Technical Requirements for Using WorldClassRoom
Access to a personal computer with Internet capability is required to take online classes at Webster University.
It is not difficult to use the technology that is needed for the use of WorldClassRoom. You should be comfortable using a computer to save, retrieve, and download files. You should have basic capabilities with Microsoft Office programs and you should know how to do an effective search on the Internet.
In order to participate in all course activities in WorldClassRoom, you will need to ensure that your computer is configured properly. Below you will find information about the set up of your computer for an optimal online learning experience.
| Hardware | Internet Access |
| Operating System | Computing Environment |
| Speed of Computer | Virus Protection |
| Memory size | Pop-Up Blockers |
| Hard Drive Space | Security Certificate |
| Monitor |
Recommended Hardware Requirements
| PC Configuration: OS: Windows XP or Vista Speed: 1 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or above Memory: 1 GB RAM Hard Drive: Several Gigabytes available Monitor: 17" Monitor Internet Access: Cable Modem / DSL |
Mac Configuration: |
Operating System
The Operating System (OS) of your computer is responsible for the management and coordination of activities on your computer. It should be one of the following:- Windows 2000, XP, or Vista
- Mac OS 10.2 or higher
You can check your PC for this information by right clicking on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop and selecting properties.
On a Mac, this information can be found by clicking on the Apple in the top left corner of the screen and selecting "about this Mac."S
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Speed
The speed of the computer is related to the type of processor that you have in your computer. The faster the processor, the faster your computer will accomodate all the commands that you give it. You can check your PC for this information by right clicking on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop and selecting properties. On a Mac, this information can be found by clicking on the Apple in the top left corner of the screen and selecting "about this Mac."
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Memory
We recommend that you have a minimum of 512 MB of RAM in your computer to enable your computer to run efficiently, especially when you have more than one program open at a time. You can check your PC for this information by right clicking on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop and selecting properties. On a Mac, this information can be found by clicking on the Apple in the top left corner of the screen and selecting "about this Mac."
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Hard Drive
Most computers manufactured in the last five years will have plenty of hard drive space. The hard drive is where you will store materials that you have created. Your concern is how much space is available. The computer needs enough space to be able to read and write files to your hard drive. There should be at least 1 GB of space available on your hard drive to run WorldClassRoom and most applications efficiently. On a Windows computer, you can find the available hard drive space by right clicking on the Local Disk (C:) and selecting properties. On a Mac computer, you can find these numbers by clicking on the hard drive and choosing Get Info from the File menu.
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Monitor
Many courses include custom graphics, animations and video. For optimal viewing, we recommend a screen size of at least 17" and a screen resolution of 1024x768. The minimum acceptable resolution is 800 x 600.
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Internet Access
Your computer must have access to the Internet. There are basically three ways of connecting:
- DSL is a connection that is provided by the phone company through your phone line.
- Cable modem is a connection that is provide by the cable company.
- Dial up is a slower connection that is provided by the phone company.
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Your Computing Environment
You may encounter issues (connections, website access, document availability) if you are attempting to access WorldClassRoom from a computer located at some place other than your home. Networks at your work place or in countries other than the United States may have security features in place that can inhibit the complete access to your materials in WorldClassRoom. Some companies install software called a firewall to protect their networks from unwanted installations of software and/or viruses. If you are having network connectivity issues with WorldClassRoom, you should contact your network or system administrator at your work for assistance. The Webster University Helpdesk is also available to assist you.
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Virus Protection
WorldClassRoom does not offer virus protection as a separate feature for users. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that any attachments and/or files that you send, open, or download through WorldClassRoom, are scanned for viruses. You should have anti-virus software installed and running on your computer. You should always be aware of the origin of any documents that you download as this is a common way to transmit a virus. Set your anti-virus software to scan your computer and downloaded documents on a regular schedule.
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Pop Up Blockers
WorldClassRoom uses pop-up windows for several tools, such as announcements, discussions and e-mails. You will need to configure your program to allow WorldClassRoom to open new pop-up windows.
We encourage you to do a "Browser Check" on your computer before beginning your online experience. If you have successfully passed the browser check, there is still a chance that you may have issues with pop-up blockers. 3rd party plugins such as Yahoo! Toolbar, Google Toolbar, or other add-ons provided by your Internet Service Provider, may not have been detected through the browser checkup tool. Use the Browser Tune-up page to check on your browser configuration.
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Security Certificate
When the My Blackboard screen first appears, your browser may request that you accept the Java security certificate. Select "yes" or "accept". If you click any links or buttons in My Blackboard before the security certificate window is finished loading or before acceptance has been established, your session will end in error and you may be required to close the browser. You will then need to restart your browser application and accept the security certificate.
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