Clarity in the classroom
This section focuses on configuring Clarity to simplify its use in classrooms and students' laboratories, particularly for teaching scientific principles and lab workflows. It explains key settings, like students' account management and evaluating the data on another PC than it was measured on (e.g., in the classroom). In addition there is also tip, how to make your lesson for bigger groups more engaging with some hands-on experience, e.g., to use instrument simulation modes to simulate real measurement.
Creating User Accounts
In User Accounts dialog, set up one or more teacher account(s), with complete privileges, and one or more student accounts with limited privileges. Recommended limitation of privileges is access to User Accounts and System Configuration - so the students can’t change privileges of any account, and change configuration of connected devices. Any other limitations depends on what students should perform in your specific use case, e.g., restricting Edit Method when student should just use already existing method and not develop new one.
More detailed info on how to set the user accounts can be found in Create New User Account and Restricting Access topics.
Setting the directories
If you want save the files on shared disk to enable access from another computer in the same network, e.g., from the classroom or office. You can set the directories accordingly in the Instrument Directories for Projects dialog accessible from main Clarity window.
More detailed info on how to set the directories can be found in Working with Directories topic.
Transferring the projects
It also may be needed to transfer existing project to different disc where you set directories in previous step. To do that, you can simply copy/move whole project (including *.prj file) in File Explorer, or use Archive/Restore feature.
More detailed info on how to transfer the project to another disc can be found in Migrating Projects topic.
Backing up important files
It is recommended to back up important files, so in the case that any unexpected issue occurs (e.g., someone accidentally power off the computer while Clarity is still running), and important files are corrupted or deleted, it is simple to get the settings back as it was before.
List of recommended files for back up:
- Clarity.cfg + any other configuration file present in Cfg directory.
- Clarity.dsk + any other desktop file present in Cfg directory.
- Clarity.psw in Cfg directory.
- optional: method(s) validated and used for measurement
Bonus Tip: Simulated Measurement
To showcase Clarity workflow, and simulate laboratory process for larger group of students without need of physical connection to laboratory instruments, you can use Clarity Demo version, accessible from our website www.dataapex.com. In the Demo version, there is simulated connection to any available device you configure on the Instrument, so the students can get familiar with Clarity and the work they will do in the laboratories.