When importing videos or photos into a new page or when attempting to export a lesson or game as a SCORM Package I get an error saying “Sorry the file is too large. The maximum file size is set by your administrator.”

To increase the permitted file sizes you need to edit the vle_config.ini, a configuration file. This is located in the “configuration” folder, which by default has the following path:
C:\Program Files\Birchfield\Common files\Configuration\vle_config.ini.

Open this file with notepad (or any plain text editor) and about 2/3 down the page there is a line:

new_content_max_filesize = 4MB

you can change it to any value you like: 10MB, 20MB…
This will change the permitted size of the graphics and video that can be imported into a new page created within VLE Content Editor.

you can also change:

final_content_max_filesize = 32MB

which is the final size of the lesson exported as a SCORM pack. Ideally, this should match your maximum upload limit for your VLE. 

Save and close the file, then restart the application.
This file will update both VLE Content Editor and VLE Games Pack and Question Editor provided that both applications are installed to the same location.

All of our software is sold with a perpetual school licence, which makes purchasing one or more of our products the safest way to avoid the copyright and royalty nightmare all-too-frequently associated with using items downloaded by staff from the web.

The table below highlights the price per school licence by subject, exclusive of VAT. Postage and packing of £4.95 per order is also added if the goods are kept. To find out more about a title, please click on a subject.

	Content Pack & Content Editor	Games Pack & Question Editor
School Solution Offer	£4,592.50	£2,365.50
1 Day's Staff Training	Free with school solution offer	Free with school solution offer

	Content Pack & Content Editor	Games Pack & Question Editor
Art & Design	N/A	£249
Biology	£999	£249
Business Studies	£599	£249
Chemistry	£899	£249
Design & Technology	£599	£249
Drama	N/A	£249
English Language	£799	£249
English Literature	N/A	£249
Food Technology	£499	£249
Geography	£599	£249
History	£199	£249
ICT	£499	£249
Maths	£499	£249
MFL	£299	£249
Music	£999	£249
Physical Education	£599	£249
Physics	£999	£249
PSHE	£599	£249
RS/RE	£599	£249

[CP Graphic]	CP Whole School Solution This comprehensive pack consists of VLE Content Packs for 15 secondary school subjects, cumulatively containing over 15,000 resources for 150 topics together with VLE Content Editor.	£4,952.50 ex VAT	Add to trial basket
[GP Graphic]	GP Whole School Solution	£2,365.50 ex VAT	Add to trial basket
[CP/GP Graphic]	CP/GP Whole School Solution	Price

Log in to the SharePoint site with the appropriate permissions.
Navigate to the folder where you would like the package to reside.

From the “upload” drop down box select “Upload Document” .

Browse to the SCORM .zip file and wait for it to upload. This may take a few minutes depending on your Internet connection and the size of the file.
Once uploaded, complete the information relating to the educational relevance of the file and click the “Check in” button. The package will then be available in the document folder.
Hover the mouse over the file name and from the drop down box and select E-Learning Actions. You can then assign the resource to yourself or someone else. 

If you have allocated the resource to yourself you can then select begin assignment to view the resource.

Click here to return to the Installation FAQs Menu.

To enable you to achieve the best possible value for money we have put together our whole school solutions which offers you additional discounts.

Primary School Solution

Information about it.

Secondary School Solution

Information about it.

Birchfield have an arrangement with RM to enable many RM customers access to a central library of Birchfield VLE Content Packs. If you have purchased Birchfield VLE Content and wish to access it through Kaleidos then please contact us and we will make arrangements to provide you with access.

If you are using Birchfield’s VLE Content Editor or VLE Games Editor to create SCORM content you will need to upload that yourself as this content is bespoke. To do this, log in as a user with teacher permissions.

From the Kaleidos Desktop select the “Learning Spaces” Tab and then select “manage learning spaces” from the menu on the left.

Course manager will open in a separate window. Select the “Content Packs” tab and select Birchfield from the list of content partners. From the menu above the “Content Packs” Tab select the icon on the far left “Import a content pack into this folder”. Another new window will appear the “Content Pack Import Wizard”

Browse and select the SCORM .zip file that would like to upload an click next. Wait for the file to upload which may take a few minutes depending on the file size and your internet connection.
Once uploaded, agree to the license agreement and click next to complete the import.
The Content Pack will then be available in the Kaleidos Content Pack Library for you to allocate to students etc.

Click here to return to the Installation FAQs Menu.

KS1 & 2 Literacy, Numeracy and Science packs written by practising teachers Compatible with all SCORM 1.2 and 2004 VLEs Each pack contains up to 50 differentiated curriculum based activities Reorder the activities and add new ones using Content Editor KS1 packs feature the loveable Ace Monkey & friends KS2 packs have two 3-D children, Izzy and Kyle, as pupils’ on-screen guides Activities provide instant feedback for pupils, and interact with VLEs to track progress Each pack is sold with a perpetual school licence - there’s no annual fees to pay! Available for only £159 per KS1 pack or £179 per KS2 pack New KS1 & 2 curriculum packs launching during 2009-10 school year

Birchfield Interactive’s secondary curriculum range of learning platform resources have been centrally purchased by 8 UK local authorities plus hundreds of schools:

• Available as 15 subject-specific VLE Content Packs or 19 subject-specific VLE Games Packs
• Compatible with all SCORM 1.2 ande 2004 conformant VLEs
• Each Content Pack consists of 3-D animation and videos plus editable narrated text, multiple choice and drag & drop exercises
• Each Games Pack consists of 12 2-D and 3-D games plus customisable topic-specific question banks
• Birchfield’s Content Pack range covers 150 curriculum topics, equating to 15,366 resources
• Birchfield’s Games Pack range consists of over 32,000 editable questions for 413 curriculum topics - 100% curriculum coverage!
• Content Pack exercises & Games Pack activities provide instant feedback for pupils
• Both software ranges will also interact with VLEs to track progress
• Sold by subject with a perpetual school licence - there’s no annual fees to pay!
• Simple delivery of multiple subject purchases on a USB 2 Flash memory stick

To find out more, click on a secondary school subject from the list to the right.

