student handbook

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

To get the most out of your studies with us, you’ll need consistent access to a computer and the internet – think several times a week, minimum! Trying to study online without these will likely make things pretty tough.


We get it, jumping into a new online system can have a learning curve, even if you’re a tech whiz. So, here’s a quick heads-up on what you’ll need to rock our online Learning Centre.

You'll need a decent internet connection to get the most out of our courses. Think smooth streaming for interactive presentations and videos, plus easy uploading and downloading of your assignments.

Good news is, if you're on the NBN or ADSL, you should be all set. If you're in a more remote area using satellite internet, just keep in mind that speeds can sometimes fluctuate, and your current plan might need a boost to handle everything comfortably. A simple test? If you can watch YouTube videos without constant buffering, you're probably good to go!

A desktop or laptop computer is recommended for preparing your written assessments. It doesn't need to be powerful, you just need to be able to create and edit documents on it.

While you can browse our Learning Centre on mobile devices, full functionality is best experienced on a computer still.

For your video tasks, a recording device is necessary. Don't worry, though – your smartphone (like an iPhone, Android or similar) is usually all you'll need to capture those.

We use a cool online system called Moodle, but we like to call it your "Learning Centre".

You'll find the Learning Centre pretty user-friendly, and it plays nicely with most devices. However, for the smoothest experience, we highly recommend using a standard laptop or desktop computer with one of these web browsers:-

  • Google Chrome (our recommendation)
  • Firefox
  • Apple's Safari

Just a heads-up: Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge can sometimes cause things to look a bit wonky on our site (and lots of others, actually!). If you're using either of those and something seems off, especially when uploading documents, switching to Chrome, Firefox, or Safari will likely solve the problem. Unfortunately, we can't provide tech support for Internet Explorer or Edge.

If you're checking out the Learning Centre on a phone or tablet and run into issues, please try the same thing on a laptop or desktop first before reaching out. Our Student Assist team offers limited mobile support because there are just so many different devices and setups out there!

For many of your assessments, you'll be typing away in a word processor like Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, or Open Office – or even directly in Google Docs, which is part of the Google Workspace for Education we provide access to!

When it's time to submit your brilliant work, you'll need to save it as a PDF. Most recent versions of Word, Pages, and Open Office have a built-in "Save As PDF" option, which is super handy. If you're using Google Docs, you can easily download your file as a PDF too. If your software doesn't have a direct PDF option, no worries! A quick Google search for "free PDF converter" will bring up tons of easy-to-use online tools. Please keep in mind that most assessments have a file size limit of 2MB for uploads.

Pro Tip for Pictures (Keeping it Under 2MB!): If you're adding images to your document, they can sometimes make your file huge and tricky to upload (remember that 2MB limit!). Before you convert to PDF, make sure to "compress images" within your word processor or Google Docs. Just resizing them on the page won't actually shrink the file size. If you're not sure how to do this, Google "compress images [your software name or Google Docs]" for step-by-step instructions.

Finally, you'll also need to be able to open PDF files to see our feedback and lots of other important stuff. Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free and widely available program that works on pretty much any device.

Lights, Camera, Learning! (Videos): You'll find lots of helpful videos and recorded presentations in our online course areas. If YouTube works on your computer, then you're all set to watch ours too!

Sound Check (Audio): Some assessments will involve listening to sound files. Don't worry, they're all in MP3 format, which is super common, so any computer or device you're using should play them without a hitch.

A Little Tech Tip: Sometimes, your computer might ask you to "enable a plugin" for certain things to work properly – go ahead and do that! You might also need to tweak your internet browser's security settings occasionally. If something isn't loading or playing as expected, these are good things to check.

Tech Gremlins? Try This First! Sometimes, things online just decide to act a little wonky – it happens to the best of us (and our computers!). Before you call for backup, try these super simple steps:

  1. The Refreshment Ritual: Log out of the Learning Centre. Step away, grab a cuppa (tea, coffee, or something that makes you smile!), and take a breather. You might be surprised what a fresh perspective can do.
  2. Digital Declutter: Clear out your browser's history and temporary (cached) images and files. Think of it as giving your computer a little spring clean.
  3. Cache Cleanse: Delete your browser's cache including cookies and other site data. This is where your computer stores temporary website data, and sometimes it gets a bit clogged.
  4. The Grand Re-Entry: Log back into the Learning Centre and try what you were doing again. Often, that's all it takes!

Google ‘clear cache’ and your browser name for instructions if you are unsure how to complete this.

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