Glossary of Distance Learning Terms

Accessibility – Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination based on disability in any program or activity operated by recipients of federal funds. Section 508 requires schools and colleges to ensure that the technology they use is fully accessible and will afford a person with a disability the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and integrated manner, substantially equivalent ease of use. The person with a disability must be able to obtain the information as fully, equally and independently as a person without a disability, with or without the use of reasonable accommodation, including common and up to date auxiliary aids.

Course developer – An individual who uses systematic methodology and instructional theory to create online content for learners in the University’s learning management system that allows them to develop proficiency in a skill or gain knowledge about a given topic. This course can be created by a faculty member or as a “work made by hire.” The course developer may or may not be the primary course instructor (Bossier Parish CC, n.d.). The course developer may also be referred to as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) or Author (in contractual language).

Courseware – Digital instructional content that is created to support the delivery of an online course through the University's Learning Management System for educational purposes. This digital content includes instructional materials, assessments, and other personalized learning support material that provides an integrated online learning experience and is equipped for replication across multiple sections of the same course (Courseware in Context, n.d.).

Distance education – Distance Education refers to any mode of instruction in which there is a separation, in time or place, between the instructor and student. The federal Department of Education’s eligibility regulations, 34 CFR 600.2, define two types of distance education: 1) correspondence courses (including some courses offered on video cassettes), and 2) telecommunications courses offered via television, audio or computer (including the Internet).

Hybrid/blended course – Courses offered in a blended format with one or more required face-to-face class sessions and with one or more required online sessions. These courses offer the same semester credit hours as traditional semester-length classes. Hybrid courses may also be in an accelerated format with the course length spanning less than the traditional semester. Contact time may be satisfied through several means, which can include but is not limited to the following, web-based synchronous meetings using tele- and/or video-conferencing software at times scheduled in advance by the faculty member, academic engagement through interactive tutorials, video lectures, online chats, group discussions moderated by faculty, virtual study/group projects, engaging with class peers, and computer tutorials graded and reviewed by faculty. Low residency courses and programs also fall into this category.

Instructional designer (ID) - a person who creates educational materials and delivers training content in a variety of settings. An instructional designer (ID) collaborates with a Course Developer/SME to design learning experiences to best deliver the content and achieve the learning outcomes desired through the application of principles of adult learning theory, best practices in distance learning research and instructional systems design.

Intellectual property – Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce. Intellectual property rights fall into two primary areas: copyright (e.g., literary works, music, art) and industrial property (e.g., trademarks, patents, trade secrets). The purpose of assigning rights to intellectual property is to encourage innovation and creativity, and to protect the rights of authors. The concept of intellectual property serves to: foster the creation of intellectual properties of the best possible quality in order to further the academic mission of higher education; foster the dissemination of new knowledge and the maintenance of high academic standards; provide incentive for faculty, staff, and students to fully participate in the use and creation of intellectual properties; and support the concept that the ownership of intellectual property rights is not necessarily an all-or-nothing proposition (CETUS, n.d.; Udermann, 2017).

Learning management system (LMS) – A software application, typically accessed via a website, within which all aspects of an online course are held, documented and tracked, including content delivery, learning, communication, assessment, and evaluation. The University's LMS is Brightspace (owned by D2L), but we call our instance LIVE.

Online course – Courses offered entirely online without regard to face-to-face meetings. Students are expected to be academically engaged with comparable learning outcomes of a standard lecture course with alternate delivery methods. Contact time is satisfied through several means, which can include but is not limited to the following: a) web-based synchronous meetings using tele- and/or video-conferencing software at times scheduled in advance by the faculty member; b) academic engagement through interactive tutorials, video lectures, online chats, group discussions moderated by faculty, virtual study/group projects, engaging with class peers and computer tutorials graded and reviewed by faculty.

Online asynchronous course – A course offered entirely online that does not have any scheduled times when students and faculty simultaneously interact in a live, real-time session.

Online synchronous course – A course offered entirely online, but has at least one scheduled time when students and instructor must be logged in to attend a live, real-time class session, typically utilizing web conferencing software.

Regular and substantive interaction – This describes intentional interaction between faculty and students in the online environment and explicitly excludes that which is “wholly optional or initiated primarily by the student.” Other excluded behaviors include:

● Computer-generated feedback on objective assessments

● Recorded webinars, videos, and reading materials if the course design materials did not require the students to watch the webinars and then interact with an instructor.

● Contact with mentoring staff who are not directly providing instruction on the course’s subject matter.

Rather, regular and substantive interaction should be clearly articulated at the College/School or Department level for faculty and student expectations for engagement in the online environment and may include activities such as: submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam, an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; attending a study group that was assigned by the institution; contributing to an academic online discussion; and initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course (Davis, 2017). Regular and substantive interaction is a required component by the federal Department of Education in all distance education courses for institutions to maintain compliance with financial aid (Title IV) regulations.

University systems - University systems include software licensed through IT and/or OTTL. Some examples of this software, as of January 2019, include (but is not limited to): D2L/Brightspace (learning management system), Panopto (media management system), TurnItIn (plagiarism detection software), and Lockdown Browser (cheating prevention software). Systems not licensed by IT and/or OTTL, but rather pursued by individual faculty, departments, colleges/schools, etc., are considered non-University systems.