Hardware and Software Specifications for Blackboard
- You need a computer with multimedia capabilities (i.e., sound with speakers), a monitor capable of at least 800 x 600 resolution, an Internet connection of least a 56K modem connection, and an Internet Browser in order to access Blackboard.
- Your browser must accommodate both Java and JavaScript for some functions of the course. These are functions you can turn on in your browser.
- Your browser must be set to accept cookies (use minimum browser security settings).
- Firewalls will affect your ability to access and use Blackboard.
- Popup Blockers will affect your ability to use the Collaboration Tools and other features.
Windows Users Only – Downloading Java
Java is required to use Collaboration Tools in Blackboard. This plug-in may be downloaded from a page that appears when you join a Collaboration Session, or, visit http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp and download Java. MAC OS X has Java installed.
Supported Browsers
Blackboard supports four primary browsers for Learn releases.
The dates listed are the original release dates for general availability.
- Internet Explorer® 11 from Microsoft (17 October 2013 for Windows 8.1, 7 November 2013 for Windows 7)
- Internet Explorer 10 from Microsoft (26 October 2012 for Windows 8, 26 February 2013 for Windows 7)
- Internet Explorer 9 from Microsoft (14 March 2011)
- Some configuration options for Internet Explorer might make some features of Blackboard Learn difficult to use. To learn more, see Internet Explorer Security Zones and Compatibility View topic in this section.
- Safari® 7 from Apple (22 October 2013)
- Safari® 6 from Apple (25 July 2012)
- Safari for Windows is unsupported. Apple's continued support for this browser is unclear, and Blackboard does not test it.
- Firefox® 28 (stable channel) from Mozilla (18 March 2014)
- Firefox 24 (ESR channel) from Mozilla (17 September 2013)
- Chrome™ 34 (stable channel) from Google (8 April 2014)
Enabling Cookies in Your Internet Browser
In order to use Blackboard on your computer, you must have cookies enabled. To do so:
Internet Explorer
Open Internet Explorer and select Tools Internet Options. Select the Privacy Tab.
- Using the sliding bar, slide the bar down so that the cookie settings are Medium or lower.
- Click Apply. Then click OK.
Safari
- Open Safari and select Safari Preferences.
- Click Privacy.
- Under Block Cookies select the option “Always.”
- Close the Window.
Mozilla Firefox
Cookies are enabled by default in Firefox.
Enabling JavaScript in your Internet Browser
Blackboard requires that your browser accommodate JavaScript for some functions to work properly. Please do the following to ensure your browser is ready:
Enabling JavaScript in Internet Explorer
Open Internet Explorer and go to Tools Internet Options.
- Click on the Security Tab, then Custom Level.
- Scroll to the section titled Scripting.
- Verify that Active Scripting is enabled, click OK, Yes to the warning, and then OK.
Enabling JavaScript in Mozilla Firefox
Javascript is enabled by default in Firefox.