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Technological skills needed to take online courses

Technology accounts and skills you should obtain before taking an online course.

The accounts you need

  • CUNYfirst (click the link to activate your CUNYfirst account)
  • Blackboard - a learning management system used in CUNY where you can access your course materials if your professors use it. You need your CUNYfirst account to logon to Blackboard: go to York College website > "Current Students" > Blackboard (under "Online Services")
  • York Email - you will receive all communications related to your courses and other academic matters through this email. (What is my York Email?)
  • York network account. This account enables you to access the College computing resources such as using computers in computer labs and library, accessing WiFi on campus, printing from campus computers, logging in to the College network from home via VPN. To activate your York network account, contact the IT help desk by emailing them at helpdesk@york.cuny.edu
  • Other digital systems or applications required by your course instructor. See the course syllabus for detailed description.

Software applications

  • MS-Word, Excel, or PowerPoint depending on your course(s)
  • Office 365 which includes online Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other MS applications
  • Web browsers and the skills to use the internet to search and evaluate information
  • Other applications required by your course instructor

You can find all video tutorials on how to use any of the software applications on LinkedIn Learning. York has the subscription for all students, faculty and staff.

Self-paced tutorials on how to use various technology platforms and applications

Complete a self-paced learning module "Be Ready for Blackboard"

Log in to Blackboard. Go to the "York Training" tab, you will find the instructions on how to self-enroll in a course called "Be Ready for Blackboard." Upon successful completion of this short course, you will obtain a certificate.

Online/Hybrid Course Information

Blackboard for Students main page

Center for Teaching, Learning and Educational Technologies (CTLET) home page