Glossary

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Academic program

A program of study generally structured around a topic or profession, the specifics of which are determined by the education provider.
 

Accelerated Learning Programs

A program allowing high school juniors and seniors to take courses, either full-time or part-time, at a postsecondary institution for high school credit. Students do not pay for tuition, fees, or required textbooks. Abbreviated as PSEO.
 

Accrediting agency

An agency that establishes standards that colleges, universities, and other educational institutions must meet. The agency usually evaluates institutions at established intervals to help ensure their continued compliance with standards. Educational institutions may be accredited by regional and national agencies.
 

Admission

The process of applying to and being accepted for a degree program or other course of study offered by an education provider.
 

Associate Degree

A degree awarded after a learner earns a specified number of credits according to the requirements of a community college program. In the United States, that number of credits usually represents two years of full-time study. In occupational disciplines, study often combines technical training with general education requirements. Study may also involve general liberal arts and sciences as preparation for a student's transfer to a college or university.
 

Asynchronous

Occurring at different times. In an asynchronous class, learners and the instructor use such technologies as e-mail and listservers to interact; each sends and receives messages at individually convenient times, with no need for simultaneous ("real time") communication.
 

Avatar

A name and/or graphical symbol that a person selects to represent himself or herself during an online chat session.
 

Bachelor's degree

An academic degree awarded after a learner earns a specified number of credits according to the requirements of a college or university degree program. In the United States, that number of credits usually represents four to five years of full-time college or university study.
 

Broadcast television

A course delivered over a regularly broadcast TV channel. Transmitted television waves are delivered for use through an antenna. These waves may or may not be scrambled. If scrambled, receivers need a descrambler in order to view the information.
 

Bulletin board

A method of online asynchronous communication; an electronic message center. Users connect with the center via modem; they can read messages posted by others and respond or leave messages on other topics. Typically, each bulletin board focuses on a specific topic or area of interest.
 

Catalog

A list of educational courses offered by colleges and universities. The IEC has a catalog of distance learning courses offered by the state's seven publicly funded postsecondary institutions.
 

CD-ROM

Acronym for "compact disc, read-only memory." This disc stores and plays back computer data. A course may be delivered to a student or students on a CD-ROM. The course may consist only of the material on the CD-ROM and may not be led by an instructor. Some CD-ROM courses may also be supplemented with a study guide and may require communication with an instructor.
 

Chat room

A metaphor for a channel that allows people to communicate synchronously (in real time) via computer. Each user types messages on his or her computer and the text appears on the computer screens of others who are in the chat room.
 

Class

A specific instance of a course, scheduled to meet at a specific time and / or location.
 

Class schedule

A list of times during which a class meets. May also include the meeting location, name of the instructor, and other information.
 

Click

To press and immediately release a button on a computer mouse. The phrase "click on" means to position the cursor or pointer on a screen object and click, thereby highlighting the object in order to manipulate it in some way.
 

Cohort

A group of people who begin and end an activity at the same time. In education, some programs admit a group of learners as a cohort-they enter the program together, complete all classes together, and finish all course requirements simultaneously.
 

Contact hour

An hour of scheduled instruction that a learner receives from an instructor.
 

Continuing education

Courses taken after a degree is earned.
 

Correspondence course

A "home study" course provided by an institution to students who are not physically attending classes. Instructional materials are primarily print-based. Course assignments and instructor feedback are exchanged by postal or electronic mail. Students schedule exams at a pre-arranged test site under the supervision of an approved proctor.
 

Course

A series of educational activities dealing with a subject and occurring over a defined amount of time. The activities may include lectures, discussions, simulations, various assignments, and tests and exams. A course realized through a class, which has a specific schedule. One course can therefore be offered in a number of classes, scheduled at different times.
 

Course via satellite

A course that is delivered on TV through a dedicated satellite link. The course can be delivered to multiple groups of students. Satellite TV is one-way presentation. The students can see and hear the instructor on the TV screen, but the instructor cannot see or hear the students.
 

Credential

A certificate, diploma, or other type of evidence that a person has completed specific requirements determined by a provider.
 

Credit

An award or documentation that a learner has met certain standards and completed a class.
 

Credit hour

A unit for measuring educational credit given for completion of a course. In most educational institutions, a credit hour is based on the number of classroom and study hours a learner is expected to invest each week during a term.
 

Credit transfer

The acknowledgment by a college or university of student credit earned at a different institution
 

Credit-based program

A program of study that requires students to take classes with a certain number of credit hours in order to complete the program.
 

Customized training

A training program that has been adapted to the specifications of a company or organization.
 

Degree

An academic award that a learner earns after completing a program of study. See also "bachelor's degree" "masters degree" and "doctoral degree"
 

Degree course

A course that is required as part of a learner's work to earn a college or university degree.
 

