This Glossary of ICT terminology, compiled by Graham Davies and Fred Riley, contains a list of technical terminology and terms specific to ICT and language learning and teaching. It also serves as an index to topics covered at the ICT4LT website. Anything underlined in blue will link you to further information, either within this Glossary, within the ICT4LT website, or anywhere on the Web as a whole. If you cannot find what you want here, try these other sources:
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Absolute Link: A term used by Web authors. In an HTML document a Relative Link indicates the location of a file relative to the document, whereas an absolute link specifies the full URL. For example, the relative link of this Glossary to the ICT4LT homepage is ../en/en_glossary.htm whereas it's absolute link is http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en_glossary.htm. It's generally better for Web authors to link to files within the same website using relative links rather than absolute links, as this makes site and file maintenance easier. See Section 5.4, Module 3.3, headed Shared resources.
Access: The name of a Database program forming part of the Microsoft Office suite of programs.
Accessibility: The fundamental issue regarding accessibility is that everyone should have access to the services provided by ICT, e.g. computer programs, Email and the World Wide Web, regardless of any visual, auditory, or other physical impairment they might have. Assistive Technology may be employed to increase access to such services, e.g. Text To Speech (TTS) screen readers, screen magnifiers, speech recognition systems, hearing assistance devices, etc. Designers of computer programs and websites need to take account of accessibility when choosing colours, fonts and font sizes, etc: see Font. See Section 4, Module 3.5 regarding speech technologies and how they may help unsighted and partially sighted computer users and people with hearing impairments. See SENDA. See Section 6.3.1, Module 3.3, headed HTML Validators, regarding website accessiblity.
Action Maze: A type of computer program used in Computer Assisted Language Learning. See Maze for a more detailed explanation.
Active Matrix: A term used to describe the newer type of computer Display Screen that makes use of Thin Film Transistor (TFT) technology: see TFT. Active matrix screens have excellent colour resolution and can display motion accurately and rapidly. See Resolution.
Additive Colour: A term used mainly by graphic designers. Additive colour is produced by the addition of light from a luminescent primary source. A light bulb appears white because it emits light in all colours of the visible spectrum, which combine to produce white light. All the colours in the light spectrum add up to make white light. Computer monitors use three additive colours, Red, Green and Blue (RGB), which are combined in different ways to produce millions of other colours. See CMY, RGB, Subtractive Colour.
Address Book: Usually supplied as part of your Email software. An address book in this sense is used to keep a record of all the email addresses of people whom you may wish to contact by email.
ADSL: Abbreviation for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A high-speed digital telephone connection that operates over an existing copper telephone line, allowing the same line to be used for voice calls. ADSL lines offer transmission speeds of at least 512Kbps, but nowadays usually in the range 1Mbps to 8Mbps, and are used mainly for Internet access. The term asymmetric is used because the data flows more quickly from the telephone exchange to the user than from the user to the exchange - because most Web users, for example, are more interested in receiving data quickly from websites rather than transmitting it. The term symmetric is used for connections where the data flows at the same speed in both directions, which is essential for accessing websites where there is a high degree of interactivity. See Broadband, ISDN, Kbps, Leased Line, Mbps.
Adventure Game: Adventure games date back to the early days of mainframe computing. The early adventure games consisted entirely of written text, but modern adventure games incorporate elaborate graphics, sound and video sequences. The dividing line between an adventure game and a Simulation is rather fuzzy. In both sorts of programs there are a number of obstacles to overcome, and the player has to indulge in mind-stretching lateral thinking in order to overcome them. Adventure games are often set in a fantasy world, e.g. Myst or Riven, but some are more down-to-earth and can play an important role in language teaching and learning, e.g. Who is Oscar Lake? See Section 3.4.9, Module 2.2, headed A simulation on CD-ROM. See Maze, MOO, MUD, MUVE.
Adware is software that may have been installed on your computer by a remote computer, i.e. via the Web. Many free utilities that you download from the Internet will install hidden software that sends details of the websites you visit and other information from your computer (which can include your email address) to advertisers so they can target you with popup ads and spam. See http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/bugs.htm, where tools for removing adware and spyware are described. See Spam, Spyware.
AI: Abbreviation for Artificial Intelligence.
