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In order to get the most out
of your course, your computer must be set up for the technology that is
used in the course. Below are System
Requirements, Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ), Directions for Setting
up Your Computer for an Online Course and
Downloads for multimedia
(such as web animations and sound files). Be sure to read through all
sections, even if you think
you know what you are doing!
- The System
Requirements list serves as a checklist for the computer
you are using for this course. Make sure you have all of the needed
components.
- In the FAQ
section, commonly asked questions about how to find the needed components
and other technical questions are addressed.
- Setting
up Your Computer for an Online Course has directions
that EVERYONE should read and follow for maximum benefit from your course.
- The Downloads
section gives the needed software so that you can be easily access multimedia
aspects of your course. It's recommended that if you download the installation
files, do so from these site to ensure that you're using the correct
versions of software.
System
Requirements
- Pentium II computer (or
higher) or Macintosh equivalent
- Windows 98 (or higher)
- An Internet account with
access to the World Wide Web
- An
e-mail account
- A 56 kbps modem (or higher)
- 4.0 browser (Netscape
recommended, but Internet
Explorer 5.0 is also supported)
- 64 MB RAM (or higher)
- 20-500 MB free hard disk
space
- CD player 24x (or higher)
- Plugins:
Flash, Shockwave, QuickTime, and Windows Media Player
- Sound card
- Headphones or speakers
FAQ
How do I know if
I have a sound card in my computer?
Right-click on "My Computer." Choose "Properties." Select
the "Hardware" section. Click on "Device Manager." Click
on the "+" box next to "sound, video, and game controllers."
Look for any sound options listed.
How do I adjust the volume
on my computer's speakers?
One Way: Double-click
on the sound icon near the system clock in the lower right corner of the
screen. Pull the bar down to lower volume. Push the bar up to increase
volume.
Another Way: Click on
"Start." Click on "Programs." Choose "Accessories."
Then, click on "Multimedia" and select "Volume Control."
Pull the bar down to lower volume. Push the bar up to increase volume.
How do I adjust
the master volume on my computer?
One Way: Double-click on the sound icon near the system clock.
Pull the bar down to lower volume. Push the bar up to increase volume.
Another Way: Click on
"Start." Click on "Programs." Choose "Accessories."
Then, click on "Multimedia" and select "Volume Control."
Pull the bar down to lower volume. Push the bar up to increase volume.
How do I change my screen
resolution so that I can see everything on the page?
For PC's:
Right click anywhere on the desktop. Choose "Properties." Go
to "Settings." Look at the area labeled "Desktop Area."
Your current resolution should be displayed underneath the bar. For this
course, you will need to set your monitor to at least 800x600.
Note: It is better to
run at a higher resolution because you can see more of the screen. It
is recommended that you run at the highest resolution that you are comfortable
with.
How do I know which Internet
browser and what version of that browser I am using?
One Way: Right-click on "My Computer." Choose "Properties."
Click on the "General" section. Look at the "System"
heading near the bottom of the "General" section.
Another Way: Open up
your web browser.
For Internet
Explorer: Click on "Help." Choose "About Internet Explorer."
The browser version is the first two numbers.
For Netscape
Navigator: Click on "Help." Choose "About Communicator."
The browser version is the first two numbers.
[add screenshot 27]
What do
I do if I have AOL?
WebCT is not compatible with
AOL. You will need to download another browser such as Netscape to access
your course. You can find this browser in the Downloads
sections.
How do I know if I have
Windows Media Player installed on my computer?
Click on "Start."
Choose "Programs." Then, select "Accessories." Choose
"Multimedia." You will see "Windows Media Player"
listed if you have Media Player installed.
Note: If you do not
have Windows Media Player installed, you can go to Downloads
and install it.
How can I tell if I have
a Shockwave Player?
Go to: http://sdc.shockwave.com/shockwave/download/triggerpages_mmcom/default.html
If you see the movie, you have Shockwave Player installed. Close the window
to return to this page.
Note: If you do not
have Shockwave Player installed, you can go to Downloads
and install it.
How do I know if I have
Windows Media Player installed on my computer?
