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In
order to participate in a STEP e-Course, you will need a personal
computer with a minimum 56 K Internet connection (for Mac users,
a minimum operating system of Mac OS X is necessary).
For
your best online course experience, we recommend the following:
-
A high speed internet connection (some students have found 56
K dial-up
modems too slow)
-
For Windows computers, a Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating
system
-
A properly configured browser (more details below)
Please e-mail
us at stepnd@nd.edu or call toll-free
at 1-866-425-7837(STEP) if you have any questions.
"Concourse"
(formerly called WebCT) is the software used to deliver STEP e-Courses.
The version Notre Dame uses is Concourse Vista 4.2, and the Concourse
(WebCT) Browser Validation List lists the browsers that are
validated for Vista 4.2.
Browser
specifications are established by Concourse. Browsers not listed
may or may not work satisfactorily.
* Attention AOL users:
If you use AOL to connect to the Internet, it is usually better
to use a different browser for Concourse Vista than the one AOL
provides. Connect to the Internet, minimize your AOL Browsers,
then open a new browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla,
Firefox) to log into Concourse.
There
are several settings stored in your browser which need to be specifically
configured for use with Concourse. A check for whether your browser
settings need to be changed, as well was instructions for doing
so, are available from the Concourse
(WebCT) Browser Tune-Up page. The Orientation period for each
course includes time to verify your browser is configured properly
for use with Concourse, and we provide assistance (including the
ND Help Desk, see below) as needed with the instructions given
from the Tune-Up page.
If
STEP refers your case to the ND Help Desk, you may be
asked by the ND Help Desk to save and run one of the following
tools:
A
56 K modem or faster Internet connection is required to view the
streaming video.
You
will need Windows Media Player to
view the video. If you do not have Windows Media Player installed
on your computer, click on the link to the Windows
Media Player web site to download the latest version
of Windows Media Player for your operating system. If you already
have Windows Media Player installed, clicking on the link will assist
you in upgrading to the most current version for your operating
system.
As
with most Microsoft products, Microsoft periodically issues recommended
patches for the Windows Media Player. To periodically check for
updates, visit the Microsoft
Windows Update site. To automatically receive bulletins and/or
downloads for updates, PC users can enable this feature from their
computer's Control Panel by opening the System folder and selecting
the Automatic Updates tab.
Fix
for Possible Problem
Playing Video with Windows Media Player 11 (pdf)
Fix
for Possible Problem Playing Video with Internet
Explorer 7
*Attention
Mac OS X users: Some Windows Media files may not play correctly
on Mac OS X computers without downloading the Flip4Mac
player (free) from the Microsoft web site. After downloading
the free
player, the course streaming video plays correctly in the Safari
browser.
In order to view the CD-ROMs, a Web browser (Internet Explorer
or Netscape Navigator) is needed.
A
media player is also required. While most media players can accommodate
the video portion of the CD-ROMs, we recommend Windows
Media Player.
*Attention
Mac OS X users: Some video files may not play correctly
on Mac OS X computers without downloading the free DivX codec from
the QuickTime
Components page or the DivX
web site.
If
you have any questions regarding your computer capabilities, please
submit an online STEP
Problem Report, call STEP toll-free at 1-866-425-7837(STEP)
or e-mail us at stepnd@nd.edu.
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