A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Authoring Tool - a software application used to create e-learning content, that is then delivered to users as learning modules. Learning modules are commonly compliant with SCORM or IMS standards for example.
BECTA - (British Educational Communications Technology Agency) - is the Government's key partner in the strategic development and delivery of its information and communications technology (ICT) and e-learning.
Blended Learning - a learning environment that combines face-to-face teaching with e-learning content. Blended learning can be used to describe any learning where a combination of delivery methods is used.
Blog - a web-based personal journal, that can contain text, images, links to other sites etc. Blogs can be interactive, and play an important role in social networking. They can however be strongly opinionated, and care must be taken to verify any "factual" information contained.
Browser - a software application that allows users to view web content. Common examples are Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Opera
CETIS – The Centre for Educational Technology Interoperability Standards. CETIS is a research centre at the University of Bolton, exploring the potential impact of information and communication technologies on learning and the education system.
CMS - Content Management System - a programme to allow content to be created, organised and presented, usually onto web pages.
Common Cartridge - The IMS Common Cartridge specification combines three of IMS's most widely adopted specifications, Content Packaging, Question/Test Interoperability, and Metadata, with the IMS Tools Interoperability Protocol, which enables standards-based data exchange between learning management platforms and standalone learning tools, such as adaptive tutors or assessment engines.
(Source: IMS web site)
Click here for more information.
Granularity - the degree of detail into which a complex learning object can be broken down.
IEEE LTSC - The IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee is chartered by the IEEE Computer Society Standards Activity Board to develop internationally accredited technical standards, recommended practices, and guides for learning technology.
IMS - The IMS Global Learning Consortium develops and promotes the adoption of open technical specifications for interoperable learning technology.
Intellectual Property - any idea, invention, work of art etc. owned by an individual or an organisation. Intellectual Property can be protected by copyright, patents or trademarks.
Interoperability - the IEEE defines interoperability as:
"the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged."
ISO - International Organisation for Standardisation - see ISO web site
JISC - JISC - Joint Information Systems Committee of the Higher and Further Education Funding Councils.
JORUM - JORUM is a JISC-funded collaborative venture in UK Higher and Further Education to collect and share learning and teaching materials, allowing their reuse and repurposing and standing as a national statement of the importance of creating interoperable, sustainable materials. It is the first service to be run jointly between the EDINA and MIMAS national data centres.
The Jorum repository (offering a searchable online library of learning and teaching resources for UK teaching staff) uses intraLibrary.
Knowledge Asset - any items of intellectual property owned by an organisation.
Knowledge Management - the process of capturing, organising and storing information within an organisation.
LCMS - Learning Content Management System - a software application(s) that manages the creation, storage, use and reuse of learning content.
Learning Environment - the physical (classroom) or virtual (web) environment where learning takes place.
Learning Object - a reusable, delivery-independent collection of information used as a modular building block for e-learning content.
Learning Portal - a web-based facility that offers learners access to learning and training resources from multiple sources.
LMS - Learning Management System - Software that automates the administration of learning. It usually focuses on managing content from various providers and publishers.
Metadata - data that describes other data or information, allowing it to be stored and retrieved from a database.
Open Source - software for which the source code is freely available for modification.
Open Standards - a means by which hardware and software can work together as a result of having common, rather than proprietary, standards of interoperability.
Personalisation - the degree to which learning content is tailored to the individual. See presentation here given at the Intrallect Future Visions event in Edinburgh in February 2007 by Colin Milligan of The University of Strathclyde on this subject.
Portal - see Learning Portal
Repurpose - revise content to make it suitable for use in another learning situation.
Reusable - make content adaptable so that it's value can be realised many times over.
ROI - Return on Investment - when applied to learning objects, the more they can be repurposed and reused, the greater will be the return on the original investment made in creating them.
Schema - a description of the internal structure of a database, including the relationship between elements of the database.
SCORM - Shareable Content Object Reference Model: a technical specification that governs how online training (or "e-learning") is created and delivered.
Upload - to send a file from one computer to another, or to a server.
WBT - Web-based Training - delivery of educational content over the web. It would usually contain links to other sources of information, and also a means of managing the course content and the student's progress and achievement.
Web Cast - to stream a broadcast on the internet, and also make it available for download