Online Learning Glossary - Real Meanings For Real People

Have you been looking into online learning as a training or education medium for your workplace or classroom? Or are you wondering about a possible career in the design and development of online learning, but you aren't sure what all the terms mean?

When you're new to a field, it's important to get the terms right so you can understand what others are saying and so you can communicate about this topic effectively. This article provides an introduction and glossary to the terms associated with online learning. After making this list, even I was surprised at how many terms there were!

AUDIO CONFERENCING: Audio conferencing refers to a connection between three or more locations that involves a voice-only connection. This can be done via telephone or via the computer. When the audio conference is done between computers over the Internet, it uses a technology known as VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol).

ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING: When learners participate in an online learning course at different times, it is known as asynchronous learning. This might also be called eLearning or web-based training (WBT). Asynchronous learning allows learners to go through a course at their own pace and on their own schedule.

BLENDED LEARNING: Blended learning is an instructional approach that includes a combination of online and in-person learning activities. For example, students can complete online self-paced assignments by a certain date and then meet on-site or online for additional learning activities.

COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING (CBT): CBT refers to any type of course that runs on a computer, either on a CD, on a person's hard drive or on the Internet. The distinguishing point is that computer-based training does not involve an instructor or facilitator who is physically present. Now that most computer-based training occurs via the Internet, the term is used infrequently. More common terms are online learning, eLearning and Web-based Training (WBT).

COURSEWARE: Courseware refers to any instructional software that is delivered on a computer.

DISTANCE EDUCATION or DISTANCE LEARNING: Distance Education/Learning occurs when students and their instructors are in different geographical locations and the instruction occurs on an electronic device, such as a computer or mobile phone. The learning can occur in a synchronous environment, in which all participants are connected at the same time or in an asynchronous environment, when participants are engaged in learning at different times.

eLEARNING: eLearning (short for electronic learning) is an umbrella term that refers to all types of training, education and instruction that occurs on a digital medium, like a computer or mobile phone.

HYBRID LEARNING: See blended learning.

INFORMAL LEARNING: Informal learning occurs when people have a need to know something. They set their own learning objectives and acquire knowledge, skills and information in their own ways. This could be through asking questions, observing experts, practicing and conversing. It's the kind of natural learning humans do outside of a structured environment.

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN: Instructional design involves the identification of the knowledge, information, and skill gaps of a particular group of people and creating or selecting learning experiences that close this gap. Instructional designers base their learning decisions on cognitive psychology, instructional theory and best practices.

INSTRUCTOR LED TRAINING (ILT): ILT typically refers to providing instruction in a classroom environment where the instructor and learners are together at the same time and in the same physical location.

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER: An instructional designer practices the craft and science of instructional design. This person identifies the needs of a targeted audience and determines the best approaches for meeting the audience's needs. It could involve designing and writing online learning courses as well as writing the manuals needed for Instructor-Led Training. Some instructional designers also create graphics and use authoring systems to produce online courses.

INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA: Interactive multimedia allows learners to provide input to an online course and receive feedback as a result of the input. The input might consist of a mouse click or drag, gestures, voice commands, touching an input screen, text entry and live interactions with connected participants.

MOBILE LEARNING: Learning that takes place on a hand-held device, such as a mobile phone, that can take place anytime and anywhere.

MULTIMEDIA: Multimedia refers to the presentation of information and instruction through a combination of graphics, audio, text, or video. Multimedia instruction is often interactive.

ONLINE LEARNING: The term online learning is often used synonymously with eLearning. It is an umbrella term that includes any type of learning accomplished on a computer and usually over the Internet.

SELF-PACED LEARNING: Self-paced learning refers to the type of instruction that allows a person to control the flow of the courseware. It implies the learning environment is asynchronous.

SOCIAL MEDIA LEARNING: Social media learning refers to the acquisition of information and skills through social technologies that allow people to collaborate, converse, provide input, create content and share it. Examples of social media learning can occur through online social networking platforms, blogs and microblogs (like Twitter), online talk radio and wikis.

STREAMING MEDIA: Streaming media refers to video and audio that is downloaded to a computer from the Internet as a continuous stream of data and is played as it reaches the destination computer.

SYNCHRONOUS LEARNING: When learners participate in an online learning course at the same time but in different locations, it is known as synchronous learning. Synchronous learning allows learners to interact with the instructor and other participants. This is done through software that creates a virtual classroom.

VIDEO CONFERENCING: Video conferencing refers to the use of video technology (both hardware and software) to create a virtual meeting between two or more people in different physical locations. Participants can see and hear each other through this technology.

VIRTUAL CLASSROOM: The virtual classroom refers to a digital classroom learning environment that takes place over the Internet rather than in a physical classroom. It is implemented through software that allows an instructor and students to interact.

WEBINAR: A webinar is a seminar or workshop in which the facilitator and participants view the same screen at the same time. Usually the webinar has an audio component that the facilitator controls and functionality that allows participants to chat by entering text, answering polls, raising their hands and asking questions.