AJAX: Acronym for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. AJAX is a Web programming tool (or rather a set of tools) that makes it possible to create interactive Web applications that work in much the same way as desktop applications, i.e. more responsive, more spontaneous, so that when you click on something on the Web page there is very little time delay - as in your desktop word-processor, for example. While you are browsing a Web page AJAX is working behind the scenes. AJAX allows your browser to fetch data from the Web and use it to update a fragment of the page without refreshing the whole page so that you don't have to wait for the whole Web page to refresh or reload each time you click on a button or initiate an action in some other way. This increases the Web page's interactivity, speed, functionality, and usability. Google Maps is a typical example of a Web application incorporating AJAX. Scroll around the map and watch it update itself with relatively little time delay: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps. AJAX is a programming tool that is used extensively in what are known as Web 2.0 applications. See Section 2.1, Module 1.5, headed What is Web 2.0?
ALTE: Abbreviation for Association of Language Testers in Europe.
Alt Key: The Alt keys can be found on either side of the space bar on a computer keyboard. They are commonly used in conjunction with a set of numbers to enable foreign characters to be typed. See ASCII, ANSI. See Section 5, Module 1.3, headed Typing foreign characters.
Analogue: The basic meaning of analogue is "something that corresponds to something else". For example, in the context of equipment used for recording and playing back sound, analogue refers to the way in which the sound is recorded and reproduced. If you look closely at the groove of a 33 rpm vinyl gramophone record you will see that it is essentially a continuous wave, an undulating series of "hills". These "hills" correspond to the nature and volume of the sound that has been recorded. As the stylus of the record player moves along the wave it produces vibrations that are amplified and converted into sound. A parallel can be drawn with radio transmissions, where the sound signals are transmitted in the form of invisible waves. Early mobile phones worked in a similar way. Older tape recorders and videocassette recorders are based on the same principle, except that the signals representing the sound and moving images are imprinted onto a plastic tape coated with a magnetic powder. All analogue recordings suffer from background noise, and the quality of reproduction gradually degrades as the record or tape wears out. If the recording is copied, the copy will not be as good as the original, regardless of the quality of the equipment used to copy it. See the contrasting term Digital.
Anchor: A term used in connection with HTML, the coding system used for creating Web pages. An anchor is the target of a Hyperlink, i.e. a point in a Web document to which you jump when you click on a hyperlink.
Animation: The display of a sequence of images in a computer program or on a Web page to give the impression of movement.
ANSI: Abbreviation for American National Standards Institute. This is a system that specifies code numbers for all the characters that appear on a computer Keyboard, plus the extended character set used in Microsoft Windows. It includes all the ASCII codes plus many others. Each character on the keyboard of a computer is assigned a unique ANSI code number, e.g. A = ANSI 065. Characters that don't appear on the keyboard can be typed by holding down the Alt key, pressing a series of digits on the number pad, e.g. ALT + 0233, and then releasing the Alt key. 0233 is the ANSI code for é. See also Unicode. See Alt Key. See Section 5, Module 1.3, headed Typing foreign characters.
Anonymous FTP: An anonymous FTP is a convention whereby users are not required to identify themselves with an account number, user name or password when they access a website from which they wish to download publicly available programs or files. Users may, however, be required to enter their email address before accessing certain websites. The vast majority of publicly available Freeware and Shareware archives on the Web permit anonymous FTP. See FTP.
Anorak: A colloquial term that is often used to describe someone who is fascinated by the technology of computers but not particularly interested in their applications. A synonym is Trainspotter. Both terms are closely allied to Geek, Nerd and Techie - which have slightly different connotations.
Anti-virus Software: See Virus.
Apache: The most popular Web Server software on the World Wide Web. Apache runs mainly on Unix systems, although there is also a Microsoft Windows version. The Apache Project website is at http://www.apache.org
API: Abbreviation for Application Programming Interface. API is a so-called protocol of communication that enables different computer programs to communicate with one another. A good API makes it easier to develop a program by providing all the building blocks that the programmer needs. Although APIs are designed for programmers, they are also good for program users insofar as they guarantee that all programs using a common API will have similar interfaces. This makes it easier for users to learn new programs.
Applet: A small program written in the Java programming language and embedded in a Web page. When you use your Browser to access a Web page, an applet may run "inside" the Web page, as it were, to perform an interactive animation, make a calculation or carry out another simple task.
Application: A computer program or a suite of computer programs that performs a particular function for the user, such as a word-processor, e.g. Microsoft Word, or a range of functions, such as Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Office. See Computer Program, Operating System, Windows, Word-processor.
