Technology Services

At The Ohio State University College of Nursing, we utilize the best technology we can to accommodate students of all learning types. From our lecture capture software, our Beacon resource site, and with helping students support their everyday technology learning needs, we aim to support our students in the best way we can.

The following services are provided by the College of Nursing, the university, or the Office of Technology and Digital Innovation (OTDI) for students of the college. While not all technologies or resources will be needed for every course taken, it is important that students familiarize themselves with the technologies that they may encounter throughout their programs and become aware of how to access technical support and documentation.

Getting Connected

Along with the hardware and software the college provides, students are expected to maintain both their College of Nursing and Carmen/University accounts and passwords to access these services. All College of Nursing users use their Ohio State username (name.#) and Ohio State password to logon to CON systems.

College of Nursing Password

Your College of Nursing password is the same password you use to login to Ohio State systems such as Carmen. These credentials are used to access College of Nursing (OSUCON) services such as access to computers, remote access server, video server, lecture capture system, and Beacon.

  • If you have forgotten your OSUCON and Carmen/University password, please go to my.osu.edu to reset it.
  • For assistance with your College of Nursing account or any College of Nursing service, please email con-s-help@osu.edu. For assistance with your Ohio State username and password, please contact 614-688-HELP.
Computer and Headset Recommendations

These recommendations cover computer hardware and software that you will need to participate in courses and view course materials. It also describes the minimum technical skills that you need to participate successfully in your nursing courses. The College of Nursing uses both Windows and Apple (Mac) computers. Chromebooks are not recommended because they can’t support some of the software you may need to use during your time here. Otherwise, students may use whichever system they are more comfortable with. Students should prepare their computer in advance to handle a variety of media and document formats. The required software is listed below. The recommended systems, devices and software are intended to meet your needs throughout your time in the program. If you have any questions about the recommendations in this document or if you need technical support, please contact con-s-help@osu.edu. If you are on campus, you can visit us in 260 Newton Hall.

Windows Computers
  • Operating system
    • Recommended: Windows 10 or 11
    • Minimum: Windows 10
  • Processor
    • Recommended: Intel i5/AMD Ryzen 5 or higher
    • Minimum: Intel i3/AMD Ryzen 3
  • Memory
    • Recommended: 8 GB or more
    • Minimum: 4 GB
  • Available storage
    • Recommended: 256 GB or higher solid state drive (SSD)
    • Minimum: 128 GB SSD
  • Connection speed
    • Recommended: 25 Mbps or faster
    • Minimum: 6 Mbps
  • Software
    • Microsoft Office 365*
  • Web browser
    • Current Microsoft Edge, Chrome or Firefox
  • Media players
    • VLC Media Player
  • Virus scan
    • Microsoft Security Essentials or Windows Defender
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Zoom client for meetings
Apple (Mac) Computers
  • Operating system
    • Recommended: MacOS 12 or later
    • Minimum: MacOS 10.15
  • Processor
  • Memory
    • Recommended: 8 GB or more
    • Minimum: 4 GB
  • Available storage
    • Recommended: 256 GB or higher solid state drive (SSD)
    • Minimum: 128 GB SSD
  • Connection speed
    • Recommended: 25 Mbps or faster
    • Minimum: 6 Mbps
  • Software
    • Microsoft Office 365*
  • Web browser
    • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Current Safari, Chrome or Firefox
  • Media players
    • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​QuickTime or VLC Media Player
  • Virus scan
    • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​AVG or Avast (both offer free versions for Mac users)
  • PDF reader
  • Zoom client for meetings

*Microsoft Office 365 is free for students. See go.osu.edu/office for more information.

Headsets

For headsets, we suggest one with USB connectivity that has both headphones and a built-in microphone. Popular brands include Logitech, Microsoft and Plantronics, and they are often on sale for around $20-40 at stores like Target, Walmart, Staples and Micro Center.

