As an online course, participation in this section of Interpreting Educational Research will require intensive use of technology. To get the most out of this course, you will need a relatively modern computer with video conferencing capabilities (i.e. video and audio enabled), access to a reliable high-speed Internet connection, and have more than basic familiarity with software programs such as a word processor (e.g. MS word) and a browser (Firefox recommended). With this particular section of Interpreting Educational Research, asynchronous sessions will be facilitated using Google Communities.

In getting your computer ready for the course, you will need:       

• g-mail and Google+ (https://accounts.google.com/SignUp)         
  Not all BU faculty members use the same medium for teaching online courses.  Some BU instructors use Moodle but, personally, I find Moodle cumbersome.  So for this section, I have decided to use a Google+ community.  As a result, if you are going to register for this section of the course, you will need to 1) sign up for a Google gmail account (https://accounts.google.com/SignUp) and then 2) subscribe to Google+.  The Google+ membership is needed to access the main communication forum that will be used in this course, notably…
  Google Communities–a free Gmail feature that comes free with Google+.
  GoogleDrive–also included as part of your for your free Google e-mail account. This is a great way to do collaboratively written work. Would you believe that two people can edit the same document at the same time?
  Wondering how to join Google+?  Follow the instruction on this website:
  http://digitalunite.com/guides/social-networking-blogs/google-plus/how-join-google-plus

To help minimize computer glitches, please tune up your computer by uploading current versions of the software you will be using for this course. Specifically:

• Firefox (https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/) or other web browser
  Not all browsers are equally trouble-free! The helpdesk at BU recommends you use Firefox  (https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/). Whichever browser you use, you should upgrade to the latest version that is compatible with your computer.
• Word Processing
  While I don’t like to endorse for-profit software packages, the Microsoft office suite has become the de facto standard. Therefore in terms of submitting assignments, you will need to submit word-processed documents in .DOC or .DOCX format. So if you choose to use an alternate word processor, you will need to learn how to convert the documents into RTF, PDF, DOC, or .DOCX format.
• QuickTime (http://www.apple.com/QuickTime/download/)
  You likely have this on your computer already, but you should really updated to the latest version.
• Adobe Flash Player (http://get.Adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/)
  Likewise, you probable have this on your computer already and should also update this to the latest version.
• Skype  (http://www.Skype.com/)
  While synchronous class sessions will be held using Google Hangouts, you will be doing assignments in groups of two or three. To this end I suggest that a Skype account may prove very useful.
• Or be brave and try Google Hangouts  ! ! ! 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ! ! Earbuds or a headphone

When you are doing conference calls, audio feedback can be a real problem.  Earbuds or a headphone set is highly recommended.  Over the past few years, laptops have become the main computer for lots of people.  Some laptops, however, have a design flaw that creates a significant problem when doing audio conferencing.  On some computers, upward facing speakers in the base of the computer direct sound upward toward the mic at the top of the screen.  This causes an audio feedback loop that significantly detracts from a satisfying and effective learning environment.  Using earbuds or a headset instead of using the computers speakers will ensure that you are not the guilty party causing an audio feedback loop.

image credit:Disney earbuds
http://disney.go.com/create/art/2gs11k6UkAVv00001004wA40-h-cea98a