iNACOL DEFINITIONS

The technology platform through which online courses are offered. A CMS includes software for the creation and editing of course content, communication tools, assessment tools, and other features designed to enhance access and ease of use.” (Watson & Kalmon, 2005, p. 120) See “Learning Management System”.

Any course offered over the Internet.

– Communication exchanges which occur in elapsed time between two or
more people. Examples are email, online discussion forums, message boards, blogs, podcasts, etc.

The use of educational software to enhance the mastering of educational concepts or standards without the involvement of a teacher.

A formally constituted organization (public, private, state, charter, etc.) that offers full-time education delivered primarily over the Internet; Term used synonymously with the terms “Virtual school”, “eSchool,” and “Online School” in some state policy. See “online school”.

Largely obsolete term losing favor in online community; synonymous with
Online Learning.

Refers to traditional school or traditional school building, as contrasted
with an online school.

Any time a student learns at least in part at a supervised
brick-and-mortar location away from home and at least in part through online delivery with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace; often used synonymously with

Hybrid Learning. (Horn and Staker, 2011)

General term for any type of educational activity in which the participants
are at a distance from each other--in other words, are separated in space. They may or may not be separated in time (asynchronous vs. synchronous).

– A venue for saving and sharing content. A digital content repository is an
online venue for saving and sharing digital content.

Norms of behavior with regard to technology use, including the practice of
netiquette, ethical and legal online behavior.

– Online or blended learning. See “Online Learning“ and “Blended Learning”.

A course that combines two modes of instruction, online and face-to-face.