What do I need to study online?
To study online you need regular access to a computer with an wireless or broadband internet connection. You can access your university LMS (BbLearn) sites from any computer. Logon at an access labs on campus, from home, at an internet cafe or a library.
Students are required to login to eLearning using a Unikey and Password issued by ICT department. All university LMS UoS websites are accessible from the following URL or through MyUni for students:
Supported Browsers for Blackboard Learn
Certain browsers are more compatible with the university LMS - Blackboard Learn. We recommend all students install a second internet browser on their home computing device. Firefox is a compatible browser that works for both Mac and PC users.
| Windows XP | Windows Vista | Windows 7 | Mac OSX 10.5 | Mac OSX 10.6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | Internet Explorer 9 | Internet Explorer 9 | – | - |
| Internet Explorer 8 | Internet Explorer 8 | Internet Explorer 8 | - - | – |
| Internet Explorer 7 | Internet Explorer 7 | – | – | – |
| Firefox 5 | Firefox 5 | Firefox 5 | Firefox 5 | Firefox 5 |
| Firefox 3.6 | Firefox 3.6 | Firefox 3.6 | Firefox 3.6 | Firefox 3.6 |
| Firefox 3.5 | Firefox 3.5 | Firefox 3.5 | Firefox 3.5 | Firefox 3.5 |
| – | – | – | Safari 5.0 | Safari 5.0 |
| – | – | – | Safari 4.0 | Safari 4.0 |
| Chrome | Chrome |
Some newer browsers are presently not supported by the Blackboard Learn. E.g. Google Chrome, Opera and most mobile browsers. This means that Blackboard Learn may function in these browsers, but the browser itself has yet to be tested by Blackboard. You can choose to use these browsers at your own discretion.
Linux users have reported successful use of Blackboard Learn using Firefox and Chromium /Chrome browsers. It is suggested that Mac users update to at least Tiger (OS X10.4) to ensure full functionality within their eLearning sites.
How to tell which browser version you are using
Using a PC?
Internet Explorer –> select the Help menu > About Internet Explorer
Mozilla Firefox –> select Help > About Mozilla Firefox
Safari –> Safari > About Safari
Using a Mac?
Mozilla Firefox –> select Firefox menu > About Mozilla Firefox
Safari –> Safari > About Safari
Chrome –> Chrome menu >About Google Chrome
Java for Blackboard
Blackboard Learn requires the latest version of Sun JRE 6. The JRE can be downloaded from http://java.sun.com Follow the prompts to check your version of Java. If needed, you will be prompted to install the latest version of Java.
Browser Plugins
Some eLearning courses may use browser plug-ins to view Adobe Flash or video files, or to playback audio. To view portions of these sites, you may need one or more of the plug-ins. Browsers will generally automatically download any plug-in required by a particular page. A list of the most common downloads is available for the right hand side menu.