A Parent’s Guide to eLearning Terminology

eLearning—also called virtual learning, remote education, and a number of other names—has increased tremendously in popularity this year. Parental opinions about this shift are varied, but, like it or not, eLearning may be here to stay. Studies find that students may retain more information from online classes and learn in less time. Institutions are also realizing that, by pivoting their courses to an online format, they can save on overhead costs.  

For these reasons, parents should consider the possibility that eLearning may become “the new normal” for their kids—or at least more common than before. With this change in educational format comes more responsibility for parents, and one of the to-dos is learning the basic terminology in this sector.  

Rather than getting overwhelmed by acronyms and technical references, parents can focus on understanding the jargon they’re most likely to encounter. For instance, you can start by familiarizing yourself with the following high-frequency terms:

Asynchronous learning

“Asynchronous,” as its prefix implies, is defined as not occurring at the same time. If your child’s enrichment class or school time involves asynchronous learning, that means they can complete the lessons at any time—there’s no specific hour when all students must log on for lectures or tests. The opposite is synchronous learning, which requires students to be at their computers at a set time. 

Blended learning

As the word “blended” suggests, this is a hybrid learning format in which online and in-person classes are given. Some schools may use blended learning during a transitional phase or because certain assignments, such as those that require lab work, simply cannot not be done from home. 

Self-paced learning

Self-paced learning is when—you guessed it!—the student sets the pace. This means there may not be any deadlines or, more likely, that deadlines are generous or flexible. Some summer courses may be self-paced in that students can advance through modules as they please, but the deadline to complete all assignments may be one date at the end of the term. 

Virtual classroom

A virtual classroom is the digital space where instructors and students interact online. Unlike physical classrooms that never cease to exist, virtual classrooms can be opened and closed upon the instructor’s command. To resemble the traditional learning experience, many virtual classrooms have been designed with digital whiteboards, a chat box, and an icon that students click to “raise their hands.”  

Audio conference

During synchronous meetings, most instructors enable their webcams and ask their students to do the same to give the online learning experience a more personal feel. When two or more users interact with their webcams on, it’s called a video conference. 

An audio conference is when two or more users interact only through sound, like a phone call but over the internet. Users may agree to an audio conference beforehand, or they may switch to one if a weak internet connection results in poor image quality. 

Module

A module is a block of educational content, which may consist of various class materials like videos, documents, pictures, and more. Each module, or course unit, typically pertains to one theme. Modules often must be completed in a set sequence.   

SSO 

SSO, or “single sign-on,” makes it possible for users to seamlessly access the different portals belonging to a single institution. With SSO, users have one set of credentials (a username and password) that allows them to open any of their school’s applications. There is no need to sign in separately, so a student can move from their email account to their virtual classroom, for instance, without logging in again.   

MOOC

MOOC is an acronym that stands for “massive open online course.” These are generally free virtual classes that are open to an unlimited or large number of students. Your child’s instructor may suggest that they enroll in a MOOC to fill knowledge gaps caused by the pandemic or to get a leg up on test prep. You may even want to consider enrolling in one yourself!  

Tiffany Sorensen holds a Master of Science in Spanish-English Translation from New York University. She works remotely from sunny Mexico, where she gives English and Spanish classes, writes educational articles, and designs practice tests for the ACT.