Computer System Requirements

In order to take online, hybrid and OE/OE courses, or to do computer work for on campus classes from home, students must own or have convenient access to a computer system with a minimum set of software and hardware requirements.

We are currently utilizing two Blackboard platforms, Blackboard 8 and Blackboard Learn, for delivering your course content as we transition into full use of Blackboard Learn in Winter 2013. Most of the courses are still on Blackboard 8 and will adhere to the computer system requirements listed below. A few courses are on Blackboard Learn and will be using these computer system requirements.

To determine if one or all of your courses are using Blackboard Learn, Check this list:

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Blackboard 8 Computer System Requirements

 

Computer Requirements

• A PC with a minimum of 512MB of RAM.
• A high speed or broadband internet connection such as DSL or Cable. (A 56K modem may impede course participation.)
• A CD or DVD drive.
• A printer.
• Speakers or Headphones.
• A valid personal e-mail account.

Windows Based Software Requirements

• Windows XP (with Service Pack 3) or higher.
• Microsoft Word 2000 or higher. Microsoft Office 2003 or higher is recommended. (If you use another word processor or spreadsheet program they must be able to open and save files in Word 2000 or Excel 2000 format to be accepted by your instructor.*)
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox 3.5 or higher. (The latest version of either is recommended. Beta versions are not supported. Google Chrome is not supported.)
• The latest versions of Microsoft Media Player, RealPlayer, QuickTime and Adobe Flash Player may be needed to view video or listen to audio files.

Macintosh Based Software Requirements

• OS X (10.4) or higher.
• Microsoft Office v. X for Mac or higher. (If you use another word processor or spreadsheet program they must be able to open and save files in Word or Excel format to be accepted by your instructor.*)
• Safari 3.0 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox 3.0 or higher. (The latest version of either is recommended.)
• The latest versions of QuickTime, Flip4Mac QuickTime Plug-In, RealPlayer and Adobe Flash Player may be needed to view video or listen to audio files.
• Some courses require Windows emulation software such as Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop, VMWare Fusion, or Virtual PC; a licensed copy of Windows XP w/SP3 or higher; and the appropriate Windows based software packages.
  

*Note: Some courses require specific software packages. Check the additional requirements below to ensure you have what is needed for a particular course.

AOL users will need to minimize AOL after connecting and use Internet Explorer or Firefox instead of the built-in browser.

Use of cell phone browsers to submit course work is not recommended nor supported.

Additional Requirements

• Online Course Specific Requirements
• Open Entry/Open Exit Software Requirements
  (See the semester specific requirements from the OE/OE page.)

 

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Blackboard Learn Computer System Requirements

 

In order to take online, hybrid and OE/OE courses, or to do computer work for on campus classes from home, you must own or have convenient access to a computer system with the following minimum qualifications:

Computer Requirements

• A PC with a minimum of 512MB of RAM.
• A high speed or broadband internet connection such as DSL or Cable. (A 56K modem may impede course participation.)
• A CD or DVD drive.
• A printer.
• Speakers or Headphones.
• A Schoolcraft College email account.

Windows Based Software Requirements

• Windows XP (with Service Pack 3) or higher.
• Microsoft Word 2003 or higher. Microsoft Office 2007 or higher is recommended. (If you use another word processor or spreadsheet program they must be able to open and save files in Word 2003 (.doc) or Excel 2003 (.xls) format to be accepted by your instructor.*)
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox 9 or higher, Chrome 16 or higher. (The latest version is recommended. Beta versions are not supported.)

Macintosh Based Software Requirements

• OS X (10.5 “Leopard”) or higher.
• Microsoft Office v. X for Mac or higher. (If you use another word processor or spreadsheet program they must be able to open and save files in Word or Excel format to be accepted by your instructor.*)
• Safari 5.0 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox 9 or higher, Chrome 16 or higher. (The latest version is recommended.)
• Some courses require Windows emulation software such as Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop, VMWare Fusion, or Virtual PC; a licensed copy of Windows XP w/SP3 or higher; and the appropriate Windows based software packages.

* Note: Some courses require specific software packages. Check the additional requirements to ensure you have what is needed for a particular course.

AOL users will need to minimize AOL after connecting and use one of the supported browsers listed above instead of the built-in browser.

For the most recent information regarding browser and operating system compatibility with Blackboard, view the supported browsers and operating systems page as there are some combinations of older operating systems and newer browsers and vice-versa that are unsupported.

Note: While cell phone browsers and Blackboard apps are available, it is not recommended you use them to submit course work or take exams as unexpected results may occur. At this time, Schoolcraft College does not provide help support for mobile access to Blackboard.

Additional Requirements

• Online Course Specific Requirements
• Open Entry/Open Exit Software Requirements
  (See the semester specific requirements from the OE/OE page.)