Archive: Used to describe documents or files that are not immediately needed but which should not be completely discarded. An archive may be stored on a separate Hard Disk, CD-ROM, DVD or other Storage Medium. Also used to describe stored messages that have been contributed to discussion lists or blogs. Also used as a verb. See Blog, Discussion List.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): The ability of a computer to mimic human attributes in finding a solution to a problem. Artificial Intelligence techniques are applied in various ways in computer applications in the language world, e.g. in Machine Translation (MT) programs and in grammar and style checkers. See Module 3.5, Human Language Technologies (HLT), especially Section 6, headed Human Language Technologies and CALL, and Section 8 on Parser-based CALL. See ICALL (Intelligent CALL).
ASCII: Abbreviation for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. This is a system that specifies code numbers for all the characters that appear on a computer Keyboard, plus other specialised characters. Each character on the keyboard of a computer is assigned a unique ASCII code number, e.g. A = ASCII 65. Characters that don't appear on the keyboard can be typed by holding down the Alt key, pressing a series of digits on the number pad, e.g. ALT + 130, and then releasing the Alt key. 130 is the ASCII code for é. The ANSI character set (as used in Microsoft Windows) includes many more characters, Unicode includes even more and is becoming a standard coding system. See Unicode. See Alt Key. See Section 5, Module 1.3, headed Typing foreign characters.
ASF: Abbreviation for Advanced Streaming Format. This is Microsoft's own file format that stores both audio and video information and is specially designed to run over the Internet. ASF enables content to be delivered as a continuous stream of streaming audio or streaming video data.with little wait time before playback begins. This means that you no longer have to wait for your audio and video files to fully download before starting to view them. See Streaming. See AVI, MOV, MPEG, RM, which are alternative video file formats. See Media Player. See Section 2.2.3.4, Module 2.2, headed Video editing software.
ASR: Abbreviation for Automatic Speech Recognition.
Assistive Technology: This term describes computer software or devices used by people with special needs to enable them to access the services provided by ICT, e.g. computer programs, Email and the World Wide Web. Technologies under this heading include Text To Speech (TTS) screen readers for the unsighted or partially sighted, alternative keyboards and mice for people who have problems in hand-eye coordination, head-pointing devices, speech recognition software, and screen magnification software. See Accessibility, Pointing Device, SENDA.
Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE): An association of providers of foreign language examinations: http://www.alte.org
Asynchronous: "Not at the same time". Often used to refer to communication by Email or via a Discussion List, where the recipients of the email or the participants in the discussion do not have to be present at the same time and can respond at their own convenience. A feature of asynchronous learning is that the teachers and learners do not have to be present at their computers at the same time. See Synchronous. See Section 14, Module 1.5, headed Computer Mediated Communication (CMC).
Attachment: A term used in connection with Email. An attachment can be a File of almost any kind - a document file, an image file, a sound file or a video clip - that you can add, i.e. attach, to an email.
Attribute: A term used by Web authors. An attribute of an HTML tag controls how that tag operates. For example, in the HTML fragment <img src="../images/home01.gif" alt="English home page">, the required attribute src defines the image file to be displayed, and the optional attribute alt defines the text to be displayed when the Mouse moves over the image. Attributes can only exist within tags. See HTML, Tag.
Audio Card: See Sound Card.
Audioconferencing or Audio Conferencing: A computer-based communications system that allows a group of computer users at different locations to conduct a "virtual conference" in which the participants can hear one another as if they were in the same room participating in a real conference. Unlike Videoconferencing, audioconferencing systems do not allow the participants to see one another. See Conferencing. See Section 14.1.2, Module 1.5, headed Audioconferencing: a synchronous communications medium.
Authoring Package / Authoring Program / Authoring Tool: These terms describe content-free software packages that allow the teacher to develop interactive learning and teaching materials without having to have a detailed knowledge of a computer Programming Language. These terms may also be applied to software packages used for creating Web pages, e.g. Front Page or Dreamweaver. See Module 2.5, Introduction to CALL authoring programs. See Module 3.2, CALL software design and implementation. See Module 3.3, Creating a World Wide Web site. See Content-Free.
Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR): A branch of Human Language Technologies devoted to the automatic processing of human speech. See Speech Recognition. See Section 4, Module 3.5, headed Speech technologies.
