Glossary

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A
app
an application, typically a small, specialised programme downloaded onto mobile devices

assignment

a set task, such as an essay or test, that must be completed as part of the course by a specific
date

asynchronous

activities (such as online conversations, debates, wikis etc) where individuals join in at whatever
time suits them rather than at the same sitting

audio file

computer file containing audio (sound) information

B
bibliographic database

collection of entries about published research articles (such as journal and newspaper articles,
conference proceedings, books, patents), searched using keywords and containing links to the
full text of those articles

blended learning

the use of both classroom teaching and online learning in education

blog

a website containing a writers or group of writers own experiences, observations, opinions,

etc.

blogger

a person who writes a blog

blogosphere

a term used to refer to all blogs on the Internet and the links between them

bookmark

a digital record of the location of a website saved locally for easy future access; also called
Favourites

boolean operators

search terms (such as AND, OR, NOT) used to construct complex online searches

C
chat

text-based messages between individuals using instant messaging tools, social networking
tools or chat functionality within online collaborative tools. Chat may be private between two
individuals or broadcast to many individuals
chat room

see Discussion board

citation

author and date details of a reference (e.g., Jones, 1994), provided in the text of a document
to acknowledge the source of an idea or knowledge. The full details are then provided in a
reference list at the end of the document

cluster (IT)

a room containing multiple PCs for use by students

co-curricular

related, but only complementary, to the official curriculum, as an activity outside the classroom

collaborative learning tool

software or website that allows multiple individuals to enter an online virtual space to view
and interact with the same resources simultaneously; often used for online teaching where a
teacher may speak to students and present learning resources electronically, allowing students
to speak, write notes and ask questions

collaborative writing

the process of multiple individuals simultaneously editing a shared document

comment

a text-based message posted on a website in response to another message or material

conference

a meeting for consultation and discussion

contact time

the amount of time a student can expect with tutors, either face-to-face or online
copyright

legal rights assigned to a creator of content or knowledge

course

can mean either a unit of teaching (also called module) or a whole programme of study

Creative Commons licence

a licence that allows you to reuse others work as long as you credit the copyright holder

curriculum

the lessons and academic content taught in a course or programme

curriculum vitae (CV)

known as a rsum in North America. Document used when applying for jobs, providing details
about employment, qualifications, skills, experience and interests

D
digital repository

a digital resource providing access to information or research in a variety of formats

discussion board

a tool that allows multiple individuals to share information and communicate online (often
asynchronously), organised by themes or topics. Also called message board or chat room

dissertation

a long piece of writing on a p articular s ubject, especially one that is done in o

rder to receive a
degree at college or u niversity

distance learning

education in which students receive instruction over the Internet instead of going to a physical
 location

download

to save a copy of a file from a website or server to a personal computer or mobile device

E
e-book

a digital version of a book

editor

an individual who edits (changes) documents to improve the language, flow of material, etc.

electronic whiteboard

a tool that allows multiple individuals to view (and draw on) a virtual whiteboard. Often used
within collaborative learning tools or virtual learning environments

e-reader

a portable electronic device used for reading books and other text materials that are in digital form

F
face-to-face

interaction that takes place in person, such as a lecture or tutorial, as opposed to online
interaction or electronic communications

favourites

see bookmarks

feedback

a reaction or response to a particular process or activity

flash

platform for delivering multimedia (e.g. audio, video, animation) interactive content

flipped learning

teaching method where materials and themes are watched, read or researched before contact
time and students come prepared with questions and discussion points

formative assessment

a test or quiz that does not count towards a module/course mark and which helps the learner to
develop their knowledge and understanding

full text

in the context of journal articles, getting access to the full article and not just the abstract

G
Google docs

set of tools freely available from Google for producing and sharing documents and presentations
online

GPS

Global Positioning System. Satellite navigation system that provides location information on
mobile devices

group assignment

coursework or project work that requires a group of students to work together

H
hashtag

in the context of the social media tool Twitter, use of the symbol # (hash) and a keyword to
search for themes or topics
host

in the context of the Internet, an Internet Service Provider (ISP)

I
instant messaging

see chat

internship

any official or formal programme to provide practical experience for beginners in an occupation
or profession

iTunes

online software provided by Apple for the downloading of music, podcasts, apps, videos and
other content

iTunesU

dedicated area of iTunes for academic material, including podcasts

J
journal

in academia, this means a scholarly publication containing original research, reviews and letters,
normally reviewed by experts before publication

K
keywords

words used to describe a specific theme or topic

L
laptop

a portable personal computer, also called a notebook

lecture

a teaching event where a subject expert (referred to as the lecturer) speaks to, and interacts
with, an audience

lecturer

an expert who can speak with authority on a given topic to a group of students. In UK
universities, lecturer is a rank for a member of academic staff

LinkedIn

a professional networking website that allows users to create an online CV

LMS

Learning Management System, often known as a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in the
UK. Online site, normally password protected, which contains learning resources and tools for
learning

M
message board

see discussion board

micro-blogging

short, text-based messages often containing URLs, used within social networking tools such as
Twitter

mobile device

broad term encompassing all hand-held devices, normally with touch-screen functionality. May
refer to devices that have telephony services (e.g. smartphones) or those that dont (e.g. tablet
devices)
mobile phone

a device that can make and receive phone calls away from the home or workplace. Normally
refers to devices with few other functions, as opposed to smartphones

moderator

in the context of discussion boards or lecture capture, means an individual who has
administrative rights and oversees content

module

a unit of teaching on an individual topic within a programme of study. May also be called a
course