Degree program

All the courses a learner must complete to earn a college or university degree.
 

Delivery mode

The medium in which learners receive instruction. If a course meets in a classroom with all learners and the instructor present, the delivery mode is "classroom" or "face-to-face." If a course meets via the Internet, the delivery mode is "online."
 

Diploma

A certificate awarded when a learner completes a defined set of requirements.
 

Distance education

Describes instruction and learning that occur when the instructor and learner do not physically meet in the same place or at the same time. Instructor and learner convey information via technology, which may include mail, telephone, audiotape, videotape, satellite, and the Internet-singly or in any combination.
 

Doctoral degree

The highest academic degree that any college or university awards in an area of study. Examples are Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Judicial Science, Doctor of Public Health.
 

Educator

A person who conducts a course. Includes professors, teachers, instructors, and trainers.
 

Electronic meeting

A session in which people communicate via the Internet, generally in a private "chat room." Typically the session is synchronous (real time), with all attendees connected to the chat room at the same time; however, some organizations also refer to an asynchronous discussion as an electronic meeting.
 

Face-to-face

A course where the instructor and the students are present in the classroom (or at community sites such as high schools, community centers, etc.). The instructor may use multiple media, including videotapes, the Internet, etc., to deliver the course in person.
 

FAQ

Acronym for "frequently asked questions."
 

Fees

Money, separate from tuition, charged by providers for various services. For example, in order to cover processing costs, many colleges and universities charge a fee to provide a transcript.
 

Financial aid

Funds available to qualifying students enrolled in postsecondary courses. The funds may be awarded as grants, scholarships, assistantships, work study, or any of several types of education loans.
 

 

High school diploma or recognized equivalent

A document certifying that a person has completed the requirements necessary to be graduated from high school or has completed equivalent requirements.
 

Higher education

Postsecondary education.
 

IEC

Idaho Electronic Campus. A website allowing users to search through the long distance education opportunities from Idaho's seven publicly funded universities and colleges.
 

Independent study course

A course in which a learner studies a subject of interest independently under the guidance of an instructor. Rather than meeting in formally scheduled class sessions, the learner usually meets with the instructor one-on-one to discuss readings and projects.
 

Instructional medium (also mode)

The format in which a course is delivered-for example, "videotape" "interactive television (ITV)", interactive television (ITV), "the Internet", or "face to face".
 

Interactive television

Medium (or mode) for delivery of a course that allows the instructor and learners to interact via television. Some configurations allow learners at various sites to see and interact with the instructor, who can also see and interact with the learners. Others also allow the learner sites to see and interact with one another.
 

Internet course

A course in which instruction is delivered via the Internet. Some Internet courses provide information for learners to read; other Internet courses include synchronous and asynchronous discussions and exchanges of information.
 

ITV

Abbreviation for "instructional television." Courses or instruction are delivered via television. In passive ITV, courses are produced and distributed by videotape or through broadcast, cable, or satellite modes. In interactive ITV, learners and instructor may interact in various configurations. See also "interactive television."
 

JIT

Abbreviation for "just in time." In education, just-in-time instruction is available at the time a learner needs it in order to perform a task, rather than only at the time a provider wants to make it available.
 

Just in Time

In education, just-in-time instruction is available at the time a learner needs it in order to perform a task, rather than only at the time a provider wants to make it available.
 

Learner

Any person engaged in a learning activity.
 

Learning opportunity

An activity that provides a person with an opportunity to learn. The activity may be within a course, may be a course, or may be independent of any course (for example, reading an article to acquire information).
 

Lifelong learning

Learning in which a person engages throughout his or her life. It includes but is not limited to learning that occurs in schools and formal educational programs.
 

Macintosh

A line of computers manufactured by Apple.
 

Master's degree

An academic degree awarded after a learner earns a specified number of credits according to the requirements of a college or university degree program. In the United States the number of credits typically represents one to two years of full-time college or university study that are completed after a student earns a bachelor's degree.
 

Netscape

A corporation that produces the Netscape Web browser (an application for viewing websites), as well as Web servers and mechanisms for creating intranets within organizations.
 

Newsgroup

An online discussion group that focuses on a defined topic or area of interest.
 

Non-credit course

A course for which a learner does not earn any credit that applies to a certificate or diploma. Typically, a learner enrolls in a noncredit course in order to acquire information or participate in a learning experience without receiving official recognition for completing the course. Noncredit courses usually do not qualify for financial aid.
 

Nondegree student

A learner taking courses of interest that do not fulfill the requirements for completing a specific course of study or degree.
 

Online course

A course in which instruction is delivered via the Internet. With some Internet courses, information is available for learners to read; other Internet courses include "synchronous" and "asynchronous" discussions and exchanges of information.
 

