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Glossary of terms used on this site

Glossaries

All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Term Definition
Asynchronous Communication

Participants do not communicate concurrently. Examples: email and bulletin board systems, where participants send or post messages at different times.

Asynchronous Learning

Is self-paced and allows participants to engage in the exchange of ideas or information without the dependency of other participants involvement at the same time.

Blended Learning

A formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path or pace.

Broadband

The wide bandwidth characteristics of a transmission medium and its ability to transport multiple signals and traffic types simultaneously.

Bulletin Board System

A computer or an application dedicated to the sharing or exchange of messages or other files on a network.

Computer-based Training

Any course of instruction whose primary means of delivery is a computer. A CBT course (sometimes called courseware) may be delivered via a software product installed on a single computer, through a corporate or educational intranet, or over the Internet as Web-based Training.

Desktop Sharing

Desktop sharing is a common name for technologies and products that allow remote access and remote collaboration on a person's computer desktop.

Digital media

Electronic media where data are stored in digital (as opposed to analogue) form.

Discussion board

A general term for any online "bulletin board" where you can leave and expect to see responses to messages you have left.

discussion forum
See also discussion board.
Distance Learning
Delivering education and instruction, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional setting such as a classroom. Distance learning provides "access to learning when the source of information and the learners are separated by time and distance, or both.Extensive use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the delivery of education and instruction and the use of synchronous and asynchronous online communication in an interactive learning environment or virtual communities
E-learning

A formalized teaching and learning system specifically designed to be carried out remotely by using electronic communication.

E-learning 2.0

A type of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) system that developed with the emergence of Web 2.0. It places increased emphasis on social learning and use of social software such as blogs, wikis, podcasts and virtual worlds. E-learning 2.0, in contrast to e-learning systems not based on CSCL, assumes that knowledge (as meaning and understanding) is socially constructed. Learning takes place through conversations about content and grounded interaction about problems and actions.

Electronic Collaboration

Operationally defined here as collaboration using electronic technologies among different individuals to accomplish a common task.

Flip Teaching

A form of blended learning in which students learn new content online by watching video lectures, usually at home, and what used to be homework (assigned problems) is now done in class with teachers offering more personalized guidance and interaction with students, instead of lecturing.

Helpdesk

A resource intended to provide the customer with information and support. The purpose is to troubleshoot problems or provide guidance about products such as software, through various channels such as phone, website, instant messaging, email.

Information and Communication Technology

Generic clause of any instrument of communication or communication application, including radio, television, mobile phones (cell phones), the hardware and software for computers and networks and associated services and applications.

Internet Access

Connects individual computers to the internet, enabling users to access internet services.

Learning Content Management System

A multi-user environment where learning developers can create, store, reuse, manage, and deliver digital learning content from a central object repository.

Learning Management System, Virtual Learning Environment, Virtual Classroom

An online learning environment. The environment can be web-based and accessed through a portal or software-based and require a downloadable executable file; includes usually access control, learning content, communication tools, organisation of usergroups
VLE may focus less on the features related to the management of learning.

Learning Platform

Software, or a combination of different types of software, that sits on, or is accessible from, an organisation’s network, and that supports teaching and learning for practitioners and learners.

Message board
See also discussion board.
Mobile Learning

Covering a range of use scenarios including e-learning, educational technology and distance education, that focuses on learning with mobile devices
(Has different meanings for different communities).

Online Chat

Any kind of communication over the Internet that offers a real-time transmission of text messages from sender to receiver; in a less stringent definition may be primarily any direct text-based or video-based (webcams), one-on-one chat or one-to-many group chat (formally also known as synchronous conferencing), using tools such as instant messengers, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), talkers and possibly MUDs( a multiplayer real-time virtual world).

Online Community

A virtual community that exists online and whose members enable its existence through taking part in membership ritual. An online community can take the form of an information system where anyone can post content, such as a Bulletin board system or one where only a restricted number of people can initiate posts, such as Weblogs.

Online forum
See also discussion board.
Online Hub

An online website that has many functions:
- allow communication between the partnership;
- show to the users/target group the specific project information;
- disseminate the information on the project;
- host the online communities of each country and for the whole network;
- support the project activities with online facilities (webinars, forums, document repository etc...).

Remote Desktop Software

Refers to a software or operating system feature that allows a personal computer's desktop environment to be run remotely on one system (usually a PC, but the concept applies equally to a server), while being displayed on a separate client device.

Screencast

A screencast is a digital recording of computer screen output, also known as a video screen capture, often containing audio narration.

Social Media

Websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.