N
netiquette

(short for Internet etiquette). Describes the conventions, rules and responsibilities for online
behaviour, particularly within blogs and discussion boards

network

in the context of computing, a collection of interconnected computers

news feed

provides a user with updated text or media content automatically. Commonly used for news,
podcasts, video and blogs. Also known as a web feed

O
online test / quiz

questions that can be assessed by computer and automatically marked e.g. multiple choice
questions
P
peer

in the context of peer support, another student studying at the same level

peer review

for scholarly work (e.g. journal articles, books, etc.) this means getting academic feedback and
opinions from one or more academics who are experts in the area, before publication - peer
review is also a type of step on the FutureLearn platform

personal computer

a computer that is normally desk-based with a separate monitor

personal development

activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential and facilitate
employability

placement

a period of study or work at a particular institution or business, for a given time, whilst still
registered as a student

plagiarism

the act of copying the work or ideas of other people without proper acknowledgement or
reference

podcast

a series of audio files published on the Internet in a file format that can be accessed by
podcasting sofware or tools

podcaster

a person who produces podcasts

portable media device

a hand-held device for playing audio and video content

post

in the context of blogs or discussion boards, this means publishing a content item

professional development

ongoing acquisition of skills and training throughout studies or work

programme

normally refers to all of the units of study that have to be completed in order to qualify for a
higher education award

R
rating

the ability of users to provide quantitative feedback on online content they have viewed. Can be
numerical (i.e.1-10) or stars which are then averaged for other users to see

reference

full details of an academic source used in an assignment or scholarly document. Normally

appears at the end of a document in a list, containing author, year, title, source and volume/
page details. Linked to citations embedded within documents

reference management tool

software tool or application for managing multiple academic scholarly documents (usually in the
form of journal articles). Can normally store documents and provide automated reference lists

referencing

notes in a publication referring the reader to the source of a passage or idea

rsum
 see curriculum vitae

RSS

Really Simple Syndication. System for creating news or web feeds. See also news feed

S
search engine

tool available on the Internet for searching for web pages, images, content etc.

semester

the academic year is split into two semesters. September to December and January to May

seminar

a small group of students engaged in advanced study and original research under a member of
the faculty and meeting regularly to exchange information and hold discussions

server

a computer that provides information to users or computers, normally across a computer

network

Slideshare

a website on which users upload and share slide presentations

smartphone

a hand-held device capable of making and receiving telephone calls but with other computing
facilities, normally including access to the Internet and installation of software applications
(apps)

social bookmarking tool

online services that allow users to store, share and access favourites or bookmarks for websites.
Some tools also allow user ratings and comments
social media

tools to allow users to create personal profiles, build networks of users and interact online via a
variety of media (e.g. text-based update, links, images, videos etc.)

social networking

using social media tools to interact with other users online

spam

in the context of computing, unwanted messages sent indiscriminately via email, blogs,
discussion boards or social media

sponsored links

in the context of search engines, these are links to web pages/services that appear at the top
or side of the search results page. Often used by advertisers

subject gateway service

in the context of finding scholarly information on the Internet, these are validated lists of links
relevant to students

subscribe

committing to receive electronic content

summative

assessment of achievements through marked, credit-bearing tasks

synchronisation

the process of connecting your mobile device to your computer or service provider to upload/
download material

T
tablet
 a handheld computer with a touchscreen and the ability to connect to the Internet

tablet computer

a form of mobile device with a large touch screen that has a wide range of functionality

tags

keywords added to content to signify themes or topics

technology

use of machines or tools to perform tasks

term

one of the three roughly equal time periods in an academic year

text editor

feature in software or webpages to allow users to edit and format text

thread

in the context of discussion boards, this means a series of messages (posts) around a particular
topic or theme

timetable

a list or table of events arranged according to the time when they take place

trend

in the context of the social media tool Twitter, this means a continually updated list of the most
commonly used word or hashtags being tweeted

troll, trolling

posting unnecessary, irrelevant or offensive material on social media

tutor
 in academia, this normally means an academic member of staff who interacts with students
individually or in small groups

tweet

a text-based message of fewer than 140 characters used on Twitter

U
URL

Uniform/Universal Resource Locator. For web content, this is the address or reference for accessing
material on the Internet
Back to top

V
video conferencing

tools that allow multiple users to interact with one another through the medium of video

video file

computer file containing video information

VLE

Virtual Learning Environment. See LMS

vodcast

a series of video files published on the Internet

voice over Internet protocol

tools for making and receiving telephone calls using the Internet

voting handset
 hand-held device connected wirelessly with a receiver that allows users to respond to on-screen
questions

W
WAV file

a common type of sound file that can be played and edited by many software tools and media
devices

web feed
see news feed

web-based

content or material on the Internet

webcam

device for recording and sending video information

webinars

online seminars or discussions that you register for and attend using your computer or mobile
device

website

set of related web-pages on the Internet, accessed via URLs and in-site navigation

wi-fi

mechanism allowing mobile devices to connect wirelessly to the Internet

wiki

a collaborative online space where students can use their knowledge to add to the collective
knowledge of the group. Anyone can introduce a new topic and edit existing material

wireless
 mechanism for sending digital information between devices without the use of wires/cables

wizard

step-by-step instructions to complete setup or installation processes

work placement

see placement

X
Y
YouTube

a video sharing service that allows users to watch videos posted by other users and upload
videos of their own