Reviews

 

Specialists in educational software mapped to the national curriculum, Birchfield Interactive was established in November 1997 and has developed an extensive portfolio of primary and secondary curriculum resources.

A member of BESA – the British Educational Suppliers Association – over 80% of the UK’s secondary schools currently use Birchfield’s curriculum software in either VLE or non-VLE format, whilst a further 12,000 schools have purchased titles from their primary range.

Birchfield’s curriculum software is designed specifically to assist teachers’ delivery of lessons and to support pupil learning through an engaging combination of animation, narrated text and interactivity. The curriculum content is written by teachers for teachers. However, the unique selling point of the software, which sets the resources apart from competitors, is Birchfield’s emphasis upon stunning 3-D animation, created in-house by a team of professional animators and film-makers.

Originally selling curriculum resources on CD and DVD-Rom for interactive whiteboards, classrooms and school networks, in 2007 Birchfield became one of the first UK companies to offer SCORM-conformant curriculum content for learning platforms, developing Content Packs for 15 secondary school schools, collectively amounting to over 15,000 multimedia resources.  To date, over 300 secondary schools in the UK have purchased this SCORM-conformant range, which is complemented by Content Editor, allowing teachers and pupils alike to modify the resources and create their own.  More recently, in April 2009, Birchfield launched a VLE Games & Question Editor Suite, preloaded with 32,000 editable questions for 19 secondary school subjects, to populate 12 interactive games formats.

Buoyed by the success of the secondary school VLE ranges, Birchfield has also extended the primary curriculum offering with a primary SCORM-conformant range, focusing upon Literacy, Numeracy and Science.

Let us show your staff how to get the most out of your learning platform, and why we’re the benchmark for SCORM-conformant content, by booking a free school demonstration of our VLE Content & Games.

• You suggest a date and the most convenient time for your staff.
• We’ll then visit your school to demonstrate any of our 15,000+ resources for 150 curriculum topics, show you how to use our editing tools and explain how best to use our editable games and content on your learning platform.
• We can even explore a bespoke solution to meet your school’s specific needs and budgets.
• All our software is sold with a full school site licence, including remote access 24/7 for staff and pupils, and can be purchased using your Harnessing Technology Grant.

To book a free demonstration, call 0800 915 6616.

As part of our ongoing commitment to schools, we are pleased to offer, from time to time, free updates for existing purchases.  Please visit the Downloads section to see which updates are currently available.

We also offer existing customers an opportunity to upgrade older versions of their classroom software to the Lesson Kit format only at a discounted rate.  Please call 0800 915 6616 for details.

An update is now available for schools that have purchased or are currently trialling Birchfield’s VLE Content Editor. 

The new key features available as part of this update include:

• Drag and Drop creator/editor - Create and edit your own drag and drop exercises. Write your text, choose your words, add dummy words and add it to your lesson.
• Multiple Choice Question creator/editor - Create and edit your own multiple choice questions. Write your questions, a correct answer and two incorrect answers.
• New icons in the Resource Browser - Identify the different types of Content using the improved icons in the Resource Browser.

UPDATE DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS
1. Please access this download from a machine which already has VLE Content Editor installed.
2. Download the update by clicking on the following link:  VLE Content Editor
3. A self-extracting zip file will now download.  Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.
4. The download will only update the Content Editor that has already been installed on your machine by clicking on the Content Editor button from the Viewer/Export Tool.
5. If you have already purchased VLE Content Editor, you do not need to activate the product again to see the new features.
6. If you are currently trialling VLE Content Editor, you cannot activate the updated software until you have purchased it.  Simply proceed in accordance with the terms of your trial.

 

As part of our ongoing commitment to schools, we are pleased to offer, from time to time, free updates for existing purchases only.  The following free updates are currently available.  If your school has previously purchased a software title listed below, please click on its name to access the free update:

• VLE Content Editor Update (updated 5th March 2009)

Please note: Each update will only work if your school has previously purchased the software in question and/or currently has it on trial.

Birchfield Interactive currently has reseller agreements for a number of countries outside the UK. If your educational institution is based in one of the countries listed below, please purchase our software from the distributor identified for your country:

Hong Kong:
Vertical Miles Pte Ltd, North Bridge Commercial Complex, 470 North Bridge Road, #04-14 Singapore 188735
Tel: +65 6747 4018
Fax: +65 6842 5720
Online: www.verticalmiles.com

Singapore:
Vertical Miles Pte Ltd, North Bridge Commercial Complex, 470 North Bridge Road, #04-14 Singapore 188735
Tel: +65 6747 4018
Fax: +65 6842 5720
Online: www.verticalmiles.com

South Africa:
BMS Education, PO Box 196, Athlone, Cape Town, 7760, South Africa
Tel: +27 21 696 6279
Fax: +27 86 566 6279
Online: www.bmseducation.co.za

Sub-Saharan Africa:
Mallory International Ltd, Aylesbeare Common Business Park, Exmouth Road, Aylesbeare, Devon, UK EX5 2DG
Tel: +44 1395 239 199
Fax: +44 1395 239 168
Online: www.malloryint.co.uk

United States:
Insight Media Inc., 2162 Broadway, New York, NY 10024-0621
Tel: 800-233-9910
Fax: 212-799 5309
Online: www.insight-media.com

If no distributor is listed for your country, we can sell to your educational institution on a firm sale basis only.  Please call or fax us using the details below:

Overseas tel: +44 (0)29 2059 7000
Overseas fax: +44 (0)29 2059 9456

If you receive “TAG.TXT” error messages, this could indicate that the folder set up to receive assessment data and log in details has the incorrect permissions allocated. Please ensure that the folder you have chosen to store assessment data in (by default, the AT DATA folder in C:/Birchfield) has modify permissions allocated to it.

