FAQ's and Common Issues for Students

Why does only part of my response get saved?

How do I check if my response exceeds 4000 characters?

I tried to delete my response to an activity but received an error saying that I must provide a response for the answer . Why is this?

Why can't I find other peoples answers when I search an individual activity?

I saved my response, but on returning to the page, I can't see it. The answer box is blank.

Why does my response not save after I click the "save response" button?

Why is it that when I copy my response from Microsoft Word (or other word processing application) I get an error that I have exceeded the textbox limit, but all of my response appears in the textbox?

Why do I lose my formatting when I copy from Microsoft Word (or other word processing application) into the InterLearn textbox?

I typed my response in the textbox, clicked "save response" and was returned to the login screen. When I returned to the activity my response had not been saved. Why?

Why does only part of my response get saved?

The most common reason only part of a response is saved is that the response typed into the textbox is too long. The total number of characters in your response should not exceed 4000 characters (approximately 400 words). If your response was in excess of 4000 characters the text that was not saved will be returned on the screen, following the error message. You should rework your response in order to fit it within the specified limits.

How do I check if my response exceeds 4000 characters?

If you have typed your response in a word processing application you should be able to perform a word count. Your word processing application should provide you with the instructions in the Help section. As an example, in Microsoft Word you need to select all of the text you wish to count. Ensure that you have not selected additional blank spaces that may appear after the end of your text. Once the text is selected, choose the "Tools" menu (Alt+T), then select "Word Count…" (W). The results screen will include the number of "characters (with spaces)". If this number exceeds 4000 your response is too long. Where your word processing application does not provide characters without spaces you should use 400 words as an approximate figure.

If you have typed your response directly into the InterLearn textbox, you may wish to copy and paste it into a word processing application and perform a word count.

I tried to delete my response to an activity but received an error saying that I must provide a response for the answer . Why is this?

When the database already has a response recorded for you, you cannot delete it and leave the textbox totally empty. If you wish to remove your response then you must replace it with at least a blank space in the textbox in order to successfully remove your previous response. Simply click delete all of your text in the box and hit the space key once, then click the "save response" button.

Why can't I find other peoples answers when I search an individual activity?

Only activities that are "shared" can be searched. If the activity is individually based, you will not be able to use the search function to view anyone else's response. You can search for responses that are shard at either the tutorial or the unit level and find the responses of other students in your unit if they have recorded a response for that activity.

I saved my response, but on returning to the page, I can't see it. The answer box is blank.

This happens when you use the back button on the browser to return to the page. You should use the <<back and forward>> buttons on the InterLearn page or the InterLearn home or schedule pages to navigate between activities.

Why does my response not save after I click the "save response" button?

This happens when you click the "Save response" button more than once. Unfortunately the system may be a little slow in saving your response and the screen may not provide feedback that it is being saved, however please be patient. If you click the button more than once you will receive the error and have to restart your activity again.

Note: If the error message that indicates that the problem is of a technical nature, please send a copy of the error message and what you were doing at the time the error occurred to the InterLearn Service Manager.

Why is it that when I copy my response from Microsoft Word (or other word processing application) I get an error that I have exceeded the textbox limit, but all of my response appears in the textbox?

When you compose your response to an activity in a word processing application (for example, Microsoft Word) and then copy it to paste into the InterLearn textbox, ensure that you have not copied additional blank spaces after your response. This blank space will cause the textbox limit to be exceeded and an error to be reported.

Why do I lose my formatting when I copy from Microsoft Word (or other word processing application) into the InterLearn textbox?

The textboxes in InterLearn cannot display formatting, such as italic or bold, that has been copied from a word processing application. The only kind of formatting that you can use are line breaks or spaces, however keep in mind that this kind of formatting may affect the number of characters that you are using.

I typed my response in the textbox, clicked "save response" and was returned to the login screen. When I returned to the activity my response had not been saved. Why?

The most likely reason for this is that your InterLearn session "timed out". This means that you did not move within InterLearn for a specified period of time (this time period will depend on where you are accessing the portal from, for example a computer lab or a kiosk or from home). Unfortunately, typing into the textbox does not count as moving within the portal. There are two ways to avoid this problem.

1. As you would when typing a document in Word (or another word processing application), you should periodically save your work. So, after approximately 5 minutes of typing you should click the "save response" button.

Your current work will be saved and you will be returned to the same page. You can now continue typing your response.

2. Compose your response in Word (or another word processing application). Go to the page containing the activity, and copy and paste your response into the textbox. Click the "save response" button.