This section contains information about technology needed to participate in online courses at UCA. Additionally, you will also find up-to-date information regarding technical support.
What Is Blackboard?
Blackboard is a web-based Learning Management System (LMS) designed to allow students and faculty to participate in classes delivered online or use online materials and activities to complement face-to-face teaching. Blackboard enables instructors to provide students with course materials, video and audio presentations, discussion board activities, online exams, and more. The degree to which Blackboard is used in a course varies. For example, instructors may supplement an on-campus class (Web-Enhanced Course) by putting their syllabus and handouts on their course sites. In contrast, other courses may be conducted entirely through Blackboard (Online Course), without any on-campus sessions. Blackboard is the official Learning Management System for UCA Online. See supported browser section below for Internet browser compatibility.
System Requirements
If your computer does not have the proper hardware, Blackboard may run slowly or may not run at all. Prior to using Blackboard on your computer, compare your current system configuration with the system recommendations below.
Please note that you must have Administrator access to your computer to install programs and use Blackboard Learn. Public or loaned (work or business) computers often do not allow file downloads or plugin installations and thus may not work with Blackboard Learn.
Individual instructors may have additional requirements for specific classes. Be sure to check your course syllabus and discuss technology needs with your instructor as early in the class as possible.
Hardware Minimum Requirements
- Processor: 1 GHz or faster with minimum of 512 MB of RAM (4GB RAM or more is highly recommended)
- Network adapter: LAN (Ethernet) or wireless (Wi-Fi). For web conferencing or online exams, a hard-wired Ethernet connection is preferred over Wi-Fi for the best experience.
- DSL or cable broadband Internet connection with a consistent minimum speed of 1.5 Mbps. Check your Internet connection download and upload speeds using the connection test. (Dial up is supported but not recommended)
- 3G & 4G (mobile) connections are not recommended when taking tests
- Speakers/Headphones
- A built-in or external webcam and microphone
Operating Systems
- Windows 7 and above
- MAC OS X 10 and above
- OS x 10.4 Tiger is not supported
- JAVA Runtime Environment (JRE)
Chrome OS Devices
Chromebooks use the Chrome operating system which is not a supported operating system for Blackboard and will not function with testing software used in UCA online courses.
Web Browsers
Blackboard Learn is supported by a variety of technologies. Run the browser checker to see whether Blackboard Learn supports your browser.
It is extremely important that you use a supported browser when using Blackboard Learn™ so that all course content and the course tools display properly and to avoid usability errors related to browser configurations. The very latest editions of Mozilla FireFox, and Google Chrome should work fine on most devices. We do not recommend using Apple Safari or Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Internet Explorer is no longer a supported browser. We recommend installing both Chrome and Firefox browsers for use with our technologies, especially if one results in an error message. Please try using a different browser to see if you experience the same results before contacting help desk support.
Additional Browser Configuration Considerations
- Pop-up window blockers should be disabled, as they can conflict with online exams and assignments.
- The following domain should be added to your lists of trusted websites in your browsers: https://bblearn.uca.edu
Blackboard Technical Support
If you are having technical problems with Blackboard, there are several support options.
- You can check the Blackboard’s Knowledge Base for information regarding your problem.
- You can call the IT Help Desk at 501-450-3107.
- You can view Blackboard Learn Videos for Students.
- You can submit a ticket directly to the Help Desk.
The Online Essentials section contains information about technology needed to participate in online classes at UCA Online. Additionally, you will also find up-to-date information regarding technical support and university policies and procedures. Please read this page carefully especially if this is your first online class.
Multimedia Plugins
Your computer should have a sound and video card. However, to experience multimedia online, you may also need special software programs called plugins. Plugins allow your web browser to view or play certain types of files, such as some audio, video, or chat functions.
- Adobe Reader – Download and Install Adobe Reader. Please be mindful of the optional offers that come checked on the download page, as you do not need these optional offers for Adobe Reader to function correctly.
- Adobe Flash Player – Download and Install Adobe Flash Player. Please be mindful of the optional offers that come checked on the download page, as you do not need these optional offers for Adobe Reader to function correctly.
Java
Java is a programming language and software platform that is required for certain features of Blackboard to function properly. Some of the important features of Blackboard which use Java include assessments, surveys, discussions, file uploading, and downloading.
JRE versions 7 and 8 are the recommended versions for features that depend on it. JRE version 6 may work but could result in unexpected behavior. Oracle has acknowledged some security issues with JRE version 6.
To verify if you have Java installed on your PC click here.
Java is free to download. Get the latest version at java.com.
Software and Plugins
Multimedia or software packages and plugins will be required for your study or to access multimedia applications on the web in relation to your studies. Also, there is a list of optional software that may be of interest to you but may not be required. Please check your course syllabus for needed software and plugins.
UCA Email
All UCA students access their email through Google Apps for Education. For more information on Google Apps for Education, please visit https://uca.edu/go/googleapps.