Glossary of Online Learning Terms

Accessibility
The art of ensuring that, to as large an extent as possible, activities (such as, for example, Web use) are
available to people whether or not they have impairments of one sort or another.

Asynchronous
Happening at different times. Asynchronous communication, for instance, is characterized by time-
independence, that is, the sender and receiver do not communicate at the same time; an example is
electronic mail. (2) Communications in which interaction between sender and receiver does not take place
simultaneously (e.g., e-mail or fax). (3) A type of two-way communication that occurs with a time delay,
allowing participants to respond at their own convenience. (4) A type of communication that can occur at
any time and at irregular intervals, meaning that people can communicate online without a set pattern of
interaction. It is the predominant mode of communication used in e-mail and on bulletin boards and
websites.

Authentication
In computer security, the process of attempting to verify the digital identity of the sender of a
communication such as a request to log in. The sender being authenticated, often referred to as the
principal, may be a person using a computer, a computer itself, or a computer program.

Blended learning
A course that blends online and face-to-face delivery with online components reducing conventional class
meeting time. A substantial proportion of the content is delivered online, typically uses online
discussions, and typically has some face-to-face meetings. Also sometimes described as “hybrid.” The
College Board defines blended as 30 to 79% of content delivered online.

Blog
Blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are commonly displayed in reverse
chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online
diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media
related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part
of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art, photographs, videos (vlog),
and music.

Browser
A Web client (software) that allows a human to read information on the Web, like Internet Explorer,
Mozilla, etc. (See Web Browser.)

Chat
A real-time text “conversation” among computer or cell phone users. See Instant Messaging.

Compass (Illinois Compass)

The instance of WebCT Vista used as the learning management system at the University of Illinois.
WebCT is now owned by Blackboard.

Course Management System (CMS)

An integrated set of computer software tools designed to enable users to create Web-based courses.
Examples include WebCT, Moodle, Angel, Desire2Learn, and BlackBoard. CMS now also refers to
Content Management System, a more generic term for a system that helps manage and
maintain web site content. Thus the term Learning Management System (LMS) is preferred for
software products used to create and manage online courses.

Discussion Board
The term in Compass for a Threaded Discussion.

Distance Education
A generic, all-inclusive term used to refer to the physical separation of teachers and learners. (2) The
application of information technology (and infrastructure) to educational and student-related activities
linking teachers and students in differing places. (3) The organizational framework and process of
providing instruction at a distance. (See Distance Learning.)

Distance Learning
A term for the physical separation of teachers and learners that has become widely used in recent years,
particularly in the United States. While used interchangeably with distance education, distance learning
puts the emphasis on the learner and is especially appropriate when students take on greater responsibility
for their learning, as is frequently the case when doing so from a distance.

eLearning
Electronic learning or eLearning is a general term used to refer to computer-enhanced learning. It is
used interchangeably in so many contexts that it is critical to be clear what one means when one speaks of
'eLearning.'

Fair Use
Fair use is a principle that provides for limited reproduction of copyrighted materials for purposes such as
criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. It is a limitation on the copyright
owner’s monopoly and may be applied only in certain circumstances. Fair use does not always apply in
distance learning situations.

Hybrid
A course or program that blends online and face-to-face delivery, with online components reducing
conventional class meeting time. A substantial proportion of the content is delivered online, typically uses
online discussions, and typically has some face-to-face meetings. (See blended, which more often applies
to courses; hybrid more often applies to programs.)

Instant messaging (IM)

Offers real-time communication and allows easy collaboration, which many consider to be more like
genuine conversation than email's "letter" format. In contrast to e-mail, the parties know whether the peer
is available. Some systems allow the sending of messages to people not currently logged on (offline
messages), thus removing much of the difference between Instant Messaging and email. Instant
Messaging allows instantaneous communication among a number of parties simultaneously, by
transmitting information quickly and efficiently, featuring immediate receipt of acknowledgment or reply.
In certain cases Instant Messaging involves additional features, which make it even more popular, i.e. to
see the other party by using web-cams, or to talk directly for free over the Internet. It is possible to save a
conversation for later reference

Instructional Designer
A highly trained specialist who takes subject matter and designs it around measurable objectives. Usually
requires a graduate degree. Instructional Designers also work with people, especially
faculty members who serve as subject matter experts (content experts). ID’s help
interpret learning objectives and materials and guide faculty in transforming their
ideas and content into effective online courses.

