Technology Resources
Please contact Rosemary White if a member of your family has concerns about their ability to participate in remote learning and/or online community events due to limited or unreliable access to the internet or a computer.
- Blackboard for specific course information
- Zoom for video conferences
- Zoom Tips and Tricks for BUA Students
- Teachers will create links to meetings for students to join, but students can also create video conferences for group work via Zoom and Google Meet
- To test your computer’s internet connection bandwidth, you can use SpeedTest. Minimum recommended connectivity for Zoom is 1.5Mbps/1.5Mbps (up/down). Check here for other Zoom system requirements.
- BU’s Learning Remotely Guide
- Google Docs and Google Sheets for sharing documents and group work. You have access to unlimited Google Drive storage space with your BU account.
- Scanning documents with your phone: Take a picture with your phone camera or use an app such as Office Lens, CamScanner, Dropbox app, FineScanner, or Scannable
- You can easily access many BU Libraries resources online with just your BU username and password. For help with accessing library resources, please visit askalibrarian.bu.edu.
- Students do not need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access any of the learning management systems, including Blackboard, that are commonly used across BU.
- As usual, students experiencing IT issues should email ithelp@bu.edu
Free Access to eTextbooks
The BU Bookstore Barnes & Noble has made an arrangement to provide free access to eTextbooks through VitalSource. More information is listed below and a link to VitalSource is available on the B&N website.
How do students access VitalSource Helps content?
For students accessing Bookshelf for the first time:
For students with existing Bookshelf accounts linked to their institution-provided email address:
How long is the VitalSource Helps program available?
How many titles may be accessed for free as part of the VitalSource Helps ebook program?
What type of content is available as part of the VitalSource Helps ebook program?