Important Terms in Distance Learning

Asynchronous: Occuring not at the same time. Not "time bound." Most online "discussions" are asynchronous, because students read and leave discussion comments at different times and different days. This asynchronicity is one of the advantages and conveniences of an online class.

Chat (online): A synchronous opportunity for the class or part of the class to meet together in "real time." For instance, a chat might be scheduled to take place between 4 and 5 p.m. Comments are made "live" and responded to "live." Chat rooms are somewhat like a conference call, except that they are text-based.

Diploma mill: An unaccredited institution of higher education that is in the business of selling degrees without educating students. Online education has given these hucksters another chance to scam unsuspecting students. Beware of: colleges whose names sound almost like famous schools, addresses that are rented mailboxes or suite numbers, and tuition charged "by degree" instead of by course.

Discussion (online): A forum where a first posting (from the instructor or a student) is responded to by a second at a different time, and so on. Communication on discussion boards is asynchronous and visually divided into "threads," which are conversations organized by topic. Posting on discussion boards requires reading all prior comments in a thread before posting a new comment or response.

E-learning: The prefix "E-" or "e-" means "electronic." "Electronic learning" means learning by using a computer (typically, one that is connected to the Internet). E-students get their books from e-bookstores for their e-classes.

Emoticons: Pictures expressing emotions that can be "drawn" by typing letters and symbols found on the keyboard. For instance, a colon plus a hyphen followed by a right parenthesis makes the ubiquitous happy face, :-). The point of the happy face emoticon is to convey that the writer is happy or smiling. Emoticons are most accepted when writing is a substitute for informal speech (mostly in real-time chats and discussions), because type lacks many of the cues we use in everyday face-to-face communication (facial expression, tone of voice, and physical gesture).

Flaming: The writing of angry or antagonistic messages that are likely to create emotional and negative responses. As a general rule, never push the "reply" or "send" button when you have written a message and are still mad. Remember, you cannot stop a message once you have sent it.

Hardware: The physical components of your computer and computer accessories. Your computer's hard drive, RAM, CPU, monitor, CD and DVD drives, and sound and video cards are all part of the hardware. Your scanner, printer, and digital camera are also pieces of hardware. (Compare to software, defined below). Most schools will specify some minimum hardware requirements for taking online courses. It's advisable to exceed these mimimum requirements, though. Think about it this way: a 1985 Yugo is probably the "minimum" car you can safely drive on the road, but owning something more recent, powerful, and reliable would make your driving experience considerably more pleasant

Lifelong learning: The idea that you cannot go to school for 12 or 16 years and then simply stop learning. Job descriptions change quickly, and discoveries take place continually. Therefore, almost everyone needs to continue to learn even after a graduation. Some learn professional skills to help them advance or stay abreast of changes in their career fields. Others learn skills and ideas to enrich their lives (or their families' lives). Lifelong learning can be formal—taking place in classes—or informal, through books, television, video, conversation, and experience

Media "richness": In communication, the more cues available, the "richer" the message. Face-to-face conversations are the richest communication medium, because they use multiple senses and cues. Videoconferencing is the next richest, followed by voice alone (such as telephone conversations). Text is the "leanest" or least rich medium. The leaner the medium, the more likely it is that misunderstandings will arise. However, we all seek the leanest medium that will accomplish the task at hand. For instance, you leave a written note about remembering to take out the trash, but hold a face-to-face family meeting about where to go for vacation. This has implications for learning: it is important to realize that misunderstandings are more likely in the less rich media of online learning, for instance. We have to be more careful and often explain ourselves in more words than we would in a face-to-face class.

Search engine: A website that searches the Internet for a given term or terms. Some of the most popular are www.google.com, www.inktomi.com, www.askjeeves.com, and www.ixquick.com.

Software: The programs you run on your computer. Most schools require that you have word-processing software like Word or WordPerfect, spreadsheet software like Excel or QuatroPro, a web browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer, and free "viewers" like the PowerPoint viewer and Adobe Acrobat Reader. Viewers cannot create files, but can view the .ppt files which Microsoft's PowerPoint uses. Such viewers can generally be downloaded from the software company's website for free. Look for the requirements for your course.

Synchronous: Occuring at the same time. "Time-bound." Traditional and videoconferencing classes require synchronous communication—everyone must meet at a specific time.

Video streaming: The displaying of a video without that video being downloaded to your computer (since downloading can be a time-consuming process). Many websites and educational software programs stream video. Videos can also be viewed from CDs and DVDs, which is usually even faster than streaming. Videos are played using media software such as Windows Media Player, Real Player, and QuickTime Player.

Virtual: The term "virtual" means "occuring on the computer." So, a "virtual classroom" and "virtual office hours" do not involve face-to-face contact, but the experience is similar to a traditional classroom and traditional office hours. A virtual library is one that is accessed through the Internet.

Virtual classroom: A synchronous, chat-capable utility used for online courses. Typically, virtual classrooms feature a screen or drawing board ("white board") upon which the instructor can draw, upload graphics, or do other things that he or she might use in a face-to-face classroom on a "high tech" chalkboard. Online learning platforms such as WebCT, BlackBoard, and Tegrity each have their own version of a virtual classroom.

 

Emoticons

Emoticons add verbal and physical nuance to your typed communication. They tend to be used for humor, irony, and other tones that are hard to convey quickly through the written word.

0:-)		Angel
:-*)		Kiss
=:-)		Shocked
I-I		Asleep
:-D		Laughing
:-) or :)		Smiling
:-o		Bored
:-II		Mad
:-()		Talking
:’-(		Crying
:-$ or :-X		Not Talking
B-)		Wearing shades (being cool)
}-)		Evil
:-P		Razzberries
;-)		Winking
:-(		Frowning
:-@		Screaming
:-Y		Whisper
{}		Hug

Abbreviations

Abbreviations enable faster chat and convey emotions. There are hundreds, so you might need to explain them (or ask) from time to time. You may find there are some abbreviations that are specific to the course you are taking. Here are some of the most common abbreviations.

AFK		away from keyboard
JNI		just an idea
A/S/L		(what is your) age, sex, location?
K		ok
ATM		at the moment
L8R		later (see you later)
BAK		back at keyboard
LOL		lots of laughter (or laughing out loud)
BBL		be back later
MYOB		mind your own business
BCNU		be seeing you
QT		on the “quiet” (indicates a secret)
BRB		be right back
SNAFU		situation normal, all fouled up
BTW		by the way
TIA		thanks in advance
DIY		do it yourself
TWFW		too weird for words
FAQ		frequently asked questions (a common resource on websites)
TTFN		ta ta for now (goodbye)
FYI		for your information
ZZZ		boring, hurry up
IMHO		in my humble opinion
<g>		grin
HHOK		ha ha, only kidding
<s>		smile
J/J		just joking