Dartmouth

Tech Support and Tech Requirements

Technology Support

Students in web-based online courses seeking technical assistance should:

Send email to dartmouthsupport@umassonline.net,
Call 1-508-999-8501 or 1-508-999-8793 between 8:00AM and 5:00PM EST during the week, or 1 (888) 301-3326 between 5:00PM and 8:00AM and on weekends and holidays (or 216-454-1155 if unable to call a US toll-free line), or
Contact support via live text chat between 5:00PM and 8:30AM and on weekends and holidays by clicking on the above link.

Technical Requirements

First, you must determine if you have the computer resources necessary to participate in an online course. The minimum technical requirements for access to the online learning system are:

PC Users:
Pentium II processor or better
Windows 98/NT/2000/XP
128MB RAM

Macintosh Users:
Power PC G3 or better
Mac OS 8.6 or higher or Mac OSX 10.1 or higher
128MB RAM

Anti-Virus Software

The Information Technology Council Subcommittee is charged by the UMass President to draft policies and guidelines for the five campus UMass System. It is their judgment that all faculty, staff and students who access the UMass network and systems are required to have up-to-date anti-virus software installed on their computers.

Internet Browsers

Access to the learning system requires a Java capable web browser.

Windows:

Microsoft IE 5.5 (SP2), 6.0
Netscape 7.0, 7.1, 7.2
AOL 8.0, 9.0
Mozilla 1.5, 1.7 (1.6 is unsupported)
Firefox 1.0, 1.5

Macintosh:

Netscape 7.0, 7.1, 7.2
AOL 8.0 (OS X)
Mozilla 1.5, 1.7 (OS X) (1.6 is unsupported)
Safari 1.2, 1.3.1 and higher, 2.0.1 and higher

Java:

Java Runtime Environment will need to be installed and enabled on your computer in order for certain functions to work properly within WebCT Vista version 3.0. WebCT recommends installing Java Runtime Environment software version 1.5. Update 7.

Click here for more information.

Internet Connection

All students are required to have an Internet connection speed of 56K or better. A DSL or cable modem connection is preferred but not required.

AOL Subscribers: AOL is the most popular Internet Service Provider (ISP); however, it can be the cause of many technical problems when accessing the UMass Online Learning System. It is suggested that after you have established a connection to the Internet via AOL, minimize the AOL window then open either Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator/Communicator to participate in your online course.

Email Account and Client

All students participating in an online course are required to have an email account. If you do not already have an email account UMass Dartmouth can provide you with one. Contact Operations and Access at x 8532 or email cit_oa@umassd.edu for more information.

You may choose any email software that you prefer. Most Internet Service Providers have their own email clients. Many of the web based email clients such as Yahoo or Hotmail advocate the use of spam mail filters. Be careful when using these, as you may filter messages from your course that you need.

Basic Computing Skills

In making your decision to enroll in an online class, consider the basic computer skills that you possess. To successfully participate in an online learning environment you must be able to:

Create a word document
Copy and paste text from one document to another
Organize files on your computer
Use a web browser
Navigate your desktop with multiple applications open simultaneously
Send and receive email
Attach files to an email message

If you have most of the skills defined you should have a pleasant and successful online experience.

Online Course Software

Supplementary Software:

Some online courses require the use of specialized software. In the event your instructor introduces material that requires this software, follow the links below to download the appropriate viewer.

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Macromedia Flash Player

Microsoft Office Viewers
Note: You do not need to download this viewer if you own the Microsoft Office Suite that includes the full version of PowerPoint.

QuickTime

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This page last updated on November 19, 2009.