To take an on-line or web-enhanced course you need a moderately speedy computer and a robust connection to the Internet.

On-line, web-enhanced and web-supplemented courses at GTCC use Blackboard, a web-based teaching tool. Because Blackboard is accessed through your web browser, it can be used on any type of computer. Your browser must be properly configured to use Blackboard

Blackboard works adequately over a dial-up connection, but speedy, always-on Internet connections — such as DSL or cable — are preferred. Time-out issues are occasionally encountered with dial-up connections.

DSL connection is provided by your local telephone provider:

Bell South
North State Communications

Cable modem connection is provided by your Cable TV provider:

Time Warner Cable

If you connect to the Internet through American Online, do not use the AOL browser to access Blackboard.

A word on pop-up blockers.

Most browsers now offer the ability to block pop-up windows, and many users like to advantage of this setting.

However, Blackboard occasionally makes use of pop-up windows, quite appropriately. Frequently, tests in Blackboard appear in pop-up windows.

For this reason, in general we recommend that Blackboard users disable pop-up blocking on their browsers.

However, on many browsers you can block most pop-ups while allowing the use of pop-up windows in Blackboard. For example:

Internet Explorer

In the Tools menu at the top of the browser page, choose Internet Options...
Open the Privacy tab. If you have Block pop-ups checked, click on Settings.
In Exceptions, under Address of web site to allow enter:

nclc.blackboard.com

For more information on pop-ups and Internet Explorer, click on the link to the Pop-up blocker FAQ at the bottom of the Pop-up Blocker Settings window.

Firefox

In the Tools menu at the top of the browser page, choose Options.
Click on Web Features.
If you have Block Popup Windows checked, click on the Allowed Sites button next to it.
Enter the address of the Blackboard site:

nclc.blackboard.com

and click OK. Click OK again to exit the Options... window.

AOL
Do not use the AOL browser when accessing Blackboard. If you connect to the internet through AOL, minimize the AOL browser window and open another browser.

You must enable cookies.

To access Blackboard, you must allow "Cookies" to be accepted by your browser. To enable cookies, follow the instructions below for the browser version you are using.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+

Select Internet Options from the Tools menu.
Click on the Privacy tab.

To allow cookies on all web sites, click the Default button (or slide the bar down to Medium) under Settings.

To allow cookies only certain sites, click the Sites... button and add nclc.blackboard.com
as Allowed.

Click OK.

Mozilla Firefox (1.0 final release and earlier)

Go to the Tools menu.
Select Options.
Select the Privacy icon in the left panel.
Check the box corresponding to Allow sites to set cookies.
Click OK to save changes.

Netscape 7.1/Mozilla 5.0

Select Preferences from the Edit menu.
Click on the arrow next to Privacy & Security in the scrolling window to expand.
Under Privacy & Security, select Cookies.
Select Enable all cookies.
Click OK.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x

Select Internet Options from the Tools menu.
Click on the Security tab.
Click the Custom Level button.
Scroll down to the Cookies section.
Set Allow cookies that are stored on your computer to Enable.
Set Allow per-session cookies to Enable.
Click OK.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x

Select Internet Options from the View menu.
Click on the Advanced tab.
Scroll down to find Cookies within the Security section.
Select Always accept cookies.
Click OK.

Netscape Communicator 4.x

Select Preferences from the Edit menu.
Find the Cookies section in the Advanced category.
Select Accept all cookies (or Enable all cookies).
Click OK.

Please see our page on browsers for more information.