COE Computer Hardware & Software Requirements:

Computer Requirements: Hardware and Software

You will need all of the following items to access and interact with content in your online course.  This information is also available online @ http://online.education.ufl.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=28017

Hardware/Internet Requirements: 

1. All students must have dedicated access to a computer using Windows XP/Vista or Mac OS X. Students should make sure to have access to a back-up computer (work, friend or relative's computer) in case of equipment failure.
2. A high-speed Internet connection is highly recommended for all courses. We cannot guarantee multimedia components will work on slower connections. Some wireless connections might also present a problem. Unfortunately, we cannot distribute hard copies (e.g., cd-rom, dvd-rom) of multimedia items due to copyright constraints.
3. Many courses use audio-video presentations. Students will need speakers or headphones to listen to presentations.
4. Some courses use voice chat and/or student-narrated presentations. Students in these courses will need to acquire a microphone. Consult your instructor for more on this topic.
   

Software Requirements: 

This software is available at no cost (the one exception is the MS Office suite, however there is a free alternative). It is recommended that you download the software even if you already have it on your computer. Many technical problems you might encounter can be resolved by installing the latest version of the following software. Click on the logo(s) to download.

1. Firefox Web Browser - In order to simplify compatibility issues, we ask all students to access their courses using Firefox (not Internet Explorer or Safari)
2. Quicktime Video Player - Many courses include video presentations which are only accessible using Quicktime.
3. Macromedia Flash Player - Many courses include A/V presentations which require the Flash Player.
4. Adobe Reader - Many courses include .pdf documents which require Adobe Reader.
5. Java Runtime Environment - Many courses incorporate content which requires JRE.
6. MS Office or Open Office - All courses require either of these suites of business applications. Open Office is a free alternative to the MS Office suite (one of the site administrators uses it exclusively). You can get Open Office here.
   Reference: 
   
   University of Florida College of Education Online. (2010). Computer Requirements: What You Need (web). UF College of Education Online. Retrieved from http://online.education.ufl.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=28017