Equipment
For an online course, you’ll need a computer with a webcam, a microphone, speakers, and whatever else might be specifically required by your course. And yes, you can still have a notebook and pen by your side for taking notes. To satisfy the online part, you’re going to need a fast and consistent Internet connection so you can surf the Web all the way to your online course.
More helpful informationCOMPUTER
As you probably guessed, online learning requires you to be online! So let’s talk about the equipment you need. We recommend a desktop or laptop computer. Yes, you may be able to get online using your phone or tablet, but certain online activities and software applications may not work as well on those devices. Phone and tablet screens are smaller, which may make it more difficult for you to see finer details of videos and text. Also, many students find it preferable to type their papers on a computer instead of on a phone or tablet. If you want to go the tablet route, great, but you’re also going to need a computer that was made in the past three years.
Activity: Check your computer configuration
WEBCAM
Some online courses require that you create videos or participate in online meetings. To complete these tasks, you’ll need to have and use a microphone, headphones or speakers, and a webcam. If you’re not sure if you have one or if the one you have actually works, fear not! We created a tool that will allow you to check if you have a functioning webcam and mic. If all is good, you’re good. If not, don’t worry. A webcam/microphone combo, along with a pair of headphones, costs about $50.
Activity: Check your webcam and microphone
Click the links below to test your video camera (also called a webcam) and microphone. When the pages open, follow the instructions to test your video camera and mic.
INTERNET CONNECTION
If you’re considering taking an online course, you want to make sure that your Internet connection provides upload speeds of at least 5 Mbps and download speeds of at least 15 Mbps. These types of speeds are available with certain types of broadband connections such as cable and fiber. Still, let’s have a look at all your broadband options.
Satellite. There are a bunch of satellites orbiting the earth that transmit signals sent from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to a satellite dish at your house. This type of broadband is most common, and most useful, for serving remote or rural areas. Upload speeds are typically less than 3 Mbps, and download speeds (on a clear day without any interference) can reach 25 Mbps, though they are generally much less than that.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). There are a handful of DSL technologies that provide access to the Internet using telephone lines. The one most often used by residential customers is called Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL). This type offers download speeds around 9 Mbps and upload speeds around 1 Mbps (though speeds will decrease the further you are from the telephone company’s facility). The good news, there is a new DSL technology called G.fast that is slowing becoming available. It offers fiber-like speeds over existing phone lines.
Cable. Cable Internet connections are much faster than satellite and DSL. Most ISPs offer packages with download speeds between 30 Mbps and 100 Mbps, and upload speeds from 2 Mbps to 20 Mbps. Actual speeds will depend on the package you purchase, the modem you use, and the traffic on the network. Still, if you have Cable Internet access you’ll be in good shape for taking an online course.
Fiber. Fiber optic broadband connections are currently the fastest way for the average consumer to connect to the Internet; providing upload and download speeds up to 1 Gbps (it’s really fast). It’s not available everywhere, and typically not available in remote or rural areas. If you have fiber Internet your connection is plenty fast for taking online courses.
Whichever option you choose (or have access to) just know that a connection that has less than 5 Mbps up and 15 Mbps down may cause load time issues when you view certain web pages, play multimedia content, or participate in online video discussions. So how fast is your connection? Let’s find out.
Activity: Check your Internet connection speed
To find out how fast your connection is, fire up the computer you plan on using for your coursework, head over to Speedtest, and click “GO”.
The speedometer will display your download and upload speeds as the application tests your Internet connection.
When the test is finished, your download and upload speed results will be displayed at the top, and your IP address and ISP provider will appear in the bottom left corner. If either speed test is below 5 Mbps, you’re going to need to find another, faster way to connect to the Internet. Keep in mind, modems, wifi routers, other computers using your connection, and even weather can alter the highest achievable speed of your test.
WEB BROWSER
A web browser is a software application used to search the Internet. Most of us use web browsers every day to search for information (psst…you’re using one right now). When you take an online course it is likely you will run into a situation where the software or website you need to access is not compatible with the browser you are using. To plan for this you should install more than one browser on your computer (don’t worry, they’re free), and ensure they are kept up-to-date.
The most common web browsers are: Google Chrome (PC/Mac), Mozilla Firefox (PC/Mac), Safari (Mac only), and Microsoft Edge (Windows 10 PCs). While there are many others out there such as Opera, Camino, and Torch, the aforementioned are the most common and most compatible browsers.
Nevertheless, it is advisable to have more than one installed on your computer, just in case the site you are using is not compatible with your favorite browser. Each browser offers add-ons and tips and tricks to help enhance your browsing experience. We will only highlight the most common browsers, but if you visit the homepages of any browser, you will find links to their standard and add-on features.
Here is a list of the most common browsers and links to information about getting the most out of them.
