PhILS Hints

REQUIRED LAB CD DISK:

The required laboratory disk (CD) for this course is Ph.I.L.S.- Physiology Interactive Laboratory Simulations 2.0 by Phillip J. Stephens. 2005. McGraw-Hill.

You will use this disk to perform some of the laboratory simulation exercises on your own or with a lab partner in the laboratory part of the course.

Hints for the Ph.I.L.S. simulation:

1. Each Ph.I.L.S. simulation program takes a little "playing around" and exploring to find all the little buttons that you are supposed to push, and so on. So give yourself time to play with it.

2. If you have a hard time seeing any of the Ph.I.L.S. screens or animations, including "wet lab" videos, right-click and select zoom in. Later, right-click and zoom out or right-click and select show all.

3. When it's time to record data, you must click on the Journal icon (examples at right) and you'll be taken to the Journal where your data will be automatically recorded. You have to keep toggling back and forth to the Journal to record each piece of data.

4. You will also use the Journal to write out your answers to the questions given. You type them directly into the "notebook" shown, using the enter key to give yourself more lines between questions to type your answers. I strongly suggest making thorough answers and notes here, so that you'll be prepared for the lab quiz. You won't "just remember."

5. When you finish DON'T FORGET to PRINT your results. Sometimes, the program will ask you to OK the print more than once . . . that's because there are more than one document being printed for you.

6. You can't save your data in the program! So if you don't have a printer available, then when you finish, print your document to a disk file.

7. If you want to repeat a simulation but want to skip the opening "AIM" section, then hold down the page up key on your keyboard and left-click the mouse.

Technical Support

If you are having computer or software-related trouble using the CD, try these possible solutions:

If the CD won't start:
- First make sure you have Internet Explorer (browser) on your machine
  - Sometimes, other browsers (Firefox, Netscape, etc) do not work with this CD
  - Even though you use a browser for the program, you do not need a connection to the internet (everything is on the CD)
  - Make sure you have Javascript enabled
- Use "My Computer" or Internet Explorer to navigate to the directory for the CD and go to
  X:\Media\labs\main_menu.html (substitute the correct drive letter for "X")
- Try reinstalling your Flash player with the Flash player that comes on the CD (click on My Computer to get to the CD after you put it into the CD drive and navigate to the directory on the CD to find the Flash player)

Poor or interrupted playback, media performance

Check the tips in the "Readme" file on the CD
Exit all other programs running on your computer

Turn off the taskbar clock

1. Right click on the taskbar and select Properties.
2. Uncheck the box labeled Show Clock.
3. Click OK.

Turn off system monitoring software (that monitors CPU usage, etc)

The MHHEself help website -- www.mhhe.com/support Click on "customer support" on the right hand side of the page. Then ask a question. If you don't get an answer that works for you, fill out the support form and submit it. It will come into an analyst for an answer. www.mhhe.com/support
MHHE toll-free support number - 800-331-5094. At the menu, touch 4, then 2 and you'll be connected to someone who can help you (far better than I can).