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In case anyone here is faced with using the AQA DTT for their MFL speaking exams and it won't work, here is my quick guide based on a support call and some fettling: Extract the zip into a suitable folder under c:\program files\ Give users modify access on the folder and its contents. The part of the DTT which detects if you have an Internet connection is not capable of understanding proxies, so you can't tell it where your proxy server is or feed it credentials - it just tries to access the sites directly via HTTPS. If your proxy server set up is similar to ours that may mean adding an additional rule to allow computers on your LAN to access: aqa.maps-ict.com 78.136.38.131 aqademo.maps-ict.com 131.227.202.55 ... via HTTPS (port 443). I then tried logging on to the live version with the exams officer's AQA credentials. First time I got the message: On subsequent attempts I get the message: Clicking OK doesn't drop you out of the software, but instead leaves you at a screen saying: As you may have guessed it never makes any progress and sits there forever if you leave it. It turns out that this part of the DTT does understand proxy servers, so you need to tell it an account to use and where you proxy server is. The dialogue which allows you to make those config changes is only available once you have logged in to the desktop tool and downloaded your school's data... which you can't do until you have entered the proxy settings. Chicken and egg. Luckily (I think?) AQA aren't too bothered about security, so they store those proxy settings in plain text in side an XML file: c:\pathtoAQAsoftware\config.xml Initially it will look like this: https://aqa.maps-ict.com/services/ Data false It needs to look more like this: https://aqademo.maps-ict.com/services/ Data true 0 AQAACCOUNT AQAACCOUNTPASSWORD PROXYPORT PROXYNAME Authentication type 0 worked for us, but you it might not work for you so maybe a little trial and error is in order. Because passwords are stored in plaintext it might be worth creating an account purely for the AQA software with a password you don't use regularly and then disabling the account when it's not in use. If you deviate from the instructions above, it will likely cause the "unspecified error". In that case, simply move/delete the contents of: c:\pathtoAQAsoftware\Data\ and try again. If that doesn't work, just move/delete the entire software folder and make one from scratch from the zip.

Dear all, Our MFL department have Studio 1 ActiveTeach. However, when running it on our new Optiplex 3050 desktops running Windows 7, the sound and general usability of the ActiveTeach book is extremely slow and all of the sound and video clips stutter, making it impossible to use. I have contacted Pearson but they have just come back stating that they don't support the installed version of the software and so cannot/will not help me. Has anyone else come across this and if so is there a fix? Many thanks in advance.

I am looking to replace our Urdu 98 software which allows people to type in Urdu. I have found a product called InPage 3 - Al-Maktab which looks like it will do what we want. Does anyone else have any suggestions on products?

Its expensive but uniquely engaging, semi-intelligent, broad and deep - question is - whats it like to use in a classroom environment, with primary aged children and are the teacher and admin tools up to scratch? I love the idea of everyone using it at home too but is it worth all that money? My school offer 6 or 7 Modern Foreign Languages from Y1 to Y8 plus EAL English and need something to boost or push individuals in mixed groups with beginners and fluent native speakers bundled in together. So we're trying out a demo of the web subscription of Rosetta Stone. Is this do-able in an ICT suite? The voice recognition either seems too sensitive to background noise or too insensitive letting children say the wrong thing. Do I just need a quieter room or better headset mics? Whats the youngest children other schools are successfully using this with? The interface is semi intuative but children seem to need lots of help (presumably non langauge gifted supervision will do and this bed down over time?). Does anyone have experience of using the admin interface or pass on opinions from their MFL teachers about how that get on managing children on the system. Much appreciated.