Why can't I see adobe flash content on my laptop?

I take online courses for college and it’s been a nightmare so far. Apparently I’m not as computer savvy as I initially thought. My classes require Adobe Flash so the website won’t play my class videos etc. It says “Unable to display content. Adobe Flash required”. When I go to the flash website to download it, the site tells me it’s already installed with the latest version. I have also gone through the process of checking to see if it’s enabled. It is. I’m pulling my hair out trying to figure out why it won’t work. I have windows 8 but I am on the desktop version of internet explorer and I have also tried Google Chrome too. Please help!