Contents

• Introduction
• Hardware
• Software

Introduction

NTU’s new external degree program commences in semester 2 2003, and is delivered entirely in electronic form using the Internet and related "state-of-the-art" technologies.

To undertake and complete the external Law degree program successfully, you'll need to have (or develop) reasonable proficiency in the basics of computer use, especially the Internet. You'll find below a list of the computer hardware and software resources you'll need to have on your home or office PC.   It might look a little intimidating at first, but don't panic:

• Almost all the software you'll need is available for download free of charge, and we provide hyperlinks below to take you to the download sites.  In all cases the installation procedures are very simple.
• Most PCs purchased in the last 3 - 4 years should have the necessary hardware capabilities.  If you're not sure, ask a technically-minded friend or work colleague.  If any of your computer components need upgrading, you'll probably find that this can be done fairly cheaply by any reputable computer store.
• Short courses in basic computer use are available in most cities and regional centres. Alternatively, there are numerous fairly simple "Do-It-Yourself" books available from most bookshops.
• Finally, if you’re unsure of any of the terminology used here, or if you need help installing or mastering the software, you can contact NTU law lecturer Ken Parish by telephone or email. Ken is available for telephone consultation between 9 am and 12 noon on any Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Ken’s telephone contact number is (08) 89466842. His email contact is ken.parish@cdu.edu.au or kparish@bigpond.net.au .

In order to enrol in the external law degree program and participate effectively in tuition, you will need to have ready access to the following hardware and software facilities and resources:

Hardware

• A "multimedia"-enabled PC. That means a PC with a functioning soundcard and speakers.
• A headset microphone (can be purchased at Dick Smith, Tandy Electronics, Harvey Norman and similar stores for between $30 and $40).
• Desirably, your PC should have a reasonably recent Pentium or equivalent processor (no more than 3 or 4 years old).  A fairly recent Apple machine should also be okay.  A reliable Internet connection (see below) is actually more important than a powerful processor.
• A reliable Internet connection, with at least a 56K dialup modem. Note that an ADSL or cable broadband connection is much faster and preferable, and may be affordable for some students (cost is from around $50-60 per month depending on the Internet Service Provider). However, broadband connections may not be available in all areas, and may be too expensive for some students. A 56K dialup modem connection will be sufficient to allow you to access all teaching resources and facilities.
• A CD ROM player. Some interactive teaching materials will be delivered to you by mail on CD, so you need to be able to play the CD on your computer.

Software

• Operating system - Your PC should have at least a Windows 98 operating system (Windows XP, Me or 2000 are preferable). Windows 95 or earlier operating systems do not have the capacity to cope with several of the technologies you will be using, so if you have an older operating system you will need to upgrade it.
• Audio/video player - You will need to have the Apple Quicktime Player installed on your PC. It allows you to access audio and video files in "real time" on the Internet, even with an ordinary 56K dialup modem. Quicktime Player is available as a free download from Apple.  Click here to go to the Apple Quicktime Player download page. Make sure you download the version of Apple Quicktime Player that is appropriate for your PC’s operating system
• Browser - You will need to have reasonably up-to-date browser software on your PC. We strongly recommend you download and install the latest version of Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer (version 6). Click here to go to the Internet Explorer download page.
• Email - You will need to have an email program (e.g. Microsoft Outlook Express, which comes free with most Microsoft products), or open a Hotmail account. MSN Hotmail is a web-based email service, so you can access and send emails from any PC (e.g. an Internet café), not just your own PC. Click here to go to NineMSN and then click the Hotmail tab and open a free account. (NB NTU offers you a free email address, but you need to have your own email program like Outlook Express to be able to use it).
• "Voice-chat" - Note that earlier versions of this page directed students to download a proprietary "voice-chat" software "plug-in" called Paltalk. That is now unnecessary, because we've decided to use a different and much superior system instead, that doesn't require you to download any software or "plug-in" at all.   If you've already downloaded Paltalk, we suggest you now delete it from your PC. Once you're enrolled, you'll automatically have access to the NTU Learnline website (by using your student ID number as your user name and access password). You'll find a hyperlink to the Law School E-Tutorial Room prominently displayed on the front page of the Learnline sites for all subjects you study. When you first click on the hyperlink to the Law School E-Tutorial Room, all necessary software will automatically be installed on your PC.  You will then be asked to register your voice tutorial user name, which will be displayed when you enter the E-Tutorial Room from that time on.  You should register under your real name (e.g. Jane Smith) and not just your first name or a nickname.  That is because your tutors and lecturers need to know who you are: tutorial attendance is compulsory and assessable in some subjects.   DO NOT register your student ID number as your voice tutorial user name.

The voice chat system we're now using (called Voice Cafe) automatically checks your PC and installs any operating system updates that are necessary to make the Voice Cafe system work properly.  We're assured that this should work smoothly and automatically in the vast majority of cases.  However, if you have a problem and the voicechat software just refuses to install itself and function properly, try the following:

• If you have a PC that uses some version of Microsoft Windows (which is the case with the vast majority of home computers), go to the Windows Updates page and click on the "scan for updates" hyperlink.  This will check your PC's hard drive and tell you what updates need to be downloaded and installed to bring your system up to date.  It will then guide you through the download and installation process.  After you've done this, go back into Learnline and try clicking on the E-Tutorial Room hyperlink again. 
• If it still doesn't work, make a careful note of the precise words of the error message shown on your screen and phone or email Ken Parish for help (he may then have to contact Voice Cafe).  Ken’s telephone contact number is (08) 89466842. His email contact is ken.parish@cdu.edu.au or kparish@bigpond.net.au.

• Word processing - You will need to have a reasonably sophisticated word processor program on your PC. We strongly recommend that you use a recent version of Microsoft Word, to avoid compatibility problems when lecturers open documents you’ve created (e.g. essays and other assignments).
• Acrobat Reader - Finally, you should download and install the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Again it is free. Many of the supplementary readings you will be required to be familiar with are loaded on the Web in Adobe Acrobat format, because it allows documents to be printed just like the original irrespective of the PC or printer you’re using. Click here to download Acrobat Reader.