Avatar: A graphical representation of a real person, such as used in a MUVE or MMORPG, a kind of "virtual world". Participants in a MUVE or MMORPG choose a name and a visual representation of the character that they wish to adopt as an inhabitant of the MUVE or player in the MMORPG. See Section 14.2, Module 1.5, headed Chat rooms, MUDs, MOOs and MUVEs.
AVI: Abbreviation for Audio Video Interleave (or Interleaved). A file format for storing video recordings on a computer. See ASF, MOV, MPEG, RM, which are alternative video file formats. See Media Player. See Section 2.2.3.4, Module 2.2, headed Video editing software.
Backup or Back Up: Used as a verb, to back up means to copy a File or Folder from your computer to another Storage Medium, e.g. a CD-ROM, as a precaution in case your Hard Drive fails or is infected by a Virus. A backup, used as a noun, or a backup copy describes a copy that you have made in this way. It is essential to back up new files and folders at regular intervals.
Bandwidth: The amount of data that can be sent from one computer to another through a particular connection in a certain amount of time, e.g. via a computer to the Internet and vice versa. The more bandwidth available, the faster you are able to access information. Bandwidth is usually measured in kilobits per second (Kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps). See ADSL, Broadband, Kilobit, Megabit, Narrowband.
Baud: A unit of measurement at which data can be transferred (i.e. the baud rate), for example over a telephone line via a Modem or from a computer to an external device such as a Printer. Rarely used nowadays, as transfer transfer rates are normally expressed in kilobits per second (Kbbs) or megabits per second (Mbps).
BBS: Abbreviation for Bulletin Board System. See Bulletin Board.
BECTA: Acronym for British Educational and Communications Agency. A UK government agency that provides information and advice on the use of educational technologies: http://www.becta.org.uk
Binary: A number system using base 2 instead of the usual (human) base 10, which is normally referred to as the decimal system. Computers use base 2 because they can only recognise two values, 1 or 0. This is simulated electronically by using a device, such as a switch, which is either on (1) or off (0). All numbers are represented by combinations of ones and zeroes, thus the number 9 is represented as 1001, the right-most column being the units column and the other columns, moving from right to left, being 2, 4, 8. See Hexadecimal.
Binary File: Strictly speaking all computer files are Binary, consisting of a string of ones and zeroes, but the term binary file is often used to differentiate program files and data files from text files, which contain only unformatted printable ASCII characters. See ASCII, Text File.
BIOS: Acronym for Basic Input/Output System. This is a built-in ROM Chip on the Motherboard containing essential programs to manage the computer's input and output, which are loaded into memory during the boot process. See Boot, ROM.
Bit: Contraction of binary digit. A bit is the smallest measurement unit of computer memory or data transmission speed, e.g. via a Modem. See the entry on Measurement Units. See Byte, Kilobit, Kilobyte, Megabit, Megabyte.
Bitmap: A computer graphic or image composed of thousands of individual dots or pixels, each pixel being stored as a number. The image is displayed by specifying the colour of each pixel. Bit-mapped graphics can be imported into other applications, e.g. a word-processor, but they cannot be edited within these applications. When bit-mapped graphics are resized they usually suffer a loss of sharpness, whereas vector graphics can be resized without such loss. See BMP, Pixel, Resolution, Vector Graphic.
Blackboard: A commercial Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) package, i.e. a software package that integrates online communications software with content software enabling teachers to create courses that are delivered partially or entirely via the Web. Courses using Blackboard might be mainly text-based, but can be enhanced with images, audio and video. See: http://www.blackboard.com. Blackboard and WebCT announced an agreement to merge in October 2005.
Blended Learning: This term normally refers to combining Internet-based distance learning with face-to-face tuition but it may also be used to describe combining offline ICT-based materials with more traditional materials, such as books, audiocassettes and videocassettes. See Distance Learning, E-learning, Online Learning, Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). See Section 4, Module 2.3 under the heading Hybrid systems and blended learning.
