Technical Requirements

1. System Requirements
2. Internet Connection
3. Browser Compatibility & Configuration
4. Browser Plug-ins
5. Virus Protection
6. Firewall Configuration

1. System Requirements

The computer system(s) you will be using needs to meet certain system and software requirements in order to access Blackboard, Odessa College’s Web-based course management system. This page provides the information you need to assure you are ready to connect to your course.

If your computer does not have the proper hardware, Blackboard may run slowly or may not function correctly. Prior to using Blackboard on your computer, compare your current system configuration with the system requirements below.

2. Internet Connection

Connection Speed

Online courses may require you to download/upload large files and may also include streaming audio and video both of which require faster connection speeds. To function properly, Blackboard requires a high-speed Internet connection (dsl, cable modem, or intranet (T-1). If you use a dial-up connection , you may encounter difficulties when loading pages, especially during peak usage times. You will also find that both audio and video playback can be very choppy. Additionally, downloading or uploading assignments may take a long time.

Internet Connection Issues

In many classes students are required to be online to begin and to submit a Blackboard assessment (test, quiz or survey). If the student loses an Internet connection while taking a Blackboard assessment, this can prevent the successful submission of a Blackboard assessment.

Reasons that a student's connection may be interrupted might include:

• The student's ISP timing their connection out after a certain amount of inactivity. Many ISPs have an 'idle time-out' on their dialup connections. Filling in forms does not generate traffic back and forth across the Internet connection, and it is not viewed as "activity" for the purpose of automatic time-outs. This means if you're online but not actually using the connection they will kick you off for being idle after a set amount of time - often around the 10 minute mark.
• Blackboard timing their connection out after three hours of inactivity. After three hours, Blackboard will end the user's session automatically.
• Modem problems or interruptions (such as call waiting).
• Power failures
• System crashes

To minimize the risk of connection interruption, students can:

• Open a second browser window and use it to generate some traffic every few minutes to keep the connection active with KeepALIVE!. KeepALIVE! is a self-refreshing webpage that sends a 'page request' to your ISP every few minutes so they don't throw you off for being idle. Simply go to this URL and follow the instructions before starting your online test: http://www.sector101.fsnet.co.uk/keepalive/aboutka.html
• Contact their ISP to understand the time-out restrictions
• Refer to their modem or Dial-up Settings documentation to learn how to disable call-waiting or other services that may cause interruption.
• Utilize connection maintenance utilities such as StayAlive Pro (http://www.bysoft.com/stayalive.html) or which generate background traffic so the user does not get disconnected. Note: these may not work with all ISPs and may violate some ISPs' user agreements.

If the connection is terminated a student should:

• NOT close the assessment browser window
• Attempt to re-connect immediately

If the browser is not closed and the connection can be re-established, the student may be able to successfully submit the quiz. Obviously, this would not apply to a power failure or system crash.

3. Browser Compatibility & Configuration

Blackboard has certified the following browsers for computers running Windows Operating Systems:

• Windows XP: Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, Netscape 8.0, and Firefox 2.0
• Windows Vista: Internet Explorer 7, Netscape 7.1, and Firefox 2.0

Blackboard has certified the following browsers for computers running Macintosh Operating Systems:

• Mac OS 10.2 ( Jaguar): (Safari 1 is compatible)
• Mac OS 10.3 (Panther): Safari 1.2 (Firefox 1.5 is compatible)
• Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger): Safari 2 and Firefox 1.5
• Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard): (Firefox 2.0 is compatible)

A certified browser is one that has been fully tested and is fully supported by Blackboard. A compatible browser is one that has undergone limited testing. If the computer you are using has a different browser than those indicated above, you still may be able to use parts of Blackboard. However, you may also experience problems, especially when completing quizzes and test.

Your browser must be configured properly as follows:

• JavaScript must be enabled
• Cookies must be enabled
• Pop-up windows must be enabled
• Set Internet Explorer to Trust http://blackboard.odessa.edu/

Click here for step-by-step browser configuration instructions.

4. Browser Plug-ins

You will need at least three browser plug-ins to use Blackboard: Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player, and the Java Runtime Environment plug-in. (You may need additional plug-ins if the course you are taking includes multimedia elements.)

To download and install the current versions of Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash Player:

1. Go to http://www.adobe.com/.
2. Click the “Get Adobe Reader” button & install.
3. Return to http://www.adobe.com/.
4. Click the “Get Adobe Flash Player” button & intall.

5. Virus Protection

If you do not own virus scanning software, it is highly recommended you buy one. Odessa College uses Trend Micro, but many more scanners are available such as, McAfee, Norton and Housecall. It is important to keep your virus scanner software up-to-date to continually protect your system.

6. Firewall Configuration

If you access Blackboard from home and have a firewall installed, you may need to make changes to the firewall settings to allow access to Blackboard at http://blackboard.odessa.edu/.