Friday, December 11, 2015

E-learning and other bad words

The "e" in "e-learning" troubles me. As long as it's there, "e-learning" will always seem like something separate from "learning". 

Some other words I don't like:
  • E-resource (seemingly anything online can be an e-resource)
  • Module (to refer to a lesson or unit)
  • Virtual learning environment (does learning occur "virtually" on it and not in reality?)
  • Learning management system (Big Brother would certainly like such a system connected through single-sign-on to his Mind Control Management System)
I like words such as...
  • Learning platform (I don't think we need to say "online learning platform" anymore. We are in the age of the platform after all.)
  • Lesson (with words such as online, interactive, downloadable, etc. to describe it)
  • Document, spreadsheet, slide set
  • Quiz (with words such as multiple-choice, adaptive, timed, automatically scored, etc. to describe it)
  • Assignment
  • Forum
  • Unit (which may contain content and activities) 
  • Course (as long as it's used to refer to a proper course and not just a set of "e-learning modules"--gah!)

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