Have you ever thought about just how much you use your computer and smart phones every day? While we use our smartphones everyday, they are not recommended for an online course due to the small screen size.
Technology is in almost every part of our lives. It affects how we work, relax, and learn. On this page, we explore the technological needs for Indiana Online courses so you can confidently engage in our online learning environment. When you take an online course, you have the responsibility to maintain the technology you need to succeed in that course.
Let’s take a moment to look at the technology you need to succeed in an Indiana Online course.
The following information will help you make sure that you have everything you need to set up your device for your online course.
Minimum Technical Skills and Special Technology Utilized by Students
This course is completely online. All instructional content and interaction takes place over the internet.
Students should be able to:
- download, edit, save, convert, and upload files
- download and install software
- use a messaging service similar to email
- communicate with others in online discussion or message boards, following basic rules of netiquette
- open attachments shared in messages
- create, save, and submit files in commonly used word processing program formats and as a PDF
- save a file as a .pdf
- copy and paste and format text using your mouse, keyboard, or an html editor’s toolbar menu
- insert images or links into a file
- search for information within a document using Ctrl+F or Command+F keyboard shortcuts
- work in multiple browser windows and tabs simultaneously
- activate a microphone or webcam on your device, and record and upload or link audio and/or video files
- use presentation and graphics programs
- follow an online pacing guide or calendar of due dates
- use spell-check, citation editors, and tools commonly provided in word processing tool menus
- create and maintain usernames and passwords
Hardware and Software Requirements
To access your Indiana Online course, your device will need to meet certain hardware and software requirements. Hardware refers to the physical elements of your device, such as the motherboard, graphics card, or hard drive. Software refers to the programs and apps that your device runs, such as Windows, Microsoft Word, or Google Chrome. Hardware and Software are interconnected. While software tells your hardware what to do, software only works correctly if you have the right hardware.
To ensure that your device is set up to access an Indiana Online course, complete the following:
- Read the Indiana Online Technology Requirements
- Go over each requirement at your primary device and update your system, if necessary, especially the browser plug-ins.
- If you are in a school or library lab, please ask for assistance checking these requirements.
- Go to What are the browser and computer requirements for Instructure products? to find the most updated requirements.
- Use the Browser Check Tool to ensure your web browser is up to date.
Students who have been issued a device through their school (e.g., a Chromebook or iPad) need to speak with their school of record to make sure their device is properly set up for an Indiana Online course.
Hardware
To successfully interact with an Indiana Online course, your device must meet the following minimum standards:
Given the complexity of our online courses, we do not recommend using a mobile device, such as a smartphone, to interact with our course material.
PC |
Mac |
iPad |
Tablet |
Chromebook |
||
| Processor | Intel® I3 or better recommended, or AMD equivalent |
Intel i5 or M1 |
To view Canvas on a device with a smaller screen, we recommend using the Canvas mobile app. The Canvas mobile is best to check grades and message your teacher, but not to view content. |
Intel Core i3 (sixth generation or newer) or equivalent | Intel i3 or newer | |
| RAM | 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended) | 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended) | 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended) | 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended) | ||
| Video | 800×600 minimum resolution required | 800×600 minimum resolution required | 800×600 minimum resolution required | 800×600 minimum resolution required | ||
| Screen Size | 11″ Widescreen or greater recommended | 11″ Widescreen or greater recommended |
11″ Widescreen or greater recommended
To view Canvas on a device with a smaller screen, we recommend using the Canvas mobile app. The Canvas mobile is best to check grades and message your teacher, but not to view content. |
11″ Widescreen or greater recommended | ||
| Audio Output | Sound card with speakers or headphones | |||||
| Audio Recording | Microphone (required for World Language courses and all Academy students) | |||||
| Video Recording | A webcam or HD webcam – built-in or USB plug-in (required for World Language courses and all Academy students) | |||||
| Printer | Inkjet or laser printer (not required, but helpful) | |||||
Software
- Microsoft Office, Open Office, or Google Drive
- Note: If using your school issued Google Drive account, it needs to be unblocked to work correctly with Indiana Online programs. See your technology department at your school of record for confirmation.If your school of record does not unblock your Google Drive account, we recommend using a personal Google account.
- Note: Some courses require Microsoft Office which will be notated within the course catalog
- Note: If using your school issued Google Drive account, it needs to be unblocked to work correctly with Indiana Online programs. See your technology department at your school of record for confirmation.If your school of record does not unblock your Google Drive account, we recommend using a personal Google account.
- PDF Reader (Adobe Acrobat Latest PDF Reader)
Windows Devices
- Windows 11+
- Chrome or Firefox – You should always use the most current version of your preferred browser.
