The Online Degree Dorm Room

online degree programs psychology | a short software primer for onine classes

Posted by bposton on December 15th, 2006 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

So what kind of software do you need for the computer you’re going to use to take online classes?

Well that gets into the second section of this primer - the specific requirements.

A lot of this depends on the technology that the college uses to deliver the class online. and what form that content is in.

For example, some of the electronic textbooks that are used with online courses are in a .pdf format, which means you’ll need a program like adobe reader to see the book on your computer. Not to worry though, adobe reader is a free program.

The college or class will probably define the type of word processing software you need to use, such as Microsoft Word. They may also recommend an entire suite of software like Microsoft Office Professional or iLife Suite. These are not free, so you need to pay attention to those requirements.

You need to take a little time and get into the software requirements for the class. If you’re not sure, contact the professor or the admissions folks and ask them to clarify anything that is not clear to you. It’s important that you understand and can have the right software for the class you are taking. You don’t want to get behind just because your software is not what they recommend.

One last thing - software is becoming less and less of an issue these days. That’s because alot of the software that is being used is being stored on the college servers and delivered to the student. One example of this is Webex, a program that lets you see another person’s computer and have a discussion. The software is normally delivered to you computer via the internet so you don’t have to go out and buy or install anything.