Blackboard Technical Requirements

MINIMUM TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS FOR DISTANCE LEARNING

When participating in distance education courses, it is vital to consider the technology needed in order to have a successful course experience. 

To access classes and complete coursework using the core features of Blackboard Learn, your system must meet these minimums.  However, additional hardware specifications, software, or browser plug-ins may be required to complete course work as assigned by some instructors or programs.  It is the student's responsibility to check with instructors/programs for special technology requirements.

Operating System Requirements 

Operating System: Windows 10 or newer; Mac OS 10.14 Mojave or newer 

  • Processor: 1 GHz or faster 
  • RAM: 4 GB or higher 
  • 20 GB of available hard-drive space 
  • Screen resolution: 1280x1024 or higher 
  • Internet connection: Download speed of at least 1.5 Mbps, 750 kbps upload 
  • Webcam, microphone, and speakers 
  • If you are using a satellite internet provider, you may experience timeouts, IP address issues, session problems, or course mail issues caused by latency. Please try to use a different provider when accessing Blackboard Learn. 

NOTE: Chromebooks operate with the Chrome OS, which is not supported by Blackboard Learn, although you may experience success with some features.  Please do not plan to rely solely on a Chromebook for your course work; you must ensure access to a device running a full-featured operating system within the supported versions noted above. 

NOTE: Although you can perform many tasks in Blackboard Learn on a mobile device (iPad, iPhone, Android tablet or phone), either through a mobile browser, or the Blackboard mobile application, not all of Learn's features support a mobile format.  As such, you cannot rely solely on a mobile device to fully complete course work and must ensure access to a device running a full-featured operating system within the supported versions noted above. 

Recommended Browsers and Software

For best performance, use Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. 

We do not recommend using Apple Safari or Microsoft Edge. Microsoft Internet Explorer is no longer a supported browser. 

Browser Settings 

  • Enable third-party cookies 
  • Enable Javascript 
  • Disable pop-up blocker 

Additionally, you may need to download these software applications if needed.

Please note that Blackboard Learn does not support Google Docs, OpenOffice, or Apple's versions of the Office apps, such as Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. 
Last Modified: 8/4/23