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| Lagniappe:
Glossary |
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| asynchronous—Happening
at different times. For example, in online
learning, threaded discussions are said to be asynchronous
because the text for the initial discussion may be put in hours
or
days before the text for the corresponding comments. |
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| B |
| browser—Computer
software that enables the user to access information on the World
Wide Web. Netscape Navigator and Microsoft’s
Internet Explorer are two of the most common browsers. |
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| C |
| chat—Synchronous
form of online communication
in which two or more individuals communicate by using their computers
to send text messages rapidly back and forth. |
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| chat
room—Computer-based environment in
which chat
communication takes place. The chat area usually appears on the computer
screen as a white box in which all incoming and outgoing text messages
are shown. |
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| copyright—The
exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, or sell text, music,
or artistic works. |
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| course
management system (CMS)—Software
that resides on a server and provides
instructors an environment in which they can implement most, if
not
all, of the technologies necessary in online learning.
Most CMS packages provide places for students to access the course
materials, chat rooms, threaded discussion
groups, e-mail, online assessments,
and more. Blackboard and WebCT are popular CMS packages. |
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| D |
| digital
drop box—Feature of a course management system that allows
students to submit their assignments to the instructor in a digital
format. |
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| discussion
board—An
electronic communications environment in which the user can both
post and respond to messages. The term is synonymous with
bulletin board, discussion forums, electronic bulletin
board, and threaded discussion. |
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| distance
education—A
form of education in which most of the instruction occurs when the
teacher and students are not in the same place. |
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| download—Transfer
of a file from a remote computer or server
to a local computer; reverse of upload. It is also
correct to refer to the copying of files from one disk to another
as downloading the files. |
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| E |
| electronic
bulletin board—An
electronic communications environment in which the user can both
post and respond to messages. The term is synonymous with
bulletin board, discussion board, discussion
forums,
and threaded discussion. |
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| e-mail
- Electronic mail; message or messages sent or received electronically
over a computer network, such as between personal computers. |
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| emoticon—A “face” created
by using special characters on a computer keyboard. Emoticons are
often used to express emotions
without words in e-mail or online
discussions. For example, this winking face ;-) indicates "I'm
joking.” |
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| F |
| f2f—Face
to face. In education, this refers to the traditional classroom
setting where teachers and students are present in class
at the same time. |
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| fair
use—The
legal concept that enables teachers to use certain copyrighted
materials for instructional purposes without the express permission
of the copyright holder. |
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| FAQ—Acronym
for "frequently asked questions." Many Web sites
have a FAQ page in which answers are provided to the most frequently
asked
questions regarding the Web site's subject material. |
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| G |
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| H |
| hypertext
markup language (HTML)—Code used to create Web pages. Although HTML code can be generated
with most word processors, there are a number of programs (such as
Macromedia Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage) that provide a “what
you see is what you get” environment for Web-page production. |
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| hybrid—Educational
setting in which a course is delivered partially
online and partially face to face. |
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| hyperlink—An
area (text or a graphic) on a Web page that, when clicked, opens
another Web page or brings the user to a different place on
the original page. Areas of a page that have hyperlinks are said
to
be “hot” or “clickable.” |
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| I |
| instructional-design
process—Systematic method for planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating
instruction that is based on identified learner needs and content
requirements. |
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| instructional
objective—Statement of a new capability that is intended to result from instruction,
e.g., what learners should know and be able to do as a result of
participating
in the learning activities of a course. Objectives should be stated
as specifically as possible using action verbs that describe behaviors
that can be observed and measured. |
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| Internet—A worldwide network of computer networks
that use common protocols to facilitate data transmission
and exchange. |
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| Internet
service provider (ISP)—Organization
or company providing Internet
access to a user, normally for a fee. In addition to this service,
a user needs to have a computer with a browser, a
modem, and a phone line or cable connection. Common
ISPs are America Online (AOL) and Cox Communications. |
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| J |
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| K |
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| L |
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| M |
| modem—Computer
hardware that provides a way to connect a computer to a telephone
line or cable to access the Internet.
