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UT Tyler Student Resource
for Blended and Online Courses

Overview
Technology
Netiquette
Quick References
University Policies
Accessibility
 

Technical Skills Needed to be Successful

As an blended/online student, you will have a much different "classroom" experience than a traditional student. In order to ensure that you are fully prepared for the online portion of your instruction, following is a list of expectations and requirements:

Students in an online and/or blended program should be comfortable with and possess the following skill sets:

  • Self-discipline
  • Problem solving skills
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Enjoy communication in the written word

Minimum Technology Skills

As part of your online experience, you can expect to utilize a variety of technology mediums as part of your curriculum:

  • Navigate Canvas
  • Ability to send and receive email
  • Browsing for and uploading documents and computer files to your Canvas course
  • Downloading and saving files to your computer
  • Navigate the Internet using a Web browser such as Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or Chrome.
  • Posting to a discussion board and wiki
  • Open PDF files
  • Playing and viewing video and audio files

Minimum Technology Requirements

  • Access to a computer (PC or Mac), personal or on campus
  • Internet access (high-speed preferred; Canvas and the videos may be slow to load on satellite or dial up)
  • Microsoft Office , or a Word and PowerPoint compatible program such as Apple iWork or Apache Open Office (free) to view handouts and presentations.

    • Plug-ins and Helper Applications

    UT Tyler online courses use Java, JavaScript, browser plug-ins, helper application and cookies. It is essential that you have these elements installed and enabled in your web browser for optimal viewing of the content and functions of your online course. Always ensure that you are using the most update version for the browser you choose to access the online learning content.

    • Adobe Reader allows you to view, save, and print Portable Document Format (PDF) files.
      http://adobe.com
    • Adobe Flash Player allows you to view content created with Flash such as interactive web applications and animations.
      http://get.adobe.com
    • Zoom is a FREE cloud-based service that provides a simple solution for online meetings and video conferences. You can use Zoom to communicate with your instructor and classmates. Follow this link to set up your account:
      https://uttyler.zoom.us
    • QuickTime allows users to play back audio and video files.
      http://www.apple.com
    • Java Runtime Environment (JRE) allows you to use interactive tools on the web.
      http://www.java.com
    • Windows Media Player allows you to view, listen and download streaming video and audio.
      http://windows.microsoft.com

Canvas Accessibility

Ensuring an accessible and pleasant experience to all users, regardless of disability, is a key focus of Canvas. The Canvas platform was built using the most modern HTML and CSS technologies. For more information, please review their Commitment to Accessibility.

Accessibility Statements and Privacy Policies of Course Technologies

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Developed by the Office of Digital Learning at The University of Texas at Tyler.