Click on "Start."
Choose "Programs." Then, select "Accessories." Choose
"Multimedia." You will see "Windows Media Player"
listed if you have Media Player installed.
Note: If you do not
have Windows Media Player installed, you can go to your Distance Learning
CD to download the player.
How do I know if I have
QuickTime player? (Macintosh users)
Do a search using Sherlock or hold the Apple key down while you press
the 'F' key on your keyboard. When the search field is displayed, type
in "QuickTime". If it is found, you have it, if not, you don't.
Note: If you do not
have QuickTime installed, you can go to your Distance Learning CD and
install it. Since Mac users cannot use Windows-based players such as Windows
Media Player, QuickTime is usually the preferred player for Mac platforms.
What do I do if I click on
the video file specified and my computer tells me it cannot be opened?
Right click on the file and scroll down to "Open with...,"
choose Windows Media Player from the list or click on "Choose Programs".
A dialog box will pop up with a list of all programs on your computer. Scroll
down to "Windows Media Player," highlight it and click "OK".
Directions
In order to provide flexible learning options
to students, Distance Learning courses sometimes make extensive use of internet
and multimedia technology. As a Distance Learning student, you will want
to be sure that your computer is ready and able to support your learning
efforts. Be sure you have addressed the following technology issues before
you begin your course. Click each link for instructions.
Check that
your computer meets minimum requirements
Set up your computer for the course
Set
up your computer for the course
Before you begin
the course, you must change several settings on your computer. These
changes only take a couple of minutes and only need to be made once.
Click the links below for instructions on making these changes.
Enable JavaScript
in your browser
Set the cache in your browser
Enable
JavaScript in your browser
If you use Internet
Explorer, follow these directions:
- Bring Internet Explorer
up on your screen.
- From the menu at the
top of the screen, choose Tools and then choose Internet Options.
- Click the Advanced tab.
- Find the listing for
Microsoft VM and ensure that there is a checkmark next to each of
the two options "Java console enabled" and "Java
logging enabled." If either is missing a checkmark, click the
checkmark box to place a checkmark there.
- Click OK.
- If you needed to select
Java console enabled, restart your computer.
If you use Netscape Navigator,
follow these directions:
- Bring Netscape Navigator
up on your screen.
- From the menu at the
top of the screen, choose Edit and then choose Preferences.
- Click the word Advanced
from the listing on the left.
- Ensure that there is
a checkmark next to each of the two options "Enable Java"
and "Enable JavaScript." If either is missing a checkmark,
click the checkmark box to place a checkmark there.
- Click OK.
Set
the cache in your browser
If you use Internet
Explorer, follow these directions:
- Bring Internet Explorer
up on your screen.
- From the menu at the
top of the screen, choose Tools and then choose Internet Options.
- Click the General tab.
- Under the Temporary
Internet Files section, click the Settings button.
- Under the option called
Check for newer versions of stored pages, click the radio button
for Every visit to the page.
- Click OK.
- Click OK.
If you use Netscape Navigator,
follow these directions:
- Bring Netscape Navigator
up on your screen.
- From the menu at the
top of the screen, choose Edit and then choose Preferences.
- Expand the Advanced
listing by clicking on the + that appears to the left of it.
- Click on the word Cache
listed under Advanced.
- Under the option called
Document in cache is compared to document on network, select the
radio button for Every Time.
- Click OK.
Downloads
Browsers
In order to use the WebCT site
effectively, please use one of the following browsers:
Netscape
Communicator 4.78 (recommended)
Click here to download
Netscape Communicator.
We DO NOT recommend using Netscape 6.0 or higher as it is not
compatible with WebCT.
Microsoft
Internet Explorer 5.01 service pack 2
Click here to download
Internet Explorer.
We DO NOT recommend using Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher as
it is not compatible with WebCT.
Plug-ins
Windows Media Player
For Windows 98,
Windows 2000 and Windows Me users: Click here to download
Windows Media Player. Mac users should use QuickTime (see below).
QuickTime
For Macintosh users: Click here to download
Windows Media Player.
Need more info about computer-
and web-related terminology? (The
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