Click here to return to the Error Messages Menu

The issue at the root of a “Register Extras” error message can be solved by navigating to the folder where you have installed your Birchfield software.  By default, this will be located at C:\Program Files\Birchfield). Within this folder, there will be one or more sub-folders called BCDS00, followed by a three figure number and the letters LK, IS or IL. Within these sub-folders you will find a variety of different file types. Set the properties of all files ending with the file extensions .exe, .dxr and .cxt to read only by right clicking and choosing properties at the bottom of the contextual menu, then choosing the read only option.  Repeat this procedure for each BCDS folder, then re-run your software.

Return to the Error Messages Menu.

A “Microsoft OLE DB Provider” error message usually indicates that the user permissions for the “AT Data” folder, and in particular the file “Assess.mdb”, are incorrect. This folder (and all internal files) should allow both read and write permission for all users. Please check these permissions and any hierarchical settings that might affect them.

Sometimes deleting the existing Assess.mdb file, and then re-running the software (thus creating a new file) will solve the issue.

Click here to return to the Error Messages Menu

The issue at the root of a “Mode” error message can be solved by navigating to the folder where you have installed your Birchfield software.  By default, this is located at C:\Program Files\Birchfield. Within this folder, there will be one or more sub-folders named BCDS00, followed by a three figure number and the letters LK, IS or IL. Within these BCDS folders, you will find a variety of different file types. Set the properties of every file ending with the file extensions .exe, .dxr and .cxt to read only by right clicking and choosing properties at the bottom of the contextual menu, then choosing the read only option.  Please repeat this procedure for every BCDS folder, then re-run your software.

Click here to return to the Error Messages Menu.

If you receive “High Network Traffic” error messages, the folder set up to receive assessment data and log in details could have incorrect permissions allocated. Please ensure that the folder you have chosen to store assessment data in (by default the AT DATA folder in C:/Birchfield) has modify permissions allocated to it.

Click here to return to the Error Messages Menu

A “Direct to Stage” error suggests a conflict between your QuickTime player and the Adobe (previously Macromedia) software used by Birchfield for product development. The conflict occurs in the last version of QuickTime 6 and the earliest version of QuickTime 7. Apple has now updated their QuickTime player to bypass this conflict. Hence, please update your “QuickTime” player to the current version (v7.6), which is a free download from the Apple website http://www.apple.com/uk/quicktime/download/.

Click here to return to the Error Messages Menu

The error message “Director Player Error” without any further information could be caused by a permissions issue or a faulty configuration.  However, it is usually a sign that your QuickTime player requires updating. To obtain the latest version of QuickTime, please visit http://www.apple.com/uk/quicktime/download/.

If the error message persists after the QuickTime player update, please contact Birchfield Technical Support on 0800 9156615.

Click here to return to the Error Messages Menu.

A possible resolution to the error message “cannot find resource.ini” is to check your datapath.ini files.

To check and amend these files, navigate to the folder where you have installed your Birchfield software, then locate the subfolder for your subject. For example, this will be named “PSHE LK” for PSHE Lesson Kits. Within this folder, locate the file “datapath.ini” and open it in a text editor. This file contains the address of the folder containing “resource.ini” (by default “Birchfield”). Please amend this address (and any others) to the full UNC path (ie \\server\Birchfield\). Save this text file, then copy it to each of your installed lesson folders (these are named BCDS00, followed by a three figure number then LK, IS or IL) the Lesson Builder folder and the AT folder.

When this is done, locate and open the “resource.ini” file (by default in the root of \\server\Birchfield\) and check that folder address for each title is the correct Network path (ie \\server\Birchfield\).  Finally, save and rerun the software from a client machine.

Click here to return to the Error Messages Menu.

If you encounter an “autoexec.bat” error message, right click on the shortcut being used to access the software title and bring up the properties dialogue box. Select the target box via the shortcut tab and remove the reference to C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT from the address string.

Click here to return to the Error Messages Menu.

• Autoexec.bat Error
• Resource.ini Error
• Director Player Error
• Direct to Stage Error
• High Network Traffic Error
• Mode Error
• OLE DB Provider Error
• Register Extras Error
• TAG.TXT Error

Click here to return to the Technical FAQs Main Menu.

Birchfield’s software is always sold with a full school site licence.  This permits the installation of the software on individual PCs or a network server to be accessed by an unlimited number of users within the purchasing school. The software is also licensed for students to log in to the school server from home.  Teachers may use the software at home for lesson preparation purposes only and must remove all Birchfield software upon termination of contract with the license holder.

Birchfield’s resources must not be published publicly or used outside of a school’s intranet or learning platform. If you purchase any of the software titles ordered, a personalised paper-based copy of this licence will be sent to your school detailing the products bought.  This will act as your school’s licence agreement.

All Birchfield software (including without limitation all embedded photographs, animation, cartoons, audio, video, text, interactive tasks and “applets”) and other related materials (including without limitation all manuals, programmes, packaging and documentation) (the “Property”) is protected by the copyright and intellectual property laws of England and Wales and all applicable international treaty provisions and laws. All such Property is owned solely by Birchfield Interactive Ltd and is Copyright © 1997-2009 Birchfield Interactive Ltd. All rights are reserved by Birchfield Interactive Ltd including the rights in all registered and unregistered trademarks used in connection with the Property. The Property must only be used strictly in accordance with any instructions provided with it or embedded within it. Use of the Property for any other purpose is expressly prohibited and may result in severe civil and criminal penalties. The Property may not otherwise be copied or redistributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes without the prior written permission of Birchfield Interactive Ltd.

Click here to return to the Licence FAQs Menu.

• VLE Content & Games Licences
• Lesson Kit Licences
• Legacy Products

Click here to return to the Technical FAQs Main Menu.

Birchfield’s VLE Content & Games are currently sold to a school on either a DVD or USB memory stick.

Content which has not been activated is termed “Trial Content”:

Trial Content issued on a DVD

If the VLE Content or Game has been issued to you on trial on a DVD, you can view the entire range of resources available for your chosen subject solely from the DVD run in any laptop or PC. However, you will only be able to export one small free section per Content Pack, or one generic game per subject title, and upload them to your VLE to test functionality.  You are not entitled to use trial content as part of your teaching.  It is solely for teacher review. At the end of your trial, you must return the DVD and all associated paperwork to Birchfield.  If you do not do so, you will be asked to pay an invoice for the software.

