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Distance Education
Your Online Classroom Access:    Vista          

Computer Equipment and Skills
For Online Learning at Bellevue College

You will encounter technical barriers to learning if you do not have the following minimum equipment and skills:

  1. You must have reliable access to a computer that you can use for extended and uninterrupted periods of time most days of the week.
  2. Your computer operating system and your Web browser must be on the list of those supported by Blackboard.  To find out if your hardware system and its software is supported, go to our How To Start Blackboard Vista page and click on the "Check Browser" link. Follow Blackboard's recommendations to correct any items marked with a red X. Read all the way to the bottom of the browser-check page and follow the links. The current version of Blackboard Vista at Bellevue College is Blackboard Vista 8. (Note that Microsoft's Windows current operating system is also known as "Vista". We will always distinguish between Blackboard Vista and Microsoft Windows Vista.)
  3. A broadband connection is highly recommended to ensure optimum access to all classroom functions.
  4. You must be proficient in navigating the World Wide Web (the Web) and able to download and install plug-ins.
  5. An online course requires accessing the Web on a regular basis. You need a reliable internet service provider (ISP).
  6. If you intend to access your online classes from behind a firewall, either at home or from your corporate office, you or your network administrator may have to assign permissions in order for you to log into Blackboard Vista.
  7. Microsoft Word is the supported word processor at Bellevue College. You must have the ability to read and write Microsoft Word files. Microsoft Works is not supported. For Apple Macintosh users, Office for Mac 2008 is recommended.
  8. You must have the ability to install and troubleshoot course-specific applications that some courses require. Faculty cannot help with installations and problems that occur when installations do not work.
  9. If you run into trouble accessing Bellevue College or Blackboard Vista, try our troubleshooting page.
  10. For additional information, please review the Blackboard Vista 8.1 Browser Help Guide.

 More Questions?

You can call us at 425-564-2438 (toll free 1-877-641-2712), or come to Room A140 on the Bellevue College campus. Of course, you can always e-mail us too!

But remember that, whether you call us or e-mail us, for us to help, you must provide the following information:

  • your registered name,
  • your telephone number,
  • your BC student ID number,
  • your Vista password,
  • the course name and number,
  • the instructor's name,
  • and a detailed account of the problem(s) you are encountering.

Please jot down all that information and have it handy when you call. (Fill in the answers to those questions if you e-mail us.)