Interaction
The communication or dialogue that occurs between instructors and learners or among learners. May be
time-delayed (asynchronous) or real-time (synchronous). Examples of asynchronous interaction include
correspondence, voice mail, and computer e-mail. Synchronous interaction can occur by telephone,
audioconferencing, videoconferencing, web-based (or desktop) conferencing, and Internet telephony.
May also refer to more active, independent engagement by the student with course materials.

ISP (Internet Service Provider)

The party providing one with connectivity to the Internet. Some users have a cable or some sort of
wireless link to their ISP. For others, their computer may dial an ISP by phone and send and receive
Internet packages over the phone line; the ISP then forwards the packets over the Internet. (2) A company
that provides access to the Internet for a monthly fee.

Learning Management System (LMS)

An integrated set of computer software tools designed to enable users to create Web-based courses.
Examples include WebCT, Moodle, Angel, Desire2Learn, and BlackBoard. CMS now also refers to
Content Management System, a more generic term.

Link
A reference from one document to another (external link), or from one location in the same document to
another (internal link), that can be followed efficiently using a computer. The unit of connection in web
pages or hypertext.

Mobile Devices
Pagers, phones, handheld computers, and so on—all potential mobile Internet devices and Web clients.

Multimedia
Combining sound, text, images, animation, and video. With computers, it refers to a variety of
applications that utilize CDROM and video and audio equipment. (2) Refers to a combination
of audio, video, and/or computer technologies that provide a range of expression and experience. (3)
Evolved from hypertext and hypermedia. It is the synthesis of computer, television, telephone, and/or fax
through the computer. The integrated use and display of visual images, motion, sound, data, graphics, and
text, with the user being able to interact creatively with the display.

Netiquette
This is the etiquette used during communications on the Internet. (2) Contraction meaning Internet
Etiquette. These are the guidelines for etiquette in the posting and sending of messages to online services
and to Internet news groups. Netiquette not only covers rules for maintaining civility in interactions but
also guidelines unique to the electronic nature of messages. For example, the special formatting of text is
discouraged because some users may not be able to see the special formatting.

Online
The ability of computers to communicate with one another through a modem, usually over a telephone
line (copper or fiber optic). (2) Being in direct communication and/or transfer or exchange of information.

On-Site
Refers to a learning situation where the instructor and students are located together, whether that site is on
a traditional campus or some other location.
Open Source
Software whose source code is freely distributed and modifiable by anyone.

Podcast
A collection of digital media files distributed over the Internet, often using syndication feeds, for
playback on portable media players and personal computers. The term podcast, like "radio", can refer
either to the content itself or to the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting.
The term is a portmanteau of the words "iPod" and "broadcast", the Apple iPod being the brand of
portable media player for which the first podcasting scripts were developed. These scripts allowed
podcasts to be automatically transferred to a mobile device after they are downloaded. Though podcasters'
web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from
other digital media formats by its ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically
when new content is added, using an aggregator or feed reader such as RSS or Atom.

Proctored Examination
An examination in which the learner is supervised by a monitor or proctor. In distance education, proctors
could be teachers or administrators who are selected by the learner and approved by the distance
education institution. An alternative is for the learner to travel to a regional site sponsored by the distance
education institution to take an examination.

Real-Time
Real time refers to any type of computing application that can collect and analyze data about an event as
quickly as an event occurs. (2) The condition in which communication is synchronous, i.e., live. (3)
Audio and video that are broadcast and received with very little time delay. (4) An application in which
information is received and immediately responded to.

Search Engine
Software that provides keyword and other search facilities for locating information on the World Wide
Web. (e.g., Yahoo, Google.) A tool used to search the Internet for information in a defined database. A
word or phrase is entered on a search engine and a number of “hits” will appear. Different search engines
use different search strategies. Clicking on the term will take the user to that Web page.

Social Networking
A social network service uses software to build online social networks for communities of people who
share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most
services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as
chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, and so on. The main
types of social networking services are those which contain directories of some categories (such as former
classmates), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages), and recommender
systems based on trust. Popular methods now combine many of these, with MySpace and Facebook being
the most widely used in North America

Subject Matter Expert (SME)

The instructor who provides the content of a course. Usually possesses a terminal degree in the field of
specialty. Also called a Content Expert.