- Older windows will work but need to be running Chrome and NOT Internet explorer.
- Internet connection of at least 8+ Mb/s is recommended.
OS Devices
- OS X running at least 10.9+.
- Chrome or Firefox – You should always use the most current version of your preferred browser.
- Note: Safari 13.1 and later versions contain an update that may cause issues with downloading files, displaying images, and playing chat alerts in Canvas. Canvas engineers are currently working on a solution for this issue. Until then, you may avoid errors with files, images, and alerts by disabling cross-site tracking prevention in Safari when using Canvas. If disabling cross-site tracking doesn’t resolve these issues, please try one of the other supported browsers.
- Internet connection of at least 8+ Mb/s is recommended.
Zoom System Requirements
- An internet connection – broadband wired or wireless (at least 4G/LTE)
- Speakers and a microphone – built-in or USB plug-in or wireless Bluetooth
- A webcam or HD webcam – built-in or USB plug-in
Chromebooks
Google Chromebooks are currently supported for Indiana Online courses with the exception of Computer Science and Digital Applications and Responsibility courses due to software that needs to be installed such as Python and Microsoft Office.
While Indiana Online learning environments are fully compatible with Google Chromebooks, some third party content within a course, such as Python, may not yet be updated to meet the requirements set forth within the Chrome Operating System. For Python to work in Chromebooks, Linux must be installed.
If the student is using a school-issued Chromebook, Chrome needs to be updated to the most current version to allow access to all the content within our courses. Please ensure the device has the most current version of Chrome.
Disable Pop-up Blockers
You will have to disable all pop-up blockers so that the online course will work correctly. If you click on a link in your course and nothing happens, the browser is likely blocking the pop-up window. (Depending on what software you have installed on your device, you may have more than one pop-up blocker running.)
Read How to Disable Pop-up Blockers in All Major Browsers and disable any popup blockers on your computer or personal device.
Opening PDFs
How to always open a PDF in Chrome on Windows:
- Right-click on any PDF on your system.
- Click ‘Properties’ > ‘Open with…’
- Choose Google Chrome and hit ‘Ok’.
- Doing this should switch the default reader.
How to always open a PDF in Chrome on MacBooks:
- Right-click (or control + click) on any PDF on your system.
- Click ‘Get Info’ > ‘Open with’.
- Choose Google Chrome from the program list.
How to open a PDF in Firefox:
- At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Tools menu and select Options….
- Select the Applications panel.
- Find Adobe Acrobat Document in the list and click on it to select it.
- Click on the drop-down arrow in the Action column for the Adobe Acrobat Document entry and select Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox).
Tip and Trick about PDFs
Another simple way to open a PDF in Chrome is to simply highlight your file and drag it to Chrome by holding down the left mouse button and dragging it to the new tab section in your browser.
- Hardware
-
Hardware
To successfully interact with an Indiana Online course, your device must meet the following minimum standards:
Given the complexity of our online courses, we do not recommend using a mobile device, such as a smartphone, to interact with our course material.
PC
Mac
iPad
Tablet
Chromebook
Processor Intel® I3 or better recommended, or AMD equivalent Intel i5
or
M1
- iPad Air 3rd Generation or newer
- iPad -7th Generation or newer
- iPad Pro 2nd Generation or newer
- iPad Mini not recommended
To view Canvas on a device with a smaller screen, we recommend using the Canvas mobile app. The Canvas mobile is best to check grades and message your teacher, but not to view content.
Intel Core i3 (sixth generation or newer) or equivalent Intel i3 or newer RAM 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended) 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended) 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended) 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended) Video 800×600 minimum resolution required 800×600 minimum resolution required 800×600 minimum resolution required 800×600 minimum resolution required Screen Size 11″ Widescreen or greater recommended 11″ Widescreen or greater recommended 11″ Widescreen or greater recommended
To view Canvas on a device with a smaller screen, we recommend using the Canvas mobile app. The Canvas mobile is best to check grades and message your teacher, but not to view content.
11″ Widescreen or greater recommended Audio Output Sound card with speakers or headphones Audio Recording Microphone (required for World Language courses and all Academy students) Video Recording A webcam or HD webcam – built-in or USB plug-in (required for World Language courses and all Academy students) Printer Inkjet or laser printer (not required, but helpful) - Software
-
Software
- Microsoft Office, Open Office, or Google Drive
- Note: If using your school issued Google Drive account, it needs to be unblocked to work correctly with Indiana Online programs. See your technology department at your school of record for confirmation.If your school of record does not unblock your Google Drive account, we recommend using a personal Google account.