Minimum technical skills for success in the program

Recommended technology skills include the following internet and computer competencies:

  • Ability to use a web browser such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox
  • Knowledge of search engines and how to search efficiently
  • Ability to download and view files in PDF format
  • Competence with using email and protecting against viruses
  • Competence with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
  • Competence with Ohio State's CarmenCanvas and CarmenZoom platforms. If you need basic instruction and troubleshooting assistance, please refer to the Teaching and Learning Resource Center.
University/Carmen Password

You have been issued an Ohio State username (lastname.#) from the university. This will allow you access to University resources such as the library, Carmen, OTDI Software, Ohio State campus WiFi, and Buckeyelink as well as College of Nursing resources such as Beacon, video streaming server, Panopto, and Remote desktop server.

  • To find, activate, or reset your University credentials please go to my.osu.edu
  • For problems, issues, or concerns with your University credentials, please contact 614-688-HELP.

College of Nursing Resources for Students

The following resources are provided by the College of Nursing to currently admitted and enrolled students in College of Nursing degree programs (BSN, RN to BSN, MS, DNP, PhD). Many of the resources below are provided in part due to the College of Nursing Technology Fee and the College of Nursing Distance Learning Fee, which are funds that are dedicated to serving the needs of students enrolled at the College.

Beacon

Beacon is the College of Nursing student portal. It contains documents from Student Affairs regarding policies and procedures, in-depth help, and links to College, University, and course resources.

Panopto Lecture Capture

Panopto is used for lecture capture and pre-recorded content in a large number of Nursing courses and at all levels.

CarmenZoom

Some synchronous online courses and meetings also utilize Zoom (CarmenZoom), a unified cloud video conferencing tool. If your course is utilizing these tools, the links to your Zoom rooms will be posted in your Carmen courses. Visit the CarmenZoom website to get started.

Remote Access Server

The remote access server provides students with access to a variety of software applications and to their College of Nursing network storage. Some students will also use Remote Access to access and share data for research projects.

Printing

The College of Nursing Tech Fee allows us to provide student with 800 pages/per semester as a print quota.

  • To use, just login to the College of Nursing printing website. Your quota is tracked automatically.
  • This is available in the College of Nursing only and does not extend to University/OTDI computer labs.
Library Information

The Health Sciences Library (HSL) is your best source of information for coursework and research in Nursing and the health sciences. Please visit their website at hsl.osu.edu.

  • The HSL has a librarian that works with Nursing students and faculty. To find out more about this service, please visit the HSL Nursing page.
RefWorks

RefWorks is a reference management and bibliography generating application provided by the library and installed in the Newton Hall computer lab. It can also be downloaded for use on personal computers or used via the RefWorks web interface.

APA 6 Tutorial

APA 6 will be utilized for your Nursing courses. View the APA 6 guide on the Ohio State Libraries website.

University Technology Support Services

These services are provided to all students at the University as part of your general university tuition and fees.

Carmen

Carmen is the University’s learning management system for for-credit coursework. It is a service provided by the University and is utilized across campus. The College of Nursing utilizes Carmen to a great extent, so it is important that you use the information below to become familiar with the system.

OTDI Service Desk

Contact for any issues involving Carmen, your name.# username and password, or student email account.

OTDI Site Licensed Software

OTDI offers a variety of public domain, bulk purchase, and site-licensed software to members of the Ohio State community. Software acquired on a site license is limited to distribution by the OTDI.

OSU Wireless (eduroam)

Is available in many areas of campus, including Newton Hall. To learn how to connect or check to see if a building has access, please visit wireless.osu.edu.

BuckeyeBar

The BuckeyeBar offers face-to-face technology consultation and service to current faculty, staff, and students of The Ohio State University. If you need to ask someone what computer to buy, how to get an internet connection, or how best to take advantage of Ohio State IT resources, they will be glad to answer all those questions and more. If your laptop can't connect to the internet, has a virus problem, or just seems a bit on the sluggish side, then they would like to help you.