WEB-BASED TRAINING (WBT): WBT refers to all types of digital instruction in which the learning material is presented via the Internet.

Author: Connie Malamed, Online Learning and Visual Communication Consultant
Visit http://theelearningcoach.com for tips, guidance and product reviews about designing and developing online learning.

For more effective visual communication, check out my book: Visual Language For Designers

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Lingerie and Online Shopping

Is On-line Lingerie Shopping For You?

Many people go to a store to buy their sexy and intimate lingerie wear but you do not have to. On-line buying of lingerie is currently one of the fastest growing industries on the Internet. Why is this? The busy lifestyle of women today dictates how much time the modern woman has to go shopping for all the needs she may have. Modern living also dictates how much time we get to think about and pamper ourselves. You may have bills to pay, birthday presents, Christmas presents to buy, you may have to take your children to school, have meals to make and many other things on your daily list. This list is endless for the busy working mothers of the world. Whether you are in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, London, Edinburgh, Moscow or any other location in the world, the story of a working woman with children is usually the same, your life is full. Single girls and women have more time on their hands, these girls and women are more likely to be the groups that do shop online because they have more time and this extra time means they may be more Internet savvy.

Technology was Meant to Speed Up Our Lives, Wasn't It?

Technology was meant to speed up our lives and get our ball rolling but in some cases when there is a malfunction and maybe your printer jams up for the 15th time, you may be asking yourself, "Is technology really saving me time?" Technology was supposed to streamline our lives, the constant whirring of the computer with its millions of computations a second was supposed to make things easier. In some ways the computer does makes things easier but if you just bought a computer for the Internet only with no knowledge of code and some cryptographic Microsoft error message pops up on the screen, you will be lucky to see the other side of two hours, without pulling all of your hair out and maybe striking the computer a few times with a large object. So streamlining your life maybe is maybe an incorrect assumption to have. Social networking is the biggest killer of time in my opinion, 400 or more contacts on facebook (the biggest life laxative), the possibility of 400 or more separate conversations at one time, then you need to twitter the crap that you just learnt from some old school friend who you could not even remember until they contacted you. Now, this old forgotten school friend has shared a funny video that everyone in the world must see in the next 5 minutes or you're it. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah! Back to school with a vengeance! No wonder the computer is not helping us out, two reports to complete but I am playing 'Kick the cat', or 'Throw the shoe at Bush' game again. After this you have to check your gmail, hotmail, ferked mail and not forgetting yahoo - yeehah! So, it goes without saying we are slowed down by this constant barrage of mail programs and social networking chaff we should join just because our friends did.

On-line Shopping is Speedy

On-line shopping is one of the few things on the internet that does not actually suck the life out of your time or the time out of your life, whichever is more appropriate. On-line shopping, "speedy", you may be asking yourself. It is speedy, I can explain, you browse your shop and look at almost 300 different items in one fell swoop. All of the items are displayed, there is no waiting for shop assistants, no queues, no beating back the sales shoppers and plenty of time to browse if you wish. If you find the item on the first page, you click, you click again enter your credit card details and address to send to, click another one or two times dependant on the shopping cart and merchant software and then the item is yours. Ok, so the item is not in your hands, but then you have the excitement of usually a maximum of 5-10 days of anticipation of how sexy you will look in your new chemise or leather basque, or how elegant you will look in your new ball-gown. Some people just look and never buy even though the prices are usually much cheaper than in the stores because of lack of expensive overheads.

On-line Stores, Lingerie, Electronics and Much More

Usually your on-line retailer will carry many products sometimes much more than a small boutique or store. For instance a small niche lingerie shop on main street may on-line may only carry 50 - 100 different styles of sexy lingerie and the other items they stock are in a catalogue which will inevitably require a wait and for the products to be ordered somewhere on-line. If the boutiques are inevitably going to order on-line then you may as well cut out the middle man and do this ordering on-line yourself. When ordering on-line you can usually shop 24 hours a day, so there is no husband or children saying, "Can we go now!" This way you have more opportunity to find the products that appeal to you. You can order your item at 2 O'clock in the morning if you need to. You can usually see if it is in stock right away. Normally, items that are out of stock are shown that they are out of stock before you complete an order. In most main street stores they would probably tell you it is in stock and some non-interested teenager Saturday girl will probably fumble in the back for a ten minutes and then pull out a completely different item and after a further ten minutes of fumbling aimlessly in a darkened hole of a store room say, "Sorry, Madam I am afraid it is out of stock!"

Off-line Shopping is Out and Online Shopping is In

Overall, on-line stores are the way to go for more varieties of sexy lingerie, costumes, shoes, accessories and many other items that can be purchased on-line. Also for the fact that you can quickly tell if your item is in stock or not and for an efficient friendly and not in your face service. If you are a busy working individual then online shopping is the only way ahead for you. You can better manage your time and use this extra time maybe for more partying, being sexy and having fun.

Ellie is a sexy lingerie expert. For more great information and to buy a sexy lingerie item or two check the sexy lingerie sitemap, or visit our main site http://www.lingerie2order.com.