Blog: Contraction of the term Weblog. A blog is essentially a website that contains discrete pieces of information posted by different users. New items of information are usually entered by contributors via a simple form, following the introduction of each new theme by a person who initiates the blog, and then submitted to the site, where they may be filtered by an administrator before being posted. A blog can contain news items, short essays, annotated links, documents, graphics, and multimedia. These posts are usually in reverse chronological order and often take the form of a journal or diary. A blog is normally accessible to any Internet user, but closed blogs may also be created, e.g. to document the thoughts and experiences of a group of students or to provide a means of communication between teachers and students following a particular course. The word blog is also used as a verb and Blogger is used as a noun to describe someone who blogs (see next entry). A blog is usually distinguished from an Internet Discussion List (also known as a Forum), but the latter can function in a similar way insofar as it typically allows any user to post messages to it that can be viewed via the Web. See RSS, Splog. See also Wiki. See Section 12, Module 1.5, headed Discussion lists, blogs, wikis, social networking. The ICT4LT website blog is at: http://ictforlanguageteachers.blogspot.com
Blogger: Normally used to refer to someone who blogs, i.e. who regularly writes blogs. Also used to describe a service that provides Web-based tools used by individuals to create a Blog or Weblog. See http://www.blogger.com
Bluetooth: Bluetooth is a technical industry standard for radio technology which facilitates the transmission of signals over short distances (up to around 10 metres) between telephones, computers and other devices without the use of wires. For example, a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone can communicate with a desktop computer for the purpose of synchronising data, such as an appointments diary.
BMP: Abbreviation for Bitmap, a file format for storing images. This is the standard format used, for example, by Windows Paint. BMP image files occupy quite a lot of space compared to other formats. See EPS, GIF, JPEG/JPG, TIFF. See also Section 2.2.3.1, Module 2.2, headed Image editing software.
Bookmark: A bookmark is a facility within a Browser that enables you to keep a record of Web pages that you have visited and may wish to visit again. Bookmarks are stored in a subdirectory of the Windows directory on your computer. In Internet Explorer bookmarks are known as Favorites (sic - spelt the American way), which is also the name of the subdirectory in which they are stored. Bookmarks are also used to mark positions in a Word document, i.e. positions to which you can jump from other points in the document by clicking on them with the Mouse.
Boot: (verb) To start up a computer by loading the operating system into memory. The computer is regarded as bootstrapping itself into operation, i.e. picking itself up by its own bootstraps. The adjective bootable is often used to describe a floppy disk that can be used to start a computer, e.g. when the hard disk fails or becomes corrupted for some reason. See Operating System.
Bot: Short for Robot. See Crawler.
bps: Abbreviation for bits per second, the smallest measurement of data transmission speed, e.g. via a Modem. Computer people normally measure data transmission sppeds in Kbps, meaning kilobits per second, or Mbps, meaning megabits per second. If you have a 56Kbps modem (which is slow by today's standards) it means that your modem can transmit at speeds up to 56,000 bits of information per second. See Bit, Kilobit, Megabit.
Branching: The process of interrupting a sequence of instructions in a computer program in order to go to a different point. For example, in a CALL exercise the program might branch to one point if the learner is right but to another if the learner is wrong. This is a technique that is also used frequently in adventure games, mazes and simulations. See Adventure Game, Maze, Simulation.
Broadband: A general term used to describe a high-speed connection to the Internet. Connection speed is usually measured in Kbps (kilobits per second) and Mbps (megabits per second). Typically, a home user will have a broadband connection using an ADSL telephone line running at 512Kbps to 4Mbps. Educational institutions ideally need a symmetric connection of at least 8Mbps to ensure smooth trouble-free connections to the Internet when large numbers of students are accessing the Internet all at once. See ADSL, Bandwidth, ISDN, Kilobit, Leased Line, Megabit. Contrasted with Narrowband.
Browser: A software package installed on the hard disk of your computer that enables you to access and to navigate the World Wide Web - to "surf the Web" in colloquial terms. Internet Explorer and Netscape are two browsers that are in widespread use. See Section 3, Module 1.5, headed Using a browser - navigating the Web.
Bulletin Board: A type of forum on the Internet or an intranet, where users can post messages by email or via the World Wide Web for other users to read and respond to. Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) have largely been replaced by other types of online systems for communal communication, such as blogs, discussion lists and fora. See BBS, Blog, Discussion List, Forum.
Bug: Not a nasty insect but a logical fault in a computer program which causes it to malfunction. All computer programs contain bugs, some of which take years to come to light. It is rumoured that the term arose as a result of moths getting into the circuitry of an older Mainframe Computer, causing it to break down. See Debug, Millennium Bug.
Burn: When data is written to a CD, for example using a CD-Read/Write drive, a pattern of microscopic dots is etched with a laser beam in a spiralling track on the CD surface. This is a process often referred to as "burning a CD". See CD-ROM. See Section 1.2.1, Module 1.2 for more information on CD-Read/Write drives.
