Northern Michigan University is a tech-savvy institution. In fact, NMU is one of the largest notebook computer campuses in the world with nearly 10,000 Lenovo ThinkPad and Apple MacBooks on campus. The university has been recognized nationally and internationally for its technology program, and has been lauded as one of the most wired and wireless campus in the nation.
Most of you already have your own computer or access to a computer, but if you don’t and you want to pursue online learning, you can participate in Northern’s Teaching, Learning and Communication program and receive a notebook computer for a per-semester fee. To learn more, go to the TLC opt-in Web page.
Students using technology for learning purposes is a way of life at Northern. Still, it is hard to predict some of the uncontrollable technology factors for off-campus students when computer types, network connections, connection speed, Internet browsers, and hardware and software all differ. We have an award-winning technology unit in Academic Computing Services, which includes the NMU HelpDesk and MicroRepair. They want to help you make the technology you have work for a successful online learning experience. If you have technical difficulties, they want you to ask for help.
By necessity, the university makes some basic assumptions about online students. The first is that your computer has capabilities that are close to what the current on-campus ThinkPad and MacBooks have, both from a hardware and software perspective. Northern is assuming you have enough experience with technology that an online course makes sense for you. We strongly encourage you to take the NMU online aptitude quiz to self-evaluate if online learning is for you.
You can connect with the NMU network for your online courses in a number of ways: dial-in, broadband, wireless, etc. Some methods of transmission are better suited for online learning than others. You should evaluate your connection and Internet browser options to determine if they are compatible with the online learning experience.
