Center for Teaching and Learning
Technology Requirements
Navigating the digital landscape of education requires a clear understanding of the tools at your disposal. The Technology Requirements page serves as your essential guide, outlining the necessary technological provisions for a seamless experience with GovState's Learning Management System (LMS), web conferencing software, and various other critical third-party applications. This comprehensive resource is designed to empower you by detailing the specific software versions, hardware specifications, and browser compatibilities that ensure optimal performance and accessibility. You'll find information on essential components like operating systems, internet speed recommendations, and recommended browsers. Furthermore, the page addresses potential hurdles by providing instructions on how to enable necessary plug-ins and advising on when software updates are crucial. By proactively reviewing the Technology Requirements, you can preemptively address any potential compatibility issues, ensuring that your learning and collaboration tools function without interruption, allowing you to focus on your academic pursuits.
GovState Software
To effectively support its academic and administrative functions, GovState utilizes a suite of essential technology solutions. At its core, Blackboard Learn serves as the primary learning management system (LMS), providing a robust platform for course delivery, content management, and student-instructor interaction. Complementing this, the Blackboard App ensures accessibility for students and faculty on mobile devices, allowing for engagement with their courses from anywhere. For synchronous online learning experiences, Class Collaborate offers a real-time virtual classroom environment, facilitating live lectures, discussions, and group work.
Beyond the core Blackboard ecosystem, GovState integrates other critical tools to enhance the educational experience. Microsoft Teams is widely employed for communication, collaboration, and virtual meetings, bridging the gap between in-person and remote interactions. Panopto is the chosen video platform, empowering faculty to record, manage, and share lectures and other video content, thereby enriching learning materials and supporting diverse learning styles. In the realm of academic integrity, Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor are utilized to secure online assessments, ensuring a fair and controlled testing environment. Finally, Watermark Insights plays a crucial role in academic assessment and program review, providing the necessary tools for data collection, analysis, and reporting to drive continuous improvement in curriculum and student learning outcomes.
Blackboard's Mobile app allows users a quick and easy way to oversee courses. Users also have the ability to connect with Instructors/Students and view their course content.
Open the Blackboard Learn App Technology Requirements to learn more.
Blackboard Learn is a Learning Management System, which allows Instructors to build online courses and for students to access them anywhere with an internet connection. GovState currently has Blackboard Learn SaaS v4000.
Open the Blackboard Learn Technology Requirements to learn more.
Class Collaborate is the updated GovState web conferencing software. If you have a hybrid or online course, use Collaborate for prerecorded lectures, live lectures or office hours.
Open the Class Collaborate Technology Requirements to learn more.
Teams is another web conferencing software that allows users to meet virtually, similar to GovState Class Collaborate.
Open the Microsoft Teams Technology Requirements to learn more.
Panopto is a powerful video platform designed to help individuals capture, manage, share, and analyze video content. At its core, it functions as a comprehensive solution for creating and distributing video-based learning and communication. Users can easily record screen activity, webcams, and audio, often with the ability to add presentations and other media directly into the recording timeline. The platform then provides a centralized repository for organizing and accessing this video content, making it searchable and embeddable within Blackboard and on the GovState website. Beyond simple recording and storage, Panopto's analytics capabilities offer insights into video engagement, helping creators understand what resonates with their audience.
Open the Panopto Technology Requirements to learn more.
LockDown Browser is a custom browser that only allows users to view the testing environment within the Learning Management System. In addition with LockDown Browser, Monitor uses a webcam and analytics to prevent cheating.
Open the Respondus LockDown Browser & Monitor Technology Requirements to learn more.
Watermark products are available for assessment reporting on key assessment assignments against standards sets and for juired assessment projects and standards for department accreditation.
Open the Watermark (Via/Aqua/Digital Measures) Technology Requirements to learn more.
Device Updates
To ensure seamless operation and access to the latest features, your devices must meet specific technology requirements. A current and supported operating system (OS) is foundational, as it dictates compatibility with software and security updates. Similarly, a modern internet browser is crucial for accessing web applications and content efficiently and securely. This browser should be regularly updated to the latest stable version. A reliable internet service provider (ISP) is paramount, offering sufficient bandwidth and stable connectivity to download updates, stream content, and participate in online activities without interruption.
Beyond the OS and browser, certain plug-ins or extensions might be necessary for specific functionalities on websites or applications, though their necessity is diminishing as web standards evolve. For document creation and editing, a compatible word processor is often required, whether it's a locally installed application or an online service. To facilitate smooth web browsing and prevent potential issues, maintaining a clear internet cache is advisable, as it removes old temporary files that could interfere with new data. Understanding and managing internet cookies is also important for privacy and site functionality. Finally, for any audio-based interactions or media consumption, a reliable set of headphones or speakers is recommended, ensuring you can hear and be heard clearly.
Your Operating System version may also depend on how old your device is. You should be able view your Device Preferences or System Preferences for more information.
Since technology is changing daily, we recommend you install more than one internet browser on your computer. Having more than one browser installed will allow you to have options in case one browser encounters a problem. Below are certified links to the download free from the company’s website.
While it doesn’t matter which ISP to use, you must have an internet connection in order to access most of the software mentioned on this page. We recommend using a fixed broadband connection, which is a permanent high speed internet connection. Wireless connections (laptop and other mobile devices) are acceptable for short term use, such as posting an assignment or discussion post, but is not recommended for long term use, such as taking a test, exam, or quiz. For more long term connections, please use a wired connection.
Plug-Ins are software components that provide internet browsers with additional functionality. They can assist with displaying additional content it was not initially designed to show.
Open the Blackboard Plug-ins Checker to see if your plug-ins are supported.
- Adobe Reader: Free PDF viewer.
- VLC Media Player: Open source media player that plays most video and audio formats.
Many assignments will be created and saved through Microsoft Word. If you do not have Microsoft Word or want to update its version, please visit the links below:
- Students: Student Microsoft Office Support
- Faculty/Staff: Faculty/Staff Microsoft Office Support
By clearing cache, a user typically can resolve many problems, such as not being able to post a discussion thread, submit homework, etc. For further details on how to delete cache, please click the link of the internet browser you are using.
Cookies are information that websites store on your PC or Mac to remember your preferences, such as sign-in information or your location. Users can adjust the cookie settings of their browser to allow or not allow third-party cookies.
Blackboard requires users to allow pop-ups for certain software to work within Blackboard, such as opening Class Collaborate. For further information on how to manage pop-ups, please click the link of the internet browser you are using.
Web conferencing software, such as Class Collaborate and Webex recommend to have headphones for chat sessions to minimize feedback and/or echoes for others in the session. Also, make sure to turn off your microphone when you aren't speaking.
Contact Us
- Center for Teaching & Learning
- Governors State University - C Building
- 708-534-4115
- blackboard@govst.edu