Bus: Not the sort you get on to go into town. This is basically a set of parallel wires for connecting the Central Processing Unit (CPU) of a computer to all other input-output devices. Data can be transmitted in two directions, from and to the CPU.
Byte: A measurement of computer memory or disk capacity. A byte comprises 8 bits. See entry on Measurement Units. See Bit, Gigabyte, Kilobyte, Megabyte,
C&IT: Abbreviation for Communications and Information Technology. The same thing as ICT but the other way round! C&IT (Communications and Information Technology) is a peculiarly British term that arose in Higher Education as a result of the 1997 Dearing Report (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ncihe/index.htm) and never caught on outside the UK Higher Education environment. C&IT was incorporated in the name of the C&IT Centre for Modern Languages at the University of Hull, which in 2000 became the new name of the former CTICML (Computers in Teaching Initiative Centre for Modern Languages), which was established in 1989. The C&IT Centre (CTICML) was closed down in 2002. See ICT.
CAA: Abbreviation for Computer Aided Assessment
Cache: The cache contains information stored by a Web Browser on your hard disk, so that you don't have to download the same material repeatedly from a remote computer. Browsers keep copies of all the Web pages that you view so that the pages can be redisplayed quickly when you go back to them. The cache is normally stored under Windows in a folder called Temporary Internet Files. This folder can become enormous over time and can cause your hard disk to become overloaded and then your computer may lock up. The cache needs to be emptied at regular intervals - which you can do manually or using utility software such as Window Washer. You can set the maximum size of the Temporary Internet Files folder, using the Tools menu in your browser.
CAD/CAM: Abbreviations for Camputer Aided Design / Computer Aided Manufacturing. A process of drafting, designing and manufacturing with the aid of a computer. CAD enables the user to manipulate drawings, including 3D drawings, and viewing them from a variety of angles. CAM is a general term for computer support during the manufacturing process.
CAI: Abbreviation for Computer Assisted Instruction.
CALI: Acronym for Computer Assisted Language Instruction. A term which has now become almost obsolete, having been replaced by CALL in the 1980s. The term fell out of favour because it became associated with Programmed Learning. See CAI, CALL, CELL, TELL.
CALICO: Acronym for Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium, a US-based professional association, founded in 1983. CALICO originally incorporated CALI into its name, but it now favours the term CALL: http://www.calico.org
CALL: Abbreviation for Computer Assisted Language Learning. A term which came into favour in the early 1980s, replacing the older term CALI (Computer Assisted Language Instruction). Often associated (wrongly) with an old-fashioned approach to the use of ICT in language learning and teaching, but the leading professional associations, i.e. EUROCALL, CALICO and IALLT, interpret CALL as meaning the use of computers in the learning and teaching of foreign languages in the broadest sense, from the use of word-processors to the use of the Internet. See CALI, CELL, TELL. See Section 2, Module 1.4, headed History of CALL. For further information on the history of the use of computers in language learning and teaching, have a look at this very comprehensive History of CALL document in PDF format, compiled by Philippe Delcloque. It traces the History of CALL up to the year 2000 - click here: History of CALL.
Camcorder: A portable video camera, capable of recording live motion video for later replay through a videocassette recorder (VCR), DVD player or computer. Videos produced by a camcorder can be uploaded to a computer, edited using special software such as Movie Maker, and played on a computer using Media Player software. See Section 2.2.3.4, Module 2.2, headed Video editing software. See Digital Camera, Upload.
Can Do Statement: Can do statements are used as a means of describing what learners can typically do at different levels in a programme of studies, for example in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and in the syllabuses specified by examination boards such as the Asset Languages examination board. See Section 2.2, Module 4.1, headed The Common European Framework (CEFR) for Languages. The ICT4LT website contains a Word document entitled ICT_Can_Do_Lists, which contains sets of can do statements relating to the ICT skills that language teachers should find useful.
Card: In computer jargon, a card is an electronic circuit board, usually one which can be slotted into your computer in order to fulfil a specialised function. See Sound Card, Video Card.