Trial Content issued on a USB Memory Stick

If the VLE Content or Game has been issued to you on trial on a USB memory stick, you can export and upload any resource to your VLE during your trial period only. You are not entitled to use trial content as part of your teaching.  It is solely for teacher review. At the end of your trial period, this content will not display in your VLE.  However, the files will remain and should be removed from your system following review if you decide not to purchase.  You also need to return the USB memory stick and all associated paperwork to cancel your order.

Fully Licensed Content issued on a DVD or USB Memory Stick

Content which has been purchased on a DVD or USB memory stick can be activated and exported as fully licensed content to your VLE for use by teachers and students at the purchasing school only. Activation codes are issued upon receipt of payment. All Birchfield software (including without limitation all embedded photographs, animation, cartoons, audio, video, text, interactive tasks and “applets”) and other related materials (including without limitation all manuals, programmes, packaging and documentation) (the “Property”) is protected by the copyright and intellectual property laws of England and Wales and all applicable international treaty provisions and laws. All such Property is owned solely by Birchfield Interactive Ltd and is Copyright © 1997-2009 Birchfield Interactive Ltd. All rights are reserved by Birchfield Interactive Ltd including the rights in all registered and unregistered trademarks used in connection with the Property. The Property must only be used strictly in accordance with any instructions provided with it or embedded within it. Use of the Property for any other purpose is expressly prohibited and may result in severe civil and criminal penalties. The Property may not otherwise be copied or redistributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes without the prior written permission of Birchfield Interactive Ltd.

Click here to return to the Licence FAQs Menu.

Birchfield’s Lesson Kit software is always sold with a full school site licence.  This permits the installation of the software on individual PCs or a network server to be accessed by an unlimited number of users within the purchasing school. The software is also licensed for students to log in to the school server from home.  Teachers may use the software at home for lesson preparation purposes only and must remove all “Birchfield” software upon termination of contract with the license holder.  Birchfield’s resources must not be published publicly or used outside of a school’s intranet. If you purchase any of the software titles ordered, a personalised paper-based copy of this licence will be sent to your school detailing the products bought.  This will act as your school’s licence agreement.

All Birchfield software (including without limitation all embedded photographs, animation, cartoons, audio, video, text, interactive tasks and “applets”) and other related materials (including without limitation all manuals, programmes, packaging and documentation) (the “Property”) is protected by the copyright and intellectual property laws of England and Wales and all applicable international treaty provisions and laws. All such Property is owned solely by Birchfield Interactive Ltd and is Copyright © 1997-2009 Birchfield Interactive Ltd. All rights are reserved by Birchfield Interactive Ltd including the rights in all registered and unregistered trademarks used in connection with the Property. The Property must only be used strictly in accordance with any instructions provided with it or embedded within it. Use of the Property for any other purpose is expressly prohibited and may result in severe civil and criminal penalties. The Property may not otherwise be copied or redistributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes without the prior written permission of Birchfield Interactive Ltd.

Click here to return to the Licence FAQs Menu.

If you have checked your own records and cannot find your Birchfield passwords or activation codes, please contact our administrative department on freephone 0800 9156616. To aid the retrieval of your codes, please have your school postcode and invoice number to hand when you call.

Please note, the retrieval of codes for any product title purchased 2 or more years ago can take a considerable amount of time. Hence, we reserve the right to impose an administrative charge of £30 on any password or activation code request if you cannot provide an appropriate invoice number at the time of your call.

Click here to return to the Password & Activation FAQs Menu.

Birchfield’s pre-Lesson Kit titles fall into 2 main categories:

• The Version 3 Professional range requires nine character codes issued to your school at the time of purchase. This particular range was published and delivered as part of a 3 CD-Rom pack.
• Titles that predate the Version 3 Professional range have a variety of password types which, when entered, are written to the root of the local C drive. This file must be given both read and write permissions for all users (this is usually achieved by means of a file exception path).

Return to the Password & Activation FAQs Menu.

The Teachers’ Zone password can be found on the back of the disk case that your Birchfield software was delivered in.  Its precise location will vary by version but is always preceded by the text “The Teachers’ zone password is…...”.

Click here to return to the Password & Activation FAQ Menu.

Birchfield’s VLE Content Packs require nine character activation codes that will have been supplied to your school upon receipt of payment. These are an algorithm of the product title, school name and postcode.  The school name and postcode used to generate the unique code will be displayed on the document or email containing your codes and should be copied exactly as stated because they are case and space sensitive. The activation code itself needs to be entered in the lower case by a user with sufficient permissions to write the registration information to the installed .ini file.

VLE Content Packs have been published under several incremental iterations, with each one possessing a unique 9 character code. The installation DVD disks that the VLE Content Packs were delivered on will display the correct version number (ie: v1.2.5, v1.2.6 etc).  If your content was delivered on a memory stick, it will be at least version 1.3.0.

If you get an error message, please initially check that you have entered your school name and postcode exactly as stated on the letter or email containing your activation codes.  If you have done so, but are told that the activation code is invalid, please contact .

Click here to return to the Password & Activation FAQs Menu.

• VLE Content & Games Activation Codes
• Lesson Kit Passwords or Activation Codes
• Teachers’ Zone Password
• Pre-Lesson Kit Passwords
• Lost Passwords

Return to the Technical FAQs Main Menu.

Birchfield’s Lesson Kits have been published in two versions: version 1.0 and version 1.1. To identify the version your school has, please consult your installation disks or check the file “product_info.ini” in the corresponding title folder.  v1.1 is always printed on the DVD itself after the words Lesson Kits.  Title folders can be found by default in the root of the Birchfield folder and will be called BCDS00, followed by a 3 figure ID number then LK, IL or IS.

