Skip to Main ContentOpen Alternative Formats of This Page
Dallas College
Skip to Main Content Open Alternative Formats of This Page

Technology Requirements

After Reading This Page, Do the Following:

  • Ensure you have the appropriate technology (10 minutes)
  • Review the required technical skills to see if you are ready (5 minutes)

Technology Requirements

At Dallas College, whether you are an on-campus or online student, you need to use current technology to complete your class work. If you don’t own a computer, computer access is available at a Dallas College campus or public library. Each campus has available computer labs and Wi-Fi.

For classes at Dallas College, you will need access to the following technology.

Recommended devices:

  • A Windows desktop or laptop computer running the operating system Windows 10 or later
  • An Apple desktop or laptop computer running the operating system OS X 10.8 or later

A Chromebook, Linux computer, tablet, or smartphone may be used for some class activities, such as meeting online or watching a video, but will not work for other activities, such as taking a test. If you plan to use one of these devices to participate in your online class work, please make sure you also have alternate access to a desktop or laptop computer if you are unable to complete an activity without one.

Internet access is essential because you might need to go online regularly to view class content, contact your instructor, complete online activities (if assigned), and check your grades. Even for on-campus classes, many instructors require assignments and class work to be completed in eCampus.

eCampus uses a web browser to access learning materials and activities. Suitable browsers are listed below. Ensure you have the most recent version of the browser:

See a list of eCampus supported browsers.

You may need to listen to audio/video content and/or talk in online discussions. Many devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets have a microphone and speakers built in. (Some devices also have built-in cameras as well.) You may also choose to use a headset that provides headphones (for listening) and a microphone (for speaking).

Use your Dallas College student email via Microsoft Outlook to communicate with other students, instructors, staff, or anyone with an email address. It's free for students. Once you're registered for classes, you can log in with your Dallas College username and password and start using your Dallas College student email right away.

Access your Dallas College student email from these places:

Make sure your email information is up to date in eConnect and check your email daily for notifications from your instructor or Dallas College. You should also check your spam/junk folder regularly to make sure course emails are not ending up there by accident.

You will likely need to submit documents as digital text files. All Dallas College students can use Microsoft Office 365 for free, including Microsoft Word on the web. You can log into your personalized Dallas College Virtual Desktop at dallascollege.edu/virtualdesktop to access Office Apps. If you prefer to use another program, it must be able to save your work as a .docx or .doc file. (For example: Download Google Docs as .docx files.)

You will likely need to view PDFs, Word documents and PowerPoint files provided by your instructor. If needed, use the links below to access free tools that will allow you to view these file types.

Required Technical Skills

You will need the following basic technical skills for most classes. Each item in the list also has a link that will take you to training materials, if needed.

Note: All Dallas College students can use use Microsoft Office 365 for free, including Microsoft Word on the web.

 

Where Do I Get Help?

Student Technical Support

Have questions or concerns about your technology? The Student Technical Support staff is available 24/7 to assist you.

Tutoring, Libraries and Learner Support

View the Learning Support page for more information about the Dallas College libraries, tutoring services, and other learning resources available to you.