º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵLearn Technical Requirements
General recommended device and connection specifications:
To effectively use º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵLearn at the º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, please use the below requirements when choosing a device and internet service.
Device Requirements:
A Windows or MacOS (Apple) laptop is recommended. (Chromebook devices are not recommended as there may be application requirements not supported by these devices, and some may lack the processing power for multimedia. If you intend to use a Chromebook your experience may vary.)
The laptop should satisfy the below criteria:
- Released in the last 3 years.
- At least 8 GB RAM, 256GB storage, and Intel i5 (and comparable) or Apple silicon (M series) processors.
- Based on your degree, you may need to opt for more powerful configurations. Eg: 16 GB RAM and i7 processor for 4K video editing.
- Always running the latest version of OS.
- Preferably has a built-in webcam and microphone.
Not all apps are optimised for smartphones, so it is not recommended to rely on smartphones, especially for critical tasks. Note also that older iPhones or Android phones may not support the latest Canvas app/other applications. Teaching apps either have a mobile app or are compatible with the web browser on your mobile device. Please ensure you keep your mobile device updated to the latest OS and web browser versions.
Browser Requirements:
Most teaching software tools are accessible via web browsers. It is recommended that you use the latest versions of one of the following browsers:
Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge.
Adding adblocker extensions to your browser can cause problems. If you need to use these extensions, whitelist websites used by teaching software to avoid issues. Specific details of the URLs you need to whitelist are mentioned in the section covering each tool below.
Internet Recommendations:
- Connection type – Ethernet (wired) connections guarantee the best internet speeds and reliability hence use a wired connection whenever possible. WiFi is the next best option, but you might face problems using WiFi in locations where a lot of people are connected (see Internet Speeds below). It is not recommended to use your mobile network/hotspot for important tasks unless a wifi or wired connection is not available. This is due to a variety of reasons such as data plan limitations, network speed limits and unreliable cell (network) connections.
- Internet speeds – The teaching apps used at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ require minimum download and upload speeds of 3 Mbps (Megabits per second) for each software. In general an internet connection that offers 25 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload speeds is recommended. However, speeds for specific tasks are listed in the table below. If there are other people using your connection, an internet plan higher than the recommended speeds should be chosen because of increased network usage.
Use Case | Upload Speed | Download Speed |
Uploading a video assignment | 3Mps | <0.5Mbps |
Downloading a lecture recording | <0.5Mbps | 3Mps |
Browsing your teaching site | <0.5Mbps | 3Mbps |
Participating in a virtual classroom | 1Mbps | 1Mbps |
How to test your internet speed
To test your internet speed you can use this Telstra website to check the upload and download speeds:
Individual teaching software requirements
Canvas LMS (Online)
Supported OS |
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Device requirements |
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Web browser requirements |
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Internet requirements |
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Canvas Mobile App
Supported OS |
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Internet requirements |
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Cadmus
Supported OS |
Note: Mobiles and tablets are not supported |
Web browser requirements |
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Internet requirements |
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EchoVideo
Supported OS |
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Web browser requirements |
Note: Various ad-blocking and wide-spectrum blocking extensions will interfere with portions of the EchoVideo interface. In particular, issues were found with the following products: AdBlock plus, PrivacyBadger, uBlock Origin, SuperBlock. However, it is suggested that you turn off any blocking extensions for the Echo website. |
Internet requirements | See detailed table below: |
To stream videos (lecture/tutorial recordings etc) using EchoVideo, the following internet speeds would be required based on the type and quality of the video:
CAPTURE COMPONENTS | STANDARD DEFINITION (480P) | HIGH DEFINITION (720P) | HIGHEST DEFINITION (1080P) |
Audio+Video+Video (AVV) | 0.264 Mbps | 1.152 Mbps | 2.304 Mbps |
Audio+Display+Video (ADV) | 0.264 Mbps | 0.720 Mbps | 1.440 Mbps |
Audio+Video (AV) | 0.232 Mbps | 0.576 Mbps | 1.152 Mbps |
Audio+Display+Display (ADD) | 0.164 Mbps | 0.288 Mbps | 0.576 Mbps |
Audio+Display (AD) | N/A | 0.144 Mbps | 0.288 Mbps |
Note: The maximum video resolution supported by EchoVideo is 1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS. Any media larger than this specification will get compressed to 1080p@30fps.
Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (Virtual Room)
Supported OS |
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Web browser requirements |
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Internet requirements | See detailed table below |
Blackboard Collaborate Ultra internet requirements :
Usage scenario | Internet speeds required |
No video, no application/screen sharing | 128 Kbps (Kilobits per second) |
Participant video only | Between 20 to 360 kbps |
Participant audio only | 48 kbps |
Only application/screen sharing | Between 70 to 500 kbps |
Audio + View application/screen sharing | Minimum 88 kbps |
Please note that there is also a small amount of overhead for using chat.
If network conditions falter and cannot sustain the minimum bandwidth needed, cameras and application sharing will be turned off automatically.
- For 1 camera and audio, the trigger will be 68 kbps
- For application sharing and audio, the trigger will be 118 kbps.
When network conditions improve, the camera and application sharing will turn back on automatically.
EchoPoll
Supported OS |
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Web browser requirements |
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Internet requirements |
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Mahara ePortfolio
Supported OS |
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Web browser requirements |
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Internet requirements |
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Respondus LockDown Browser (desktop app only)
Supported OS |
Note: Mobiles and Android tablets are unsupported |
Device memory (RAM) requirements |
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Hard disk space required |
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GoReact
Supported OS |
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Device requirements |
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Web browser requirements |
Note: Please make sure to disable any ad and script blockers (or whitelist www.goreact.com) as these can interfere with GoReact's functionality. |
Internet requirements |
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Assignment file requirements |
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Note: Videos are capped to 360p resolution. Hence, it is recommended to record in Standard Definition (480p/360p) for keeping a low video file size. If a HD camera is used for recording, it will result in a crisper video, but it will still be compressed down to 360p.
Proctorio
Windows | Mac | Linux | ChromeOS | |
Supported OS | Windows 10/11 | MacOS 10.15 or above | Ubuntu 18.04 or above | Chrome 58 or above |
Processor | Intel Pentium or better | Intel or M1 Chip or better | Intel Pentium or better | Intel Pentium or Arm |
Free disk space | 250 MB | |||
Free RAM | 2 GB | |||
Upload speed | 0.092 - 0.189 Mbps | |||
Mic | Any Microphone, either internal or external for all systems | |||
Webcam | 320x240 VGA resolution (minimum) internal or external for all systems |
Leganto (Reading Lists) & Primo (Library catalogue)
Supported OS |
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Web browser requirements |
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Internet requirements |
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Turnitin
Supported OS |
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Web browser requirements |
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Internet requirements |
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