Eastern University courses are either fully on-ground, blended/hybrid (part on-ground, part online) or online synchronous (fully online and scheduled to meet for live sessions at a specific day/time) or online asynchronous (fully online but not scheduled to meet for any mandatory live sessions at particular days/times). A level of technological competency and access to a laptop or computer is required to function effectively for all courses. Read the following sections outlining technology requirements and expectations for coursework.

Technology

Hardware:

A laptop or desktop computer. Eastern University does not recommend Chromebooks or tablets/mobile devices for online coursework due to limited functionality.

A working webcam and microphone, both of which may be either built into their existing computers or purchased as external devices.

Operating System: Windows 8 or higher, Apple OS X (10) or higher.
Software:

An office productivity package such as Google Docs or Microsoft Office for PC or MAC¹.

Anti-virus software -- Such as Norton or McAfee, etc.

Adobe Reader

Web browsers -- Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.  (Note: Eastern IT encourages you to avoid using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.)

Internet Connection: Dial-up is not permitted.2 A broadband connection (DSL, FiOS, cable, etc.) is required.

[1] Eastern students are eligible for the FREE Office 365 suite, including Word, PowerPoint, & Excel. Enter your Eastern email address at https://products.office.com/en-us/student/office-in-education to get started.

[2] Due to course requirements in an online delivery format (e.g., video conferencing and streaming, uploading and downloading large files), a dial-up connection is insufficient and high speed internet access is required.

Computer Skills Expectations

Use a word processing program such as Microsoft Word Use additional technology such as scanners or printers
Navigate the Internet and Web sites Send and receive emails, with attachments
Download documents and programs to a computer Keep your software updated (e.g. -- Adobe Reader, web browsers, Microsoft Updates, etc.)

Online Experience

Visit the Student Technology Site to learn the basics of Eastern University's educational technology tools. I understand that this should take place prior to my first online course selection.

Note:  As of January 2020, Brightspace can support Microsoft’s Edge web browser; but, the Brightspace managers at EU still do not recommend it as a first choice when interacting with the Brightspace website.

Eastern Email

Use of your Eastern email account for all school-related communication is expected.

Acknowledgement