Version 1.0 Lesson Kits will ask you to register the software.  They require a nine character registration code, issued to your school upon receipt of payment. Each code must be entered in lower case by a user with sufficient permissions to write the registration information to an installed .ini file.

V1.1 Lesson Kits will ask you to activate the software.  They require a school name, postcode and nine character activation code.  The codes are issued to customers upon receipt of payment, and are an algorithm of the product title, school name and postcode.  The school name and postcode used to generate each unique code will be displayed on the letter or email containing your codes and should be copied exactly as stated because they are case and space sensitive. Each activation code must be entered in lower case by a user with sufficient permissions to write the registration information to an installed .ini file.

If you have a version 1.0 Lesson Kit which asks to be activated rather than registered, or you receive an error message that suggests the codes are incorrect or invalid, please contact .

Click here to return to the Password & Activation FAQs Menu.

The DVD should auto-run in a DVD drive.  If it does not, choose Start then Run and type “D:\setup.exe” (where D represents the letter of your DVD drive).

The set-up wizard will offer you 2 options: Express Installation for a single PC or laptop or Advanced Installation for a school network.

The DVD contains a number of different topics. Using your delivery note, please select the specific topic(s) you have ordered.  You cannot install unordered titles.

The setup wizard will now guide you through the rest of the process and prompt you as necessary.

A Resource Viewer Browser will allow you to view the full range of resources available for a given topic.  However, you cannot export most of the resources until the product has been activated.

An activation code is needed to activate a topic and enjoy full export rights.  This will be automatically issued to your school upon receipt of payment.

Click here to return to the Installation FAQs Menu.

Using the Import Content Package tool, objects can be imported into My Workspace or Communities, where the user has relevant permissions.  These files can either be .xml files or .zip files.

Click on the My Workspace or Communities icon on the Assimilate toolbar depending on where the document is to be stored.  Select a relevant community if necessary and folder

Click on the Actions button if the Actions screen is not visible.

Click the Import Content Package icon, the File Details screen is displayed.

Browse to where the .xml or .zip file is stored on the PC.

Once located click on the Import button to upload the file.

The file will upload, this includes all associated files including images, and an imported successfully message will appear.

Click on Finish.

Objects will be listed in the Content Navigation Pane on the left hand side.

 
Note: If there is more than one object held within the content package, each object will be imported separately and any associated files will be included, this could be video, audio clips, images etc.

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Birchfield content’s is SCORM compliant and can either be imported as a course or as an activity within a course.  This document assumes that you understand the basic workings of Moodle (e.g. how to create courses, how to add activities etc.), if you need more information on how to do these things, please consult your own Moodle documentation. These instructions are based on Moodle 1.7+.

To import content as a course:

• Click to create a new course.
• In the ‘Format’ drop-down menu, select ‘SCORM format’.
• Set all of the other settings as you require and click ‘Save Changes’.
• When you enter the course, you will be taken to the ‘Adding a new SCORM/AICC’ page.
• See section ‘Uploading Content’ below.

To import content as an activity within a course:

• When a course has been created in a ‘weekly format’ for example there will be opportunities to add content to the course.
• With editing turned on, click on the ‘Add an activity…’ drop-down and select ‘SCORM/AICC’.
• You will then be taken to the ‘Adding a new SCORM/AICC’ page
• See section ‘Uploading Content’ below.

Uploading Content:

• Click on the ‘Choose or update a package ...’
• Then select the ‘Upload a file’ button.
• Then browse to the .zip file supplied by Birchfield.  You do not need to unzip the file to upload it.
• Then click ‘Upload this file’.  This process may take some time depending on the size of the zip file.
• Your file should appear in the list now, on the right hand side of the file, click ‘Choose’. This will fill in the ‘Course package’ field.  When all of the other settings are filled in, click ‘Save changes’.
• The course structure will then be listed.  If the course has a number of organizations, then there will be a drop down box to select which organization to run.
• Click ‘Enter course’ to run the course.

Technical Note:
There may be problems uploading large files to Moodle depending on how it has been set up.  Moodle by default comes with a limit of 16Mb upload size.  Birchfield’s content will exceed this size so you will need to increase the limit to upload the content.  To increase this limit, you will need to modify the php.ini files and increase the upload_max_filesize entry and the post_max_size entry. We would recommend increasing this limit to 200 MB (or 209715200 bytes) to accommodate the largest Birchfield SCORM package.

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Each Birchfield VLE content pack has been produced according to SCORM standards and hence should be imported into your chosen VLE as a SCORM compliant course/resource.

The Resource Viewer/Export Tool will export the packs as .zip files. The main file within the .zip files is the imsmanifest.xml file. Your VLE should look for this latter file to gather information about a Content Pack.

Typically, you will not need to unzip these files. When your VLE asks for a file to import, select a .zip file.  Your VLE will either read this .zip file as it is, or it may ask you to choose a file within the .zip file.  If so, choose the imsmanifest.xml file. Your course will then be displayed in a number of organisations as a series of pages, with drag and drop exercises and multiple choice questions.

Importing from a DVD: You cannot import all of the resources contained within a pack from a DVD until you have purchased the product and received an activation code. You will be able to view all the resources within the pack but only import a small, free section.

Importing from a memory stick: You can upload any of the resources from a memory stick to your school’s VLE for evaluation purposes for 30 days.  At the end of the 30 days, access to these resources on your learning platform will expire. If you then decide to purchase the resources, you will be sent an activation key to perpetually unlock the content upon your learning platform.

Activation codes are only issued when Birchfield receives payment for your software. Please make sure that you enter each character of your school name and postcode exactly as it appears on your activation code letter, otherwise your code will not work.

Click here to return to the Installation FAQs Menu.

At a clean workstation, log on as packagebuilder. Run RM Application Wizard, and follow the on-screen instructions for completing the first scan. Select Installer from the installation media as the file to launch, then click ‘Advanced Installation’.