Open admission

Admission not determined by previous academic performance.
 

PC

Abbreviation for "personal computer."
 

Ph.D.

Abbreviation for Doctor of Philosophy, one of several classifications of doctoral degrees. See also "doctoral degree."
 

Postsecondary education

Courses or educational programs designed for learners who have completed high school or its equivalent.
 

Prerequisite

Knowledge or skills that a learner must have, or courses the learner must complete, before registering for a course.
 

Private college

A college that a private individual, company, or agency owns and operates. Neither public funds nor public officials operate a private college.
 

Private institution

In education, an educational organization that a private individual, company, or agency owns and operates. Neither public funds nor public officials operate a private institution.
 

Private nonprofit institution

A private institution in which the owner/operator receives only payment of wages and expenses. See also "private institution".
 

Professional training

The process of completing courses in preparation for an occupation or profession.
 

Program

A group of courses that form a specialization.
 

PSEO

Abbreviation for Post-Secondary Enrollment Option. A program allowing high school juniors and seniors to take courses, either full-time or part-time, at a postsecondary institution for high school credit. Students do not pay for tuition, fees, or required textbooks.
 

Public institution

In education, an educational organization that public officials (elected, appointed, or both) operate and that public funds support.
 

Registration

The process of enrolling in a course or other learning opportunity. Depending on the provider, registration typically includes submitting contact information (name, address, telephone number), information about educational and employment history, the name(s) and number(s) of the course(s), and tuition.
 

Remedial course

A course designed to enable learners to remedy a lack of knowledge or correct a skill deficiency.
 

Requirement

Criteria that must be fulfilled. Requirements may exist for course enrollment, registration, or completion.
 

Satellite TV course

A course that is delivered on TV through a dedicated satellite link. The course can be delivered to multiple groups of students. Satellite TV is one-way presentation. The students can see and hear the instructor on the TV screen, but the instructor cannot see or hear the students.
 

Self-paced class

A class that learners complete according to their own schedules. Requirements vary, but typically learners work independently and submit assignments when they have completed them, rather than according to a schedule developed by the instructor. Many self-paced classes must be completed within a defined period of time.
 

Site map

A listing of all sections of a website. Usually, each listing is an active link, enabling a visitor to click on the link and move directly to a section from the site map.
 

Student

A learner who is enrolled in a course or learning opportunity.
 

Synchronous

Occurring at the same time. In a synchronous class, learners and the instructor in different locations use such technologies as instructional television or Web-based chat rooms to interact simultaneously.
 

Telecommunications course

A course offered principally (more than 50%) through the use of television, audio, or computer transmission, including open broadcast and closed circuit TV, cable, microwave, satellite, audio conferencing, computer conferencing, or video cassettes and discs. The term does not include a course that is delivered using video cassettes or recordings unless the institution also delivers the instruction on the cassette or disc to students physically attending classes at the institution during the same award year. If a course does not meet the definition of a telecommunications course, it is considered a correspondence course.
 

Term-based distance education course

A distance education course that extends over a regular academic term, such as a quarter (10 weeks) or a semester (15 weeks).
 

Training

Learning opportunities (for example, courses and workshops) that focus on workplace learning and performance.
 

Transcript

A document, issued by a provider, that lists the courses a learner has completed and the grade and credit earned for each course.
 

Tuition

Money paid by a learner in order to enroll in a learning opportunity.
 

Undergraduate

A student at a college or university who has not yet earned a bachelor's degree.
 

Videotape

Medium (or mode) for delivery of a course. The course may consist only of the material on the videotape and may not be led by an instructor. Some video courses may be supplemented with a study guide and may require communication with an instructor.
 

Video conferencing

Medium (or mode) for delivery of a course. Instruction is delivered via live video-conferencing capabilities. This mode allows for two-way communication.
 

Vocational training

Courses in which a learner studies a specific trade or occupation.
 

Web

The World Wide Web, a system for accessing and looking at sites on the Internet. The Web is formed by many sites that are connected electronically by hyperlinks (words that are highlighted on a Web page; one clicks on a hyperlink to move to a different Web page).
 

Web/Internet

Medium (or mode) for delivery of a course. Students can access course information and assignments through the Internet and communicate with the instructor and with fellow students through e-mail and other Internet communication technologies. Students must have their own Internet connections.
 

Web-based course

A course in which instruction is delivered via the Web. Some Web-based courses provide information for learners to read; other Web-based courses include "synchronous" and "asynchronous" discussions and exchanges of information.
 

Thanks to the MnSCU Board of Trustees and University of Minnesota Board of Regents for allowing IEC to reproduce, in part, the text of their glossary.