to review a question without changing the problem numbers although the problem may no longer be available for credit.

Please access the graded homework via the main course page for proper credit. Accessing similar homework from within the course material pages may not provide credit for work done.

Be careful about units. Choose carefully from the pull-down menu. A common question is "why is my answer marked wrong when I am within 0.1% of the correct answer". My usual answer is "do you have the correct units".

Please ask the instructor if you don't get the right answer in one or two tries and you don't know what you have done wrong.

Java Applets

A number of pharmacokinetic equations have been converted into java applets. These applets allow the interested student to see the effect of changing various pharmacokinetic parameters without the tedium of calculating numerous data points for each line.

An Example Java Applet

Java must be installed and turned on for these to work. Enter parameter values and see the result as a graph. Current versions of java will allow you print the resulting graph on the page. The version of java that comes with the latest version of Mac OS X (currently 10.4.6) seems to work well. Many of the applets available for this course have been combined into a single widget which can be downloaded and installed on a computer running Mac OS X 10.4+.

The version of java provided with WinXP may work well. If not you may want to download and install the latest version. Changing the settings for running unsigned Java applets may help.

Video/Audio Tutorials

The video and audio tutorials were designed to be downloaded and played on a video iPod® however they can also be viewed in iTunes® or on a webpage if QuickTime® has been installed.

Method 1

All the video/audio tutorial items may be displayed as an RSS feed by clicking on the RSS button near the address field of some browsers.

The Video/Audio Tutorials displayed as a RSS feed in Safari

In Firefox this appears as a Live Bookmark.

A Collection of Video/Audio Tutorials displayed as a Live Bookmark in Firefox

Method 2

Once QuickTime® has been installed it is possible to play the video/audio tutorial on a webpage. The key is to install the latest version of QuickTime so that the media can be presented correctly.

A Video Tutorial displayed on a Web Pgae

Any comments or suggestions? Please email David Bourne. Thank you.