ETL Program Technical Requirements
By its very nature, the relative flexibility of distance education especially appeals to busy working professionals living in urban and suburban settings, but it also holds a strong attraction for those who do not have ready access to a traditional campus.
Having created one of the first online graduate programs launched in the United States, the experienced ETL Program faculty and staff know that meaningful substance, rather than fad-driven style, should lead the way in delivering a high-quality graduate education experience "at a distance." To that end, our course materials and delivery methods are designed to be inclusive of as many people who are in need of advanced training in educational technology as possible.
For example, unlike many programs delivered online, one need not necessarily have access to a high-speed Internet connection in order to participate fully in our classes. Although most students will certainly find it more convenient to have a high-speed Internet connection, our program provides practical "work arounds" in those cases where a student happens to live in a remote area. Perhaps that explains why our student population typically includes students who are active-duty military personnel, Americans living overseas, and citizens of other countries who appreciate the benefits of a degree from The George Washington University. These students comfortably join the many educators and other working professionals living throughout the U.S. who make up our student body.
Because of the inclusive nature of the ETL Masters Degree and Graduate Certificate Programs, our technical requirements are few--but there are some easily-met hardware, software, and computer literacy minimums. They include:
Hardware:
Regular and reliable access to a personal computer. Computers manufactured within 1-2 years of the time that a student joins our program should last them throughout their tenure with us. Those computers should ideally have an operating system at least as new as Windows 8 (Windows machines) and OS 10 (Mac machines).
Internet Access:
Regular and reliable access to the Internet. The latest version of Google Chrome or Firefox is the recommended Web Browser for Windows machines, and the latest version of Safari is recommended for Mac machines. High-speed access is more convenient than something slower, but it is not mandatory. A student who truly wants to learn will find that we will reach out to help them achieve their goals.
Software:
Adobe Acrobat software, or any other software that will allow the student to convert files into PDF (not just read PDF documents), is currently required for all ETL courses. Word processing software will also be necessary for most classes. A few elective courses may have additional software requirements. (See the section on Adobe Acrobat.)
Office 365--a suite of applications--also allows files to be saved in PDF format. Please see the Technology Resources page for more information.
Computer Literacy:
The ETL Program expects all incoming students to have already learned basic computer literacy skills. These include the ability to use the Internet, the ability to install software, the ability to perform basic tasks using word processing software, and the ability to resolve basic computers problems (perhaps with the assistance of ETL Program technical support).