Case Sensitivity: Used to describe how a computer program, e.g. a Browser, interprets upper and lower case letters, e.g. in the name of a program, the name of a folder stored on your computer, or the name of a website. Some computer programs may be case sensitive, in other words they make a distinction between capital letters and lower case letters so that, for instance, Manchester is perceived as different from manchester. Other programs may not make a distinction and perceive capital letters and lower case letters as one and the same. Be especially careful when typing the names of websites, as case sensitivity may be crucial and you may not be able to find the website if you fail to type capital letters in the right places.
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT): An older type of computer Display Screen or Monitor, in which beams of high-voltage electrons are fired at a screen causing thousands of Red, Green and Blue (RGB) dots to glow in different combinations and intensities, thus producing the full-colour image displayed on the screen. Cathode Ray Tubes are also used in older domestic TV sets. Newer types of display screens are of the LCD or TFT flat panel type - like many modern TV sets. They are much lighter, use less electricity and take up less room on a desktop. See Section 1.1.2, Module 1.2 for further information and illustrations of different types of display screens.
CBT: Abbreviation for Computer Based Training.
CD-ROM: Abbreviation for Compact Disk Read Only Memory. A CD-ROM is an Optical Disk on to which data has been written via a laser - a process often referred to as "burning a CD": see Burn. A CD-ROM looks much the same as an audio CD, but can contain text, sound, pictures and motion video. Once written, the data on a CD-ROM can be fixed and rendered unalterable, hence the term read-only - but modern computers are usually equipped with a read/write CD-ROM drive that enables new material to be stored on a special kind of CD-ROM: CD-R (recordable) or CD-RW (rewriteable). It is worthwhile investing in a read/write CD-ROM drive for making backups and storing your own multimedia materials. Blank CD-Rs or CD-RWs can be bought from computer media suppliers at a relatively low cost. You can store data on CD-Rs using a read/write drive, adding to it until it is full, and then you can format the CD-ROM so that it is fixed and can be read by a standard CD-ROM drive. You can also store data on CD-RWs in the same way, but these discs can only be read by a read/write CD-ROM drive. The advantage of CD-RWs is that they can be erased and used over and over again, but now that the cost of blank CD-Rs has fallen to such a low level it is questionable how useful CD-RWs are. See Combination Drive, Digital Video Disk (DVD). See Section 1.2.1, Module 1.2 for more information on CD-ROMs and CD-ROM drives. See also Module 2.2, Introduction to multimedia CALL.
CEF: Abbreviation for Common European Framework.
CEFR: Abbreviation for the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages. Often shortened to CEF (see previous entry). See Common European Framework.
CELL: Acronym for Computer Enhanced Language Learning. An alternative term to CALL that aims to stress the role of the computer as a tool for the learner, making it less central in the learning process. See CALI, CALL, TELL.
Central Processing Unit (CPU): Also known as the Central Processor. In a modern computer the CPU is a single microprocessor Chip or Microchip, an intergated circuit which carries out information processing and calculations. In essence, the CPU is the computer's "brain". See Clock Speed, Microprocessor, Motherboard.
Central Processor: See Central Processing Unit (CPU).
CERN: Abbreviation for Centre Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, the European particle physics laboratory and the birthplace of the World Wide Web, which was invented there by Tim Berners-Lee.
CGI Script: A term used by Web authors. CGI is an abbreviation for Common Gateway Interface. A program residing on a Web Server, usually in a directory called cgi-bin, which processes data from an HTML form. CGI scripts can be written in any programming language suitable for handling text data, but Perl (http://www.perl.com) is the most popular scripting language.
Character User Interface (CUI): A Character User Interface describes a way in which a computer user communicates with a computer by entering commands as text, i.e. in order to run programs and to carry out other operations such as copying information from one Folder to another, deleting files, etc. Contrasted with a Graphical User Interface (GUI), e.g. Microsoft Windows, which allows the user to carry out such operations by clicking on icons, opening and shutting windows and dragging and dropping with a mouse. MS DOS and Unix are examples of CUIs. See Icon, Mouse, Operating System, Window, Windows.
Chat Room: A synchronous, mainly text-based communication facility, offering a Web-based environment where people either drop into or arrange to meet and chat at specific times. You type in your text online, it is seen almost immediately by others online at the same time who respond online in real time. When used for language learning chat rooms can put a great deal of pressure on students by requiring them to read fairly rapidly and to write, also fairly rapidly, with little time to reflect on the quality of the language used. A degree of caution is advised when joining a chat room. Some have been used for sinister purposes. See Synchronous. Section 14.2, Module 1.5, headed Chat rooms, MUDs, MOOs and MUVEs.
