DL Login  |  Email Login  |  Contact Us  |  News & Events

background border

Technical Requirements

Students are responsible for having the required Hardware and Software prior to the course start date.

Recommended Hardware Requirements:

  1. 1000 MHz Pentium or equivalent processor
  2. 512 MB Ram
  3. 17" monitor (32 bit color) set to 1024 X 768 resolution
  4. DVD-Rom
  5. DSL, Cable modem, or equivalent high speed Internet access
  6. Sound card/speakers
  7. Graphics card

Minimum Hardware Requirements:

  1. PC-Pentium 500 MHz Processor or Equivalent
  2. 256 MB Ram
  3. Minimum 15" monitor (16 bit color) set to 800 X 600 resolution
  4. CD-Rom
  5. Modem (minimum 56K)
  6. Sound card/speakers
  7. Graphics card

Recommended Software Requirements:

  1. Windows XP with service pack 2
  2. MS Office 2007

Minimum Software Requirements:

  1. Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3
  2. MS Office 2003with Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats.
  3. Current anti-virus software updated monthly (preferred McAfee or Norton). Note: Norton Internet Security 2003 has an automatic ad-blocking setting that must be disabled for Blackboard to perform properly.
  4. Adobe Acrobat Reader - available at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
  5. Browsers: You must have a supported version—listed below—of one of the following browsers: Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, or Mozilla Firefox. Note: Opera is not a supported browser.
    • Internet Explorer: 5.0, 5.5; 6.0. Not supported: 5.5 SP1
    • Netscape: 6.2x, 7.0 and 7.1. Note: A Java Plug-in may be required to access the Chat. For PCs go to http://wp.netscape.com/plugins/get_java.html and follow the instructions for downloading and installing the plug-in for the system that is being used.
    • AOL: 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0
    • Mozilla Firefox (Recommended): 1.5+(Higher versions may come up as unsupported during the browser check, but no evidence has suggested that they are incompatible.)
  6. Pop-Up Blockers:
    • This type of software often causes problems with Blackboard.
    • Note: Norton Internet Security 2003 and AOL 8.0 have an automatic ad-blocking setting that must be disabled for Blackboard to perform properly.
  7. Additional Free Downloads
    • Quick Time
    • Flash Player
    • Real One Player
  8. Internet Connectivity: Reliable Internet availability from home via an Internet Service Provider (ISP) is required. Internet access at work may not allow enough time to complete required assignments. "Firewalls" may impede access to online courses from work and also from home.
    • If an employer has a firewall, the student needs to request that special arrangements with their ITS Dept. for the Firewall to be opened to the Blackboard port.
  9. Notice: Some courses might have additional requirements. These requirements will be posted on the web sites for those programs.

Computer Skills

  1. Knowledge of common computing terms
  2. Thorough knowledge of word processing, including attachments, spell check, copy and paste, etc.
  3. Proficiency with sending/receiving e-mail, including e-mail with attached files. Note: Students must have an email address
  4. Proficiency with web browser software
  5. Familiarity with navigating the World Wide Web

Computer Settings

Browser Version: How to determine the browser version you are using:

  • Internet Explorer:
    1. Select "About Internet Explorer" from the "Help" menu.
    2. A pop-up window will open and list the browser "Version" and "Update Version".
    3. Select "OK" to close the pop-up window.
  • Netscape:
    1. Open the "Help" menu, scroll down and then select the "About " option that is applicable to your browser version, i.e. "About Communicator," "About Netscape."
    2. A pop-up window will open and list the browser "Version".
    3. Select "OK" to close the pop-up window.

Note: Other platforms, operating systems, browsers and dial-up connections will work; however we have found that students experience the least amount of problems with faster systems, using the latest versions of Windows operating systems, with the listed browsers and versions and a fast Internet connection, such as Cable or DSL.

For more information on the various supported platforms, operating systems and help with browser tune-up, visit these pages at Blackboard.com: https://behind.blackboard.com/s/ and http://www2.blackboard.com/tuneup

Provide current home or work e-mail addresses and phone numbers when scheduling. Free e-mail accounts are available at www.gmail.com and www.yahoo.com.

CAUTION: Free email accounts sometimes offer limited storage space (However, Free Gmail accounts offer ample space at 7 GB). If your "inbox" is full, even with junk email, valid messages will be rejected.

Some courses require the purchase of an access code from the bookstore, or from Blackboard. You will not be able to gain access to the virtual classroom of a class requiring an access code without it.

You must certify for each class for which you are scheduled. With the new certification system, you will not be able to certify for your classes until your scheduled classes are available within Blackboard. For returning students, the "old" certification messages that were sent to cert@jones.edu are no longer acceptable.

Beginning the Fall 2005 semester, we implemented a new method of certifying classes. As you enter each of your virtual classrooms you will see a Blue button labeled, "Certify for Course." Click this button, and then click the hyperlink, "CLICK HERE TO CERTIFY FOR CLASS." You will then see an instructions screen; click, "Begin Quiz." In the answer box of the quiz, type your full name, the last four digits of your SSN and one or two valid Internet email addresses, then click SAVE, and then click FINISH. Your certification message will be automatically sent to Jones College.

If you do not certify for a class prior to the end of the Drop-Add period, you will be dropped from that class. Unless there is documentation that you are certified for a class, you cannot be re-instated after that date. This is a legal requirement.

Your instructor is your first point of contact regarding ALL class related matters. Sending email regarding class related issues to anyone other than the instructor will delay the response to your message.

Contact the Dean's Office for all other issues (adding classes, withdrawals, reduction in class hours, etc) at deans@jones.edu.

If for any reason, you cannot access your course materials during the Drop-Add period, notify the closest Jones College campus immediately. A procedure has been implemented to assist you with this matter. At the onset of any problem you should always contact your instructor first. This way the instructor will be aware of the problem and at the discretion of the instructor, may be able to allow some leniency in the activity due dates. For students not in the immediate area of a Jones College campus, send an email to cslatter@jones.edu and your instructor detailing your problem. If you send your request after 6:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time, Dean Slatter will route your request to the appropriate person(s) the next Jones College business day. Also notify Dean Slatter at the listed email address if you do not receive a response to your email from your instructor. It is in every Online Learning student's interest to attempt entry into Blackboard as soon is practical after the beginning of the semester.

All students are encouraged to visit Blackboard's corporate web site http://www.blackboard.com/us/index.Bb several times during the semester, and thoroughly explore it.

We're here to help you get answers you need. Contact Us Today!

 

horizontal rule
Jones College
rule
frame border