To install on a network, please select ‘Advanced Installation’.  To install on a standalone PC or laptop, use ‘Express Installation’ and refer to the instructions for standalone installation. (LINK to ‘what do you what to do? - install on a standalone PC or laptop’)

You will need to have QuickTime and Windows Media Player installed on your machine to ensure that the animations and video within the program play fully. The downloads for QuickTime and Windows Media Player are free from both Apple and Microsoft. Please download the latest version of both programs from within the installation procedure, or access them via the links below.

QuickTime: http://www.apple.com/uk/quicktime/download/

Windows Media Player: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download

You will now be asked to select where you wish to install your selected products.  If you are happy with the default folder, C:\Program Files\Birchfield, click ‘Next Step’, otherwise click ‘Browse’ and select a new installation folder. Please ensure that you have adequate space on your chosen hard drive to install your Birchfield titles as each title requires a minimum of 1GB.

You will then be presented with some options regarding the Assessment Tool. If you do not wish to use any assessment facility, click ‘I do not want to use the Assessment Tool’, followed by Next Step.

If the Assessment Tool has previously been installed, click ‘The Assessment Tool is already installed from a previous Birchfield software title’, followed by ‘Next Step’. Click ‘Browse’, browse to the existing assessment data folder, then click ‘OK’ followed by ‘Next Step’.

If the Assessment Tool has not previously been installed, and you wish to install it, click ‘Install the Assessment Tool’, followed by ‘Next Step’. If you are happy with the default folder, C:\Program Files\Birchfield, click ‘Next Step’, otherwise click ‘Browse’ and select a new installation folder. This folder requires write and modify permissions for all users of the Birchfield software.

You will then be prompted to set up a further shared folder, which also requires write and modify permission for all users of the Birchfield software. This folder will allow Birchfield software titles to be correctly registered. If you are happy with the default folder, C:\Program Files\Birchfield, click ‘Next Step’. If not, click ‘Browse’ and select a different folder (NB:  if you have already created a folder during a previous installation, then please select this folder).

Please click ‘Ready to Install’. The trial copies of the titles you have chosen to install will be uploaded in turn.  This may take a few minutes. When the installation of your titles has finished, click ‘Launch the Lesson Kit’. Click ‘Activate my Software’ and follow on the on-screen instructions to activate each software title in turn.  These activation codes will be issued to your school upon receipt of payment for the software ordered. This process should be completed before the second pass unless you are installing the software for evaluation purposes.

At this point you should also check that the software has been configured correctly. To check this navigate to the folder where you have installed your Birchfield software and locate the subfolder for your subject. For example, this will be named “PSHE LK “for PSHE Lesson Kit. Within this folder locate the file “datapath.ini” and open it in a text editor. This file contains the address of the folder containing “resource.ini” (by default “Birchfield”). Please amend this address to the full UNC path (ie \\server\Birchfield\). Save this text file, then copy it to each of your installed lesson folders (these are named BCDS00 then a three figure number followed by either LK, IS or IL). When this is done locate and open the “resource.ini” file (by default in the root of \\server\Birchfield\) and check that folder address for each title is the correct Network path (ie\\server\Birchfield\).

Some schools occasionally receive error messages when multiple users are trying to simultaneously access the software. To resolve this issue, navigate to the folder where your “Birchfield” software was installed (by default this will be located at ?:\Program Files\Birchfield). This will contain a number of sub-folders named BCDS00 followed by a three figure number and the letters LK, IS or IL. Within these sub-folders, you will find a variety of different file types. Set the properties for all files ending with the file extensions .exe, .dxr and .cxt to read only by right clicking and choosing properties at the bottom of the contextual menu, then choosing the read only option. Implement this procedure for each BCDS folder prior to deployment, then re-run the software to check it is operating correctly.

When you are happy with the install, click ‘Start the Second Scan’ in the RM Application dialogue box to complete the package build.

IMPORTANT

If you simply wish to install Lesson Kits to your network server and then create shortcuts to the appropriate ’.exe’ files, in order to run them, you will need to edit the ‘datapath.ini’ files in the Lesson Kit folder on your server.  This will be called something like C:\Program Files\Birchfield\HistoryLK and the corresponding C:\Program Files\BCDS000 LK-IS folders.  Please make sure that the [Sharedfolder] and [resource] paths reflect the network path to the server, as seen by the client (this can be a network path or a mapped network drive).

For example, in the sample datapath.ini file below, we would need to replace C:\, either with a network path (\\server\...), or with a mapped network (say, E:\).

[StoreData]
assess=1
[SharedFolder]
path=C:\Program Files\Birchfield\AT Data\
media=C:\Program Files\LessonBuilder\Media\
[resource]
path=C:\Program Files\Birchfield\

Please take care when editing these files.  The backslash at the end of the pathname is vital.

Click here to return to the Installation FAQs Menu.

Non RM

Schools usually install their software using one of the following configurations:

OPTION 1

95% of our customer base use this option.  Using the advanced installer wizard, a folder called “Birchfield” is automatically created on your server, containing every file and folder organised by subject. Shortcuts are then set up on your client machines.  The executable to create these shortcuts, called “LessonKits.exe”, is found in the subject folder (eg: MATHSLK, PSHELK etc). Once installed, please activate the software using the nine character code issued to your school upon receipt of payment.

If you choose this option, you will also need to make an amendment to your datapath.ini files. To amend these files, locate the subfolder for your subject within your Birchfield folder.  For example, for PSHE Lesson Kits, this will be named “PSHE LK”. Locate the file “datapath.ini” within this folder and open it in a text editor. This file contains the address of the folder containing “resource.ini” (by default “Birchfield”). Please amend this address to the full UNC path (ie: \\server\Birchfield\). Save this text file, then copy the file to each of your installed lesson folders (these are named BCDS00 then a three figure number followed by either LK, IS or IL), your lesson builder folder, your AT folder and any other subject folders if applicable. When this is done, locate and open the “resource.ini” file (by default in the root of \\server\Birchfield\)  and check that folder address for each title is the correct Network path (ie: \\server\Birchfield\).

