Technical Requirements

Students interested in taking this course are strongly advised to step through the following process and test functionality of all computers used to access the course.

STEP 1. Check Your Browser
Before you purchase a course, check to see if your computer is properly configured to use the Blackboard Learning System. To do this, visit http://webcourses.ons.org and click on the "Check Browser" link, located in the top right corner. If your computer does not have the required settings, please contact your IT department or Internet Service Provider (ISP).

STEP 2. Components and Plug-ins
Many ONS Webcourses take advantage of technologies that require the use of downloadable components and plug-ins. It is recommended that you have the latest version of the following components installed on every computer you will use to access your course. Installation of these components may require assistance from the IT department at your place of business.

Adobe Flash Player
Adobe Reader

STEP 3. Enable Pop-up Windows
ONS Webcourses take advantage of pop-up windows as a powerful way to deliver content in an organized fashion. You must have pop-up windows enabled or certain parts of your course will not function properly. Live Chats that students must participate in for certain courses or quizzes students must take for completion must have pop-up windows enabled in order for the features to work properly.

If you have any questions about enabling pop-ups for the purposes of using ONS Webcourses, please contact your IT department or Internet Service Provider (ISP).

STEP 4. Try the Free Practice Course
After completing the first three steps above, please test your computer by logging in to ONS Webcourses to take a free practice course. This is especially helpful if you are new to taking ONS Webcourses courses. The free course includes a chat, discussion area and a quiz that will allow you to practice accessing and using these features.

To access this course, Visit http://webcourses.ons.org and select Log In. Use the following User name and Password:

User name: freecourse
Password: freecourse

If you experience problems logging in to ONS Webcourses, you may have an issue with the Windows Firewall settings on your computer. If you experience this issue, please contact the IT department at your institution.

If you encounter any issues while performing the steps above, please contact your IT department or Internet Service Provider (ISP).

ONS Technical Support is available Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM Eastern Time. Inquiries received during these hours will be addressed within 4 business hours.