IT Requirements for the Certificate in Terrorism Studies

The Certificate in Terrorism Studies is delivered by on-line e-learning using an internet browser and a reliable connection to the internet.

Participants need to be online whilst studying the course as progress is reported back to our Learning Management System. We also use various software in the background that is usually pre-installed on computers (such as Flash and Java) to deliver the interactivity in the course.

Most participants commence their study without any problems, but occasionally some need to perform simple software updates by following links we will provide in your welcome pack. This software usually updates itself regularly and automatically, although some users may have turned off automatic updates. These updates ensure that your computer has the latest patches and security updates installed.

With the variety of computer types, operating systems and browsers now available, along with a multitude of release versions, we do occasionally have participants who have a few “IT challenges”. If this happens we have a team of specialists who should rapidly be able to solve any problems by email or phone during UK office hours.

What are our IT recommendations for successfully studying the course?

Computer Type:
PC or Mac
Please note the course cannot be viewed on an iPad. Unfortunately the iPad does not support Adobe Flash which is currently used for the e-learning.

Processor:
Recommend 1.33GHz processor or better

Browser:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or above. IE8 and 9 users may need to use the provided browser compatibility button.
• Mozilla Firefox 4.0 and above
• Google Chrome
• Opera 11

RAM:
128MB of RAM and 128MB of graphics memory

Screen Size:
14’’ monitor or larger is recommended to read the e-learning
This course is best viewed in at least 1024 x 768 resolution
 
Internet connection:
Wired: 1MB minimum wired connection is recommended, or higher. The e-learning may work on slower connections, but you will need to be patient as screens load.

Wireless, Local Area (WLAN): known as Wi-Fi and usually limited to a house, office or hotel location. The e-learning will work on a 1Mb minimum connection, but the wireless connection must be reliable and continuous so that our Learning Management System can keep track of your progress.

Wireless, Wide Area (WAN) / mobile broadband: often via a wireless dongle and offering a countrywide service. These can work fine at times, but at other times prevent the e-learning from working as connection strength fluctuates and may disconnect temporarily during use. Some WAN networks regularly disconnect users between transmission/reception which will cause our learning management system to lose track of your progress and result in difficulty in studying the course. We don’t recommend using WAN/mobile broadband to study the course.

Background Software:
Adobe Flash Player for PC or Mac (free software and pre-installed on most computers) – used to display content during the course. Check you have the latest version installed here and/or download the latest version.

Adobe PDF Reader for PC or Mac (free software) – used to display documents for additional reading. Download the latest version here.

Java (free software) – used to run interactivity during the course. Check you have the latest version here.