Success in Online Courses

The Three P's of Success in Online Learning (courtesy of Thomas Nolan, Sonoma State University).

What Makes A Successful Online Student (courtesy of the Illinois Online Network).

Computer Skills
For a summary of computer skills recommended for success in online courses review the Technical Skills Checklist for Successful Online Learning (courtesy of University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey).

Hardware
A computer with a MINIMUM processor speed of 500mHz and 256 Megabytes of RAM and a CD-RW drive is highly recommended. Of course, faster processor speed and additional RAM is better. An audio card, video card, microphone, headset, speakers, or webcam may be required in some courses (see information about HorizonWimba for HSM students below).

Software
Operating Systems

WebCT Campus Edition 4.1 Service Pack 1 (Rush's WebCT version as of 15 Feb 2005) is supported on the following operating systems:
Windows® 98, 2nd edition/2000/XP operating systems
Mac OS® 9 operating system
Mac OS X v.10.1.x and v.10.2.x operating systems

Web Browsers for WebCT CE 4.1.x
For the latest information about browser compatibility see the WebCT Browser Tuneup page at http://www.webct.com/tuneup .

Web browsers can be downloaded at no charge. See the WebCT Browser Tuneup page at http://www.webct.com/tuneup for browser download links. For students with slower internet connections (56K dialup or slower), web browsers can also be purchased at computer, office supply, and other retail stores on CD.

WebCT Version	Browsers	Browser Versions
		Validated	Unsupported
CE 4.1	Microsoft IE Windows	5.0, 5.5, 6.0	4.0 and 5.5 SP1 see notes
	Netscape Windows	6.2.x see notes, 7.0, and 7.1	4.7x to 4.8, 6.0 and 6.1 see notes
	AOL Windows	7.0, 8.0, 9.0 see notes	3.0 and earlier
	Mozilla Windows	1.5, 1.6 see notes	--
CE 4.1 Mac	Microsoft IE Mac	5.1 (OS 9.x and OS X 10.1) and 5.2 (OS X 10.1, 10.2, 10.3)	--
	Netscape Mac	6.2.x (OS 9.x and OS X), 7.0 & 7.1 (OS X)	4.7x to 4.8 and 6.1
	AOL Mac	OS X	--
	Mozilla Mac	1.5, 1.6 (OS X)	--
	Safari Mac	1.2	--

HorizonWimba

Health Systems Management students may be required to participate in interactive web-based class meetings using HorizonWimba software. A summary of the software requirements appears below. To participate in a HorizonWimba class meeting, a microphone and speakers are required; a headset with microphone is preferred. A DSL or cable modem internet connection is recommended for best results using HorizonWimba. The following operating systems and browsers are compatible with HorizonWimba:

Microsoft Windows
Operating systems: Win XP/2000/ME/98se
Browsers: IE 5.0/5.5/6.0; NS 7.0/7.1; Moz 1.4/1.5/1.6

MacOS
Operating systems: OSX1(Puma 10.1, Jaguar 10.2, Panther 10.3), OS92 3
Browsers: IE 5.1; NS 7.0/7.1; Moz 1.4/1.5/1.6; Saf 1.1/1.2

Linux
Operating systems: Linux2 3
Browsers: NS 7.0/7.1; Moz 1.4/1.5/1.6

Off Campus Internet Connections

For those students enrolled in online courses who wish to perform coursework off campus, a high speed internet connection (e.g., DSL or broadband/cable modem), while not required, is highly recommended.

Note: A 56K dialup account is available to Rush University students at no charge. A 56K dialup connection is not as fast as DSL or cable modem connection, and long distance charges may apply.

Other Software Recommendations

Software titles that are widely used in online courses at Rush University include:

Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download available). Adobe Acrobat Reader is also available for purchase on CD at retail stores.

Microsoft Office Pro (including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel). Discount pricing available on Microsoft Office Pro for Rush students and employees.

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For specific information regarding access to web courses for the next academic quarter, as well as the student support hierarchy for course access problems, see Directions for Web Courses or Courses with a Web Component published by the Office of the Registrar.