Glossary Index: 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

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[top] Attachment

Like an enclosed or attached document you might send along with a letter in the mail, an electronic attachment is a way of including a digital file in an email or other form of electronic delivery. An attachment can be any document that resides on your computer; recipients can open and view the attachment as long as they have the software necessary to read that file's format (e.g., Word, Acrobat Reader).

[top] Chat

Chat is a tool that enables students, mentors, and instructors to have real-time conversations with others in the course. When you log on to a course's chat feature, you can send messages back and forth to any other group members who are also logged on at that time.

[top] Discussion board

A tool used for communicating online with a group of people. Discussion boards allow users to "post" messages so they can be viewed by members of the group at their convenience. Messages are organized on the discussion board by topic for easy reference.

[top] Evaluation

A quiz that measures your understanding of the material covered in the activities and resources in a topic.

[top] Module

The course material is organized into modules that cover a subject area. Each module is broken down into topics and includes specific learning objectives that state the competencies you should gain by completing the activities in the module.

[top] Open forum

A course-long discussion with no particular topic; learners can use it to exchange ideas on whatever subject they want.

[top] Resource

Supporting material that serves as a complement to the activities and discussions in a topic.

[top] Required assignment (R)

An activity—like certain discussions and evaluations—that you must successfully participate in to complete the course.

[top] Scenario

A sketch of an authentic situation that facilitates your understanding of a topic.

[top] Student homepage

This is a document that describes your professional background, interests, and any other information you'd like to include that can optionally be shared with other members of the class. You're asked to create a homepage for each course you take with eCornell.

[top] Topic

Modules are broken down into topics. Each topic contains one or more activities, resources, and discussions for you to review and complete. Most topics revolve around a central problem-based activity.

[top] Utility

An interactive tool about a particular topic that allows you to apply what you're learning to a specific task.