- Note: Some courses require Microsoft Office which will be notated within the course catalog
- Note: If using your school issued Google Drive account, it needs to be unblocked to work correctly with Indiana Online programs. See your technology department at your school of record for confirmation.If your school of record does not unblock your Google Drive account, we recommend using a personal Google account.
- PDF Reader (Adobe Acrobat Latest PDF Reader)
Windows Devices
- Windows 11+
- Chrome or Firefox – You should always use the most current version of your preferred browser.
- Older windows will work but need to be running Chrome and NOT Internet explorer.
- Internet connection of at least 8+ Mb/s is recommended.
OS Devices
- OS X running at least 10.9+.
- Chrome or Firefox – You should always use the most current version of your preferred browser.
- Note: Safari 13.1 and later versions contain an update that may cause issues with downloading files, displaying images, and playing chat alerts in Canvas. Canvas engineers are currently working on a solution for this issue. Until then, you may avoid errors with files, images, and alerts by disabling cross-site tracking prevention in Safari when using Canvas. If disabling cross-site tracking doesn’t resolve these issues, please try one of the other supported browsers.
- Internet connection of at least 8+ Mb/s is recommended.
- Microsoft Office, Open Office, or Google Drive
- Zoom Requirements
-
Zoom System Requirements
- An internet connection – broadband wired or wireless (at least 4G/LTE)
- Speakers and a microphone – built-in or USB plug-in or wireless Bluetooth
- A webcam or HD webcam – built-in or USB plug-in
- Chromebooks
-
Chromebooks
Google Chromebooks are currently supported for Indiana Online courses with the exception of Computer Science and Digital Applications and Responsibility courses due to software that needs to be installed such as Python and Microsoft Office.
While Indiana Online learning environments are fully compatible with Google Chromebooks, some third party content within a course, such as Python, may not yet be updated to meet the requirements set forth within the Chrome Operating System. For Python to work in Chromebooks, Linux must be installed.
If the student is using a school-issued Chromebook, Chrome needs to be updated to the most current version to allow access to all the content within our courses. Please ensure the device has the most current version of Chrome.
- Pop-Up Blockers
-
Disable Pop-up Blockers
You will have to disable all pop-up blockers so that the online course will work correctly. If you click on a link in your course and nothing happens, the browser is likely blocking the pop-up window. (Depending on what software you have installed on your device, you may have more than one pop-up blocker running.)
Read How to Disable Pop-up Blockers in All Major Browsers and disable any popup blockers on your computer or personal device.
- Opening PDFs
-
Opening PDFs
How to always open a PDF in Chrome on Windows:
- Right-click on any PDF on your system.
- Click ‘Properties’ > ‘Open with…’
- Choose Google Chrome and hit ‘Ok’.
- Doing this should switch the default reader.
How to always open a PDF in Chrome on MacBooks:
- Right-click (or control + click) on any PDF on your system.
- Click ‘Get Info’ > ‘Open with’.
- Choose Google Chrome from the program list.
How to open a PDF in Firefox:
- At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Tools menu and select Options….
- Select the Applications panel.
- Find Adobe Acrobat Document in the list and click on it to select it.
- Click on the drop-down arrow in the Action column for the Adobe Acrobat Document entry and select Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox).
Tip and Trick about PDFs
Another simple way to open a PDF in Chrome is to simply highlight your file and drag it to Chrome by holding down the left mouse button and dragging it to the new tab section in your browser.
Whitelist Pages
If students are going to a school issued device, items may be blocked. For a successful experience for students, the following websites need to be whitelisted.
- https://ciesc.org/
- https://indianaonline.org/
- https://io.geniussis.com/PublicWelcome.aspx
- https://indianaonline.instructure.com/login/canvas
- https://indianaonline.org/helpdesk/
- Zoom – students will need the Zoom app or access to the Zoom website
- @indianaonline.org domain (teacher emails and Google Drive)
- https://www.youtube.com/@STOPit
- https://stopitsolutions.com
- https://helpmeresources.com
- https://northpass.com
- https://stopit.io
- https://stopitcyberbully.com
FAQs
You are using a school Google Account, and your school has blocked you from opening Google Docs outside of your school. You will need to use a personal Gmail account or download the Word document and convert it. Please see the Indiana Online Onboarding Canvas training tab labeled Word & Google.
- Use Chrome or Firefox. Safari and Canvas have a known issue with audio, images, and videos in Quizzes.
- Make sure your Chrome or Firefox browser is up to date.
If you are experiencing issues with your video not loading in Canvas, ensure you are using an update version of Firefox or Chrome as your web browser. We recommend the web browser and not the Canvas app.
Unable to find your answer?
Submit a Helpdesk Ticket and one of the Indiana Online staff members will reach out and find the answer you need!