ALEKS - Assessment and Learning
   

3.3 Installation

 

The ALEKS Website

Figure 3.2: The ALEKS Website
Installation of the ALEKS plug-in takes place from the ALEKS website (Fig. 3.2):

http://www.aleks.com

NOTE. You must use this URL to access ALEKS. You may wish to mark this website in your browser with a "Bookmark" or "Favorite" or by creating a shortcut of some kind.
Close all applications other than your web browser before beginning installation.
Installation of the ALEKS plug-in is automatic. If you attempt to use the system directly by clicking on "Free Trial" or on "SIGN UP NOW!," the system will automatically check to see whether your computer has a recent plug-in installed. If no plug-in is detected, the system will ask for your permission to install one.
When you grant permission, the plug-in will be installed. Following installation you must close and reopen your browser application. Installation is also automatic for registered users.
If you need to download and install the plug-in and this does not occur automatically, click on "DOWNLOADS" (upper right), then on the green ">>Download" button.
NOTE. This is not a high-risk operation for your computer. The ALEKS plug-in is a small library of Java classes which are used by your browser when you are logged on to ALEKS. They are inactive at other times and do not do anything except provide functionality for ALEKS. They can easily be removed from the computer with no other effect except that ALEKS ceases to be usable on that computer. ALEKS Corporation Customer Support will be happy to answer any questions about the plug-in.
There is also a "streaming" plug-in which can be used in situations where it is not possible to download or install a plug-in on the local computer. To utilize the streaming plug-in, go to the following website:

http://www.aleks.com/plugin

The ALEKS home page will appear. Log on to ALEKS as you normally would. On the screen you will see text that reads "Downloading ALEKS Streaming Plug-in." After a few moments, depending on your internet connection, the plug-in will finish loading into memory and you will be able to use ALEKS.
NOTE. If the browser window being used to navigate ALEKS is closed, the streaming plug-in will need to be downloaded again by returning to www.aleks.com/plugin before signing into ALEKS again.
Important: The "streaming" plug-in should NOT be used in a school or college computer lab, or any other location where more than one person is using ALEKS at the same time. In any educational lab setting, the regular ALEKS plug-in MUST be installed. If the "streaming" plug-in is used in a lab setting, it may disrupt the functioning of the network.