Glossary for Our Age

Important Glossaries You May Find Useful

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

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 writer’s 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

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

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 particular subject, especially one that is done in order to receive a degree at college or university

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-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

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

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

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)

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

journal

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

keywords

• words used to describe a specific theme or topic

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

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 don’t (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

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

online test / quiz

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

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

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

résumé

• see curriculum vitae

RSS

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

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

• 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

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

URL

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

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

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

YouTube

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

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Engr. Robindronath Mahato

Program Officer

World Bank Funded Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP)

Directorate of Technical Education 

Technical and Madrasah Education Division

Ministry of Education, Bangladesh

+8801711576950

robinecekuet@gmail.com