To undertake Professionals Online, trainees will need a computer with internet access and an email address for the entire duration of the course. However, NT machines will not be suitable.
Browser and plug-ins
In order to complete coursework online, the computer will need to have a standard web browser, (Internet Explorer 6 sp1 or later, or latest version of Firefox), with the free plug-in for Shockwave player. (Only IE and Firefox are supported by our online course site.)
Note
Not all work computers will allow you to install the Shockwave player and Acrobat Reader programs yourself.
Trainees may need to ask their IT Supervisor to download and install these programs for them.
These programs should be installed before starting the course.The Shockwave player is essential for viewing some interactive content. It is, for example, needed for completing work in unit PR1 in the Professional Responsibility seminar.
If the computer does not already have the free Macromedia Shockwave player, this can be downloaded for IE from http://www.adobe.com/downloads and for Firefox by using the add-ons facility in Firefox.
Note also, that to run the Shockwave player, the computer must have one of the minimum specifications described above or a higher specification.
Word processing
The computer will also need to have MSWord 97 or later installed, so that trainees can view documents in the form used by the course, and submit work to the course in a form their instructor can read.
PDF files - Acrobat reader
Acrobat reader is essential for viewing some files in pdf format. There are occasions when the formatting is critical (e.g in court documents), and examples are therefore provided in the universal pdf format, and trainees need to be able to open and read these.
The free Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
PowerPoint viewer/ Flash Plug-in
Trainees electing the commercial stream will also need will also need to be able to view presentations offered in either a .ppt format (Microsoft PowerPoint) or a .swf format (Flash).
To view PowerPoint presentations:
- windows users can obtain the free PowerPoint viewer from the PowerPoint Viewer download site,
- macintosh users who do not have PowerPoint for Mac installed (or a program like iWork) can obtain the free PowerPoint 98 Viewer for Macintosh from the PowerPoint 98 Viewer download site.
Alternatively, provided your browser (IE or Firefox) has the Flash plug in, you can view the presentation in the .swf format instead.
Email access
Trainees will also need an email address that they can access throughout the course – including during the face-to-face weeks of the course – as work in the Professional Responsibility seminar continues throughout those weeks, and Instructors may use this to send you messages or materials.
If using one of the free email accounts, trainees will need to ensure that they are vigilant to keep their inbox empty enough to receive emails and attachments, and to check their junk mail every time as well as some ISPs, such as Hotmail, employ a spam filter that treats some emails from the course as spam.
Trainees will need these programs installed on each computer that they use for coursework, e.g. home and work.
* These minimum specifications are largely dictated by Macromedia's requirements for running Shockwave on a Windows machine. Users of Macintosh PCs will need to separately verify that their machine will run all the required software referred to above (Microsoft Word, Firefox Browser with shockwave plugin, Adobe reader and software to view PowerPoint or Flash presentations).
