Online Class Requirements

Overview

The purpose of this article is to help inform students about what they will need to participate in online courses at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA).

Important

While Ubuntu and other flavors of Linux will work with online courses, the UAA IT Technical Support Center does not support any flavor of Linux.

In this article:

Learning Management System
Computer Hardware and Operating System
Recommended Software
Need additional help or have issues

Learning Management System

Most online courses at UAA use the Blackboard Learning Management System. To make sure your browser is compatible with Blackboard, you can use the Blackboard Browser Checker.

Note

Blackboard is not fully functional on Android, Chromebook, ChromeOS, iPad, iPhone, and other mobile devices. For the full Blackboard experience, use a laptop or desktop computer running macOS 10.14 or later or Windows 10.

For additional assistance with Blackboard, contact the IT Services Technical Support Center via phone at (907) 786-4646, toll-free at (877) 633-3888, email us at uaa.techsupport@alaska.edu, or you can use the Seawolf Tech Portal to submit a Blackboard ticket.

Computer Hardware and Operating System

UAA's Minimum System Requirements for Desktop Service

Monitor resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher
Internet connection - Broadband Internet connections are highly recommended and often required
Headset with microphone - Microphone and headphones are important for web conferencing
Windows 11 (Windows 10 is provisionally supported)
macOS 12.0 or later (macOS 11.7.10 and 10.15.7 are provisionally supported)

Note

Chromebooks and mobile devices are not compatible with all of the technology tools you may need to use in your online courses.

For additional assistance with your personal computer, contact the IT Services Technical Support Center via phone at (907) 786-4646, toll-free at (877) 633-3888, email us at uaa.techsupport@alaska.edu, or you can use the Seawolf Tech Portal to submit a Personal Computer ticket.

Recommended Software

For the best online class experience, be sure to have the following.

Antivirus software
- For macOS, here is a list of top-ranked antivirus solutions.
- For Windows, while there are many antivirus options available, note that Microsoft does include Microsoft Defender in Windows since Windows 7. For the past several years, Microsoft Defender has ranked among the top antivirus solutions on the market. Here is a list of additional good options.
Multiple Web Browsers (Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox)
PDF Reader (Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader, or macOS Preview)
Office Applications (UA provides Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365)
Media player (VLC Media Player)

Most courses utilize UAA Core Tools which are supported by UAA IT and free for students. Please note the 3rd party tools available inside Blackboard Learn that you may be asked to use for a richer or more collaborative experience in Blackboard. Some courses have more specific hardware or software requirements and may require you to use additional technology tools. Please consult your syllabus or instructor regarding additional course requirements.

Some courses use web conferencing tools for online meetings or office hours.

Zoom (claim your Pro account as a UA student)
Google Meet (Get Started with Google Meet)
Microsoft Teams (MS Teams at UAA)

Check our Student Software Support Knowledge Base article for a full list of student-use software we support.

For additional assistance with software required for your online class, contact the IT Services Technical Support Center via phone at (907) 786-4646, toll-free at (877) 633-3888, or email us at uaa.techsupport@alaska.edu.

Need additional help or have issues

For additional assistance contact the IT Services Technical Support Center via phone at (907) 786-4646, toll-free at (877) 633-3888, or email us at uaa.techsupport@alaska.edu.

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