Synchronous
A communication in real time that is not time-delayed; happening at the same time. This includes live
television, telephone, and radio. Synchronous communication is characterized by time-dependence; that
is, the sender and receiver communicate at the same time. (2) Communication in which interaction
between sender and receiver takes place simultaneously (e.g., telephone or teleconferencing). (3) A
system in which regularly occurring events in timed intervals are kept in step using some form of
electronic clocking mechanism. (4) A type of communication in which those communicating do so at the
same time. An example is a chat room where people are all typing at the same time.

Threaded Discussion
An electronic discussion (such as one via e-mail, e-mail list, bulletin board, conference or Internet forum)
in which software aids the user by visually grouping messages, usually in a hierarchy by topic. A set of
messages grouped in this way is called a topic thread or simply "thread." Topic threading allows
members of the group to communicate asynchronously; one individual may post a message in the evening
and another may respond the next day. Threaded discussion is a common tool in e-learning environments,
because, advocates suggest, learners may stop and think about what their messages will be, taking into
account the other messages in the discussion forum, before posting their thoughts.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

A global Internet address that identifies a unique location of a data file on the World Wide Web. (2)
Internet or WWW addresses. A standard format for locating any type of resource on the Internet. An
example looks like this: http://eduweb.nmsu.edu

Virtual
Being functional and effective without existing in a traditional mode. Virtual learning, for example, is
learning that can functionally and effectively occur in the absence of traditional classroom environments.
(2) A reference to something whose existence is emulated with a software package rather than actually
existing in any type of physical form, a completely computer-generated environment.

Virtual Reality (VR)

Appearing to be real while not actually being real. A surrogate reality. The highest level of 3-D computer
simulations that create the illusion of being inside a computer-generated environment. It “allows the user
to transcend the barrier of keyboard and screen and enter the synthetic universe inside the computer”
(Perelman, 1992). Second Life is the most widely known web-based virtual reality.

Web 2.0
A trend in World Wide Web technology and web design, a second generation of web-based communities
and hosted services such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, etc., which aim to facilitate creativity,
collaboration, and sharing among users. Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide
Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but to changes in the ways software
developers and end-users use webs. According to Tim O'Reilly (an early definer of the term): "Web 2.0 is
the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an
attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform." Other technology experts have
questioned whether one can use the term in a meaningful way, since many of the technology components
of "Web 2.0" have existed since the early days of the Web.

Web Browser
A search tool used to navigate around the Internet. It uses a graphical interface for ease of use. The most
popular browsers are Microsoft Explorer™ and Firefox Mozilla™. (See also Browser.)

Web-enhanced; web-facilitated
A course that uses only a little online technology; most content is delivered in writing or orally; course
uses web-based technology to facilitate what is essentially a face-to-face course. Examples of this might
be posting the syllabus or list of assignments on a web page.
Whiteboard/Whiteboarding
An area on a display screen upon which multiple users can write or draw and which other remote users
can see simultaneously. Whiteboards are often a principal component of computer conferencing
applications such as Elluminate because they enable shared visual communication. They also allow
applications or documents to be shared by several users.

Wiki
Software that allows users to easily create, edit, and link pages together. Wikis are often used to create
collaborative websites or to power community websites. These wiki websites are often also referred to as
wikis; for example, Wikipedia is one of the best known wikis. Wikis are used in many businesses to
provide affordable and effective Intranets and for Knowledge Management. Wikis are generally designed
with the philosophy of making it easy to correct mistakes, rather than making it difficult to make them.
Thus, while wikis are very open, they provide a means to verify the validity of recent additions to the
body of pages.

World Wide Web

The protocol and file format software incorporating hypertext and multimedia capabilities for use on the
Internet. (2) Also known as the Web. A virtual library of video, audio, and textual data and information
stored in the computers of the Internet. These data are accessible to anyone with a personal computer, a
way of connecting to the Internet (through an Internet Service Provider), and a computer application
program, or software (called a browser) designed to allow a person to explore Web resources. (3)
Distributed information on the Internet, a worldwide, hypermedia, and hypertext-based method of
obtaining information in any format. The WWW is a special use of the Internet; it is not THE Internet.

Sources: Primarily the Definitions and Terminology Committee of The Association for
Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), with assistance from the
College Board (survey definitions), and Wikipedia. 031108 pw