Technical Requirements

Hardware

Any relatively recent PC with the Windows operating system or a Macintosh should work just fine. Of course, the more recent the computer is, the better.

Software

It's always best to have a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word, on your computer. This way, prior to submitting assignments, you can check work for spelling and grammar errors. If your instructor requires you to submit specifically formatted documents, it is suggested that you submit a Word document. By doing so, you are ensuring that your instructor will be able to open your assignment on her computer.

Alternatively, you can use Google Docs, in which you can create a document online, then download it to your computer in the Word format. Google Docs is available when you log into Zonemail.

Some online courses, such as many of LPC's Computer Information Systems courses, require specific software like Microsoft Office. This requirement will be detailed in the Schedule of Classes.

If your instructor allows you to submit assignments as web pages, you might need a web-page editor, such as Adobe Dreamweaver. You can download a free web-page editor, or you can use Google Sites, which is available when you log into Zonemail.

Web browser 

Chrome is the preferred browser for Canvas and Blackboard. However, make sure you have multiple browsers installed because if something doesn't work in one browser, it should work in the other. Stay away from Internet Explorer.

• Download Firefox
• Download Chrome
• Download Safari

Plugins

In order to view certain multimedia elements and documents on the Web, you need specific plugins. Your instructor will tell you exactly which plugins you need for your course. The more popular are Windows Media, QuickTime, Flash,and Acrobat Reader, and they are all freely downloadable.