Most modern modems are cards that are installed internally in the
computer. |
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multimedia—The
integration of text, audio, video, and/or graphics in the digital
environment. |
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| N |
| netiquette—Network etiquette, or rules of courtesy for online
communication. |
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| O |
| online—Connected
to or available through the Internet.
Information that is online is available through the Internet. |
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| operating
system (OS)—System
software. All computers have an operating system installed to enable
the computer to open programs, manage files, and complete
most basic tasks. Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows ME are common
operating systems on Windows compatible computers. OS 9.6 and OS
X
are operating systems used on Macintosh computers. UNIX is an operating
system quite commonly found on servers. |
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| P |
| plug-in—Small
program that activates itself when needed and supplements a Web browser. A plug-in must first be downloaded
and installed by the user. Adobe Acrobat Reader is an example of
a plug-in and is used to display an Adobe Acrobat document
in a
browser window. |
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| Q |
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| R |
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| S |
| scanning—The
act of converting a hard copy (text, graphic, or slide) into a
digital format by using a device called a scanner. |
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| server—Computer
with special software installed that allows the computer to
“serve” or disseminate Web pages across the Internet. |
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| streaming
media—Audio
and/or video files sent in a continuous stream from a source
computer (usually through a Web site) to a receiving computer.
The receiver can hear/see the content in real time by using an appropriate
“player” software. Streaming technologies enable large
media files, which can take a long time to download,
to begin displaying while the download is still
in progress. |
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| synchronous—Happening
at the same time. An example of synchronous communication that
occurs in the online learning environment is
virtual chat. |
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| T |
| teleconference—Conference held among people in different locations by utilizing
telecommunications equipment, such as telephones or closed-circuit
television. |
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| threaded
discussion—An electronic communications environment in which the user can both
post and respond to messages. The term is synonymous with bulletin
board, discussion board, discussion
forums, and electronic
bulletin board. |
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| U |
| upload—Transfer
of a file from a local computer to a remote computer or server; reverse of download. |
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| URL—Acronym
for "uniform resource locator," a unique Web address
for an Internet site. Most browsers
display the URL for the current Web site at the top of the browser
window. |
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| V |
| videoconference—Teleconference conducted via closed-circuit television. |
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| W |
| webmaster—A
person, usually a programmer, who runs a Web server. |
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| whiteboard—Online
equivalent of a chalkboard. During an online
discussion, the instructor and students can share this drawing palette,
insert text and graphics, upload an image file from
a computer, and save an image file for future use. |
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| WinZip—A
program used to compress large files before uploading
them to the Internet. Compression reduces the file
size, thus reducing the time of transmission. The demo version (free)
or full-featured version (for purchase) can be obtained from WinZip.
(http://www.winzip.com). |
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| World
Wide Web (WWW)—Immense
network of Internet sites that share
common protocols, thus allowing displays of text, graphics, sound,
and animation resources as well as hyperlinks within
and between sites. |
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| WYSIWYG (pronounced wiz'-ee-wig)—Acronym for "what you see is what you
get." Pages on the World Wide Web are based on a text-like coding
language
called Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Early Web-page
developers used this code to build pages; however, they could
not see what the page actually looked like until they loaded it into
a browser window. In the newest generation of WYSIWYG
Web-page editors, such as Macromedia Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage,
as the developer adds text, graphics, and links to a page, he
views the page in the Web editor, seeing it as it will appear in
a
browser. |
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| X |
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| Y |
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| Z |
| Zip
disk—Portable
hard disk for storing and retrieving files. The disks and the
drives that read them come in several different sizes,
including
100 MB, 250 MB, and 750 MB. Care must be taken to match the appropriate
disks to the drive; a 100 MB drive will read only 100 MB disks, but
a 750 MB drive will read a 750 MB and any smaller disk.. |
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Developers of
the LSU System Online Teaching Model express sincere gratitude
to the Louisiana
Board of Regents and their Distance Education Initiative
(Supporting Electronic Learning and Empowering Campus Transitions
[SELECT[),
which provided funding for planning,
research, and development of this site. |
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