Some schools occasionally receive error messages when multiple users are trying to simultaneously access the software. To resolve this issue, navigate to the folder where your “Birchfield” software was installed (by default this will be located at ?:\Program Files\Birchfield). This will contain a number of sub-folders named BCDS00 followed by a three figure number and the letters LK, IS or IL. Within these sub-folders, you will find a variety of different file types. Set the properties for all files ending with the file extensions .exe, .dxr and .cxt to read only by right clicking and choosing properties at the bottom of the contextual menu, then choosing the read only option. Implement this procedure for each BCDS folder, then re-run the software.

Pros: This is very easy to set up and maintain, installing the software in one,central location.
Cons: Many of the Birchfield titles are media rich.  Hence, heavy use can impact on a network’s efficiency, if it has insufficient bandwidth.

OPTION 2

Using the advanced installer wizard, the instant lessons are installed to a client machine, but the “Lesson builder”, “BAT” and all other files and folders are installed to the server. Please note, when prompted, we recommend that you create the shared folder in this directory also. Once installed, activate the software using the nine character code issued to your school upon receipt of payment.

Pros: Your client machines handle most processing, but the “Lesson builder”, “BAT” and all other resources remain in one central location.
Cons: A more complex configuration, you also need to copy the “Birchfield” folder from the first client to other clients in the group (NB these will already contain the information required for communicating with the utilities on the server).

OPTION 3

Local installation to a standalone machine. Using the express installer option, install the software (this will install all components to their default locations). Once installed, activate the software using the nine character code issued to your school upon receipt of payment.

Your choice of configuration will depend upon a number of variables such as the bandwidth of your network, the method by which your teaching staff wish to use the software (e.g. in a Lab situation, or centrally with a whiteboard), client machine technical specifications, or your security and administration methodologies

Whichever set-up you choose, please note that there are issues with earlier versions of Quicktime. This problem can manifest itself as “directToStage” errors, or animations can be replaced with a black box with a large red cross through it. To avoid such errors, please upload your player to the latest version of “QuickTime” (v7.6).  This is a free download from the Apple web site.

If you have any further queries regarding network installation and configuration please contact .

Click here to return to the Installation FAQs Menu.

• Lesson Kit Installation (Non RM Systems)
• Lesson Kit Installation (RM Systems)
• VLE Content Pack Installation
• VLE Content Pack Installation on Moodle
• VLE Content Pack Installation on RM Kaleidos VLE
• VLE Content Pack Installation on SharePoint SLK
• VLE Content Pack Installation on Assimilate
• Multimedia Resources for PowerPoint Installation

Click here to return to the Technical FAQs Main Menu.

To find out more about installation procedures, password and activation issues, licensing arrangements or common error messages, please click on a link below:

• Installation FAQs
• Password & Activation FAQs
• Licence FAQs
• Error Message FAQs
• Updates & Upgrades
• File Size Warning Error in VLE

If your query is not covered within the above sections, please complete and submit a question via the technical support form.

All of our software is available to trial in full for 30 days.  At the end of your trial, you will be automatically sent an invoice.  Activation codes for the software will be sent upon receipt of payment for this invoice.  However, if you do not wish to purchase at the end of your trial, simply return the software to us to cancel your invoice.

Please note: your current cart will be replaced upon submission of this form.

Note: Please submit this form only once.

We will get back to you as soon as possible.

To access a series of Technical Support FAQs, please click on the link below.  This will take you to a list of the most common technical requests, plus ways to resolve the issues.

If you cannot find an answer to your query in the FAQs section, you can submit a technical question via a link within that section.

FAQs SECTION                                                                                                 

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Assesswise is Birchfield’s secure, online assessment and statistical analysis tool.  Two modules are currently available - a bullying prevention and management application targeted at schools and a work-related stress module for private and public sector employers.

To find out more, please visit our Assesswise web site, or call 0800 915 6616.

This page explains how http://www.birchfield.co.uk, which is owned and operated by Birchfield Interactive, uses any information you give to us, and the ways in which we protect your privacy.

The Data Protection Act 1998
Under the Data Protection Act 1998, we have a legal duty to protect any information we collect from you. We use leading technologies and encryption software to safeguard your data, and keep strict security standards to prevent any unauthorised access to it. We do not pass on your details to any third party.

What information do we collect?
We collect four kinds of information from visitors to this site: software trial requests and product registration information, feedback (through emails to the addresses displayed on the site), site usage information (from session cookies and log files) and subscriptions to our email newsletter.

1. Software trials and product registration information
You will need to provide contact information to request a software trial or register your software. To process a software trial request, we need to collect: your name, your postal address (including postcode), your school name if applicable, and an email address or phone number in case we need to clarify anything in your request. This information is not passed on to any third party.

2. Feedback
You can send us your feedback by email to any of the addresses displayed on the site. If you send an email or letter asking for information, we may need to contact a third-party to find that information. If your question is technical, we may need to pass it to our technology suppliers. We do not pass on any of your personal information when dealing with your enquiry, unless you have given us permission to do so. Once we have replied to you, we keep a record of your messages for six months for reference and audit purposes, after which it is deleted.

3. Site usage information
i) Session cookies
Cookies are pieces of data created when you visit a website. The cookies our site uses are “session cookies”, which store some of your “preferences” while you move around the site. You can set your computer not to accept cookies. However, if you do this, you will not be able to log in and may experience difficulty requesting or registering software. Session cookies are deleted when you leave the site. They do not contain any personal information about you, and do not hold any information about which sites you visited before you came to this site.
ii) Log files
Log files allow us to record visitors’ use of the site. We put together log file information from all our visitors, which we use to make changes to the layout of the site and to the information in it, based on the way that visitors move around it. Log files do not contain any personal information.

4. Email newsletter
You may provide your email address to subscribe to our email newsletter. Each newsletter contains instructions for removing your email address from the newsletter mailing list. We do not use your email address for any purpose other than sending your requested newsletters.

What happens when I link to another site?
This privacy policy applies only to our site, so you should always be aware when you are moving to another site and read the privacy statement of any site which collects personal information. We do not pass on any personal information you have given us to any other site.

Access to your information and contacting us
If you wish to see our records of any correspondence you have sent to us, or if you have a query or complaint about this privacy policy or about the site, please contact us.

Changes to this privacy policy
If this privacy policy changes in any way, we will place an updated version on this page. Regularly reviewing this page ensures you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we will share it with other parties.

Updated 18 December 2008

Your use of this web site is subject to the following terms and conditions. http://www.birchfield.co.uk is owned and operated by Birchfield Interactive (referred to as “We” below). By entering our site, you as a user (“You”) are accepting our terms and conditions.

30 Day Software Trials
Birchfield software ordered by you is provided on a free 30 day evaluation basis.
You do not need any activation keys for your 30 day evaluation.
Technical support at Birchfield is free. For assistance, please call 0800 915 6615.
During the evaluation period, you are entitled to use the software solely for your own internal evaluation purposes.
You are not entitled to make any copies of the software.
If you do not wish to purchase your order, you must return the software within the evaluation period. You will be invoiced on expiration of your evaluation period. If you would like to go straight to invoice please contact us.
If you only wish to purchase part of your order, please call our local rate number and your invoice will be adjusted accordingly.
Your activation codes will be issued in writing on receipt of payment, or on written confirmation by email, post or fax that you will purchase the software.
Following issue of activation codes we will not accept any returns without exception.
Following expiry of the evaluation period an invoice will be automatically issued.

Using our Site
This site is maintained for your personal use and viewing. Your access and use of this site featuring these terms and conditions constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions. They take effect from the date on which you first use this website.

You agree to use this site only for lawful purposes, and in a manner that does not infringe the rights of, or restrict or inhibit the use and enjoyment of this site by any third party. Such restriction or inhibition includes, without limitation, conduct which is unlawful, or which may harass or cause distress or inconvenience to any person, and the transmission of obscene or offensive content or disruption of normal flow of dialogue within this site.

You are prohibited from posting or transmitting any unlawful, defamatory, obscene, offensive or scandalous material, or any material that constitutes or encourages conduct that would be considered a criminal offence, likely to give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violates any law. We will fully co-operate with any law enforcement authorities or court order requesting or directing us to disclose the identity of anyone posting any such information or materials on this site.

Any information collected by us is used for internal review, to improve the content of this site and to customise the content and/or layout of this site, with your consent; we may also use this information to notify users about updates to this site and to contact users for marketing purposes. This information is not shared with other organisations for any purpose.

Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights
You agree to grant to us royalty-free and irrevocable permission to reproduce any material that you post. You also grant to us the right to download and print any material that you have posted. If you believe that your copyright has been infringed, please contact us. We will need to know details of the work, where it is on the site, and a statement that reproduction has not been authorised.

Data Protection
We comply with the data protection laws of England and Wales. For further information, read the Privacy Policy.

Linking to this Site
Please e-mail us if you wish to link directly to pages on this site. We do not object to you linking directly to the information that is hosted on our site. However we do not permit our pages to be loaded into frames on your site. The pages must load into the user’s entire window.

Intellectual Property & Copyright
The names, images and logos identifying this site are proprietary marks of Birchfield Interactive.

Disclaimer
This website and material relating to information, products and services (or to third party information, products and services), is provided ‘as is’, without any representation or endorsement made and without warranty of any kind whether express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, compatibility, security and accuracy.

We do not warrant that the functions contained in the material contained in this site will be uninterrupted or error free, that defects will be corrected, or that this site or the server that makes it available are free of viruses or represent the full functionality, accuracy, reliability of the materials.

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including, without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damages whatsoever arising from use or loss of use of, data or profits arising out of or in connection with the use of this site.

These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any dispute arising under these terms and conditions shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Links to External Websites
Links contained in this site may lead to other websites which are not under our control. We are not responsible for the content of any linked site. Listing and linking should not be taken as an endorsement of any kind and we accept no liability in respect of the content. We cannot guarantee that these links will work all of the time and have no control over the availability of the linked pages.

Virus Protection
We make every effort to check and test material at all stages of production. It is always wise for you to run an anti-virus program on all material downloaded from the Internet. We cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, disruption or damage to your data or your computer system which may occur whilst using material derived from this website.

Privacy Policy
Our privacy policy explains how we protect and respect the data we collect from you.

Updated 18 December 2008

We may at any time revise these terms and conditions without notice. Please check regularly. Continued use of this site after a change has been made is your acceptance of the change.

Birchfield Interactive
The Media Centre
Culverhouse Cross
Cardiff
Wales
CF5 6XJ

Tel: 0800 915 6616
Fax: 0800 138 8895

NON-UK CUSTOMERS
Please consult our list of overseas distributors.

Your trial software will be despatched within 24 hours.

For the full terms and conditions of your trial, please click here.

We are pleased to offer a wide selection of award-winning, curriculum software for secondary schools intended exclusively for classroom use.  Available as lesson kits or educational activity kits, these are ideal for whiteboards, school networks and standalone PCs.

LESSON KITS

The complete solution for a topic that caters for all levels of ICT proficiency and classroom teaching styles, each Lesson Kit Range contains:

• Ready-made, interactive lessons and games written by practising teachers.
• A simple program to create bespoke lessons and activities.
• An assessment tool to track pupils’ progress and activity performance.
• An extensive library of topic-specific 3-D animation, video, text and audio files to quickly insert into PowerPoint® slides.

Available for 15 curriculum subjects, please click on a subject opposite to find out more.

 

Every Birchfield title is available to trial for free in full for 30 days.

For more information, click on the VLE Software or Non VLE Software links at the top of this page.

• Curriculum content for all BECTA-approved learning platforms
• Written by practising teachers
• Perpetual school licence - no annual subscription!
• Instant feedback for pupils
• Integrates with learning platforms to record pupil participation and marks
• Upload for free for 30 days to your school learning platform

To find out more, click on the buttons above.

VLE Content for Primary   |   VLE Content for Secondary

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