Chip: Short for Microchip or Silicon Chip.
Client: A computer that receives services from another computer. A stand-alone computer on your desk which you use to browse the Web is a client, and the computers from which World Wide Web files are downloaded to your computer are servers. Similarly, a computer (also known as a workstation) connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) is a client that can receive information from and send information to the server that controls the LAN. See Browser, Server, Web Server.
CLIL: Acronym for Content and Language Integrated Learning.
Clipart or Clip Art: A collection of image files that can be embedded or inserted into Web pages, word-processed documents, PowerPoint presentations, etc. Some clipart images are copyright-free or in the public domain but others may be subject to a licence fee if you wish to make them public, e.g. on a website. See Copyright.
Clipboard: A temporary storage area in a computer's memory. It may be used, for example, to store text that you are in the process of copying and pasting from one section of a word-processed document to another section in the same document or to another document. You should find a clipboard viewer program on your computer, which enables you to see what is currently being temporarily stored in the clipboard.
Clock Speed: The speed of a computer's Central Processing Unit (CPU), which is normally expressed in MegaHertz (= one million cycles per second) or GigaHertz, (= 1000 MegaHertz). This figure represents the number of instruction cycles the processor carries out each second. In simple terms this indicates how fast the computer runs - how powerful it is. Computers that run at 500 MegaHertz (500MHz) used to be considered fast, but modern computers now run at over one GigaHertz (1GHz). See Hertz, Microprocessor.
Cloze Procedure: Note the spelling: "Cloze" not "Close" - which is deliberate and was invented by Wilson Taylor: Taylor W.L. (1953) "Cloze procedure: a new tool for measuring readability", Journalism Quarterly 30: 415-433. Cloze procedure was originally conceived as a tool for measuring the readibility of a text or a learner's reading comprehension level and derives from the gestalt psychology term "closure", whereby people tend to complete a familiar but incomplete pattern by "closing" the gaps. In Cloze tests or exercises every nth word (usually 5th to 7th) or a certain percentage of a text is blanked out and the learner has to fill in the blanks with a suitable word, but not necessarily the original word that appeared in the text. In the days before computers the words had to be blanked out by hand, but now a computer can do the job in seconds, varying the word deletion interval. Still widely used in language learning and teaching, Cloze procedure, including "total Cloze", where the whole text is blanked out, figures in numerous CALL programs, many of which are available in suites of text manipulation programs such as Fun with Texts and on the World Wide Web. See Section 4.6, Module 1.3, headed Cloze procedure. See Section 8.6, Module 1.4, headed Text manipulation. See Gap-filler, Text Manipulation.
CMC: Abbreviation for Computer Mediated Communication (CMC).
CMS: Abbreviation for Content Management System, a software package that makes it possible for non-technical users to publish content (text, images, etc) on a website. Also stands for Course Management System, a type of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
CMY: Abbreviation for Cyan Magenta Yellow. The scheme used in colour printing, where inks of the subtractive primary colours Cyan, Magenta and Yellow are combined to produce millions of other colours. Most colour printers also have a black ink cartridge, both for monochrome printing and to produce a true black in colour printing. See Additive Colour, RGB, Subtractive Colour.
CODEC: Short for COmpressor / DECompressor or COder / DECoder. A CODEC is software that is used to compress or decompress a digital audio or video file. CODECs are additional pieces of software that operate in conjunction with different media players, and certain types of audio and video recordings will only play back if the relevant CODEC is running in conjunction with the media player that you are using. A CODEC can consists of two components, an encoder and a decoder. The encoder compresses the file during creation, and the decoder decompresses the file when it is played back. Some CODECs include both components, while other CODECs include only one. CODECs are used because a compressed file takes up less storage space on your computer or on the Web. When you play an audio or video file in your media player it will use a CODEC to decompress the file. See Section 2.2.1, Module 2.2, headed Media players and digital language labs.
Colour Depth: The number of colours that can be displayed at any one time on a computer Display Screen. Modern computers can display a range of millions of colours, producing very high quality images. See Resolution.
Combination Drive: A Disk Drive that is capable of reading and writing to CD-ROMs, audio CDs and DVDs.
Common European Framework (CEF): The short name of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages. This is a scheme developed by the Council of Europe, dating back to the 1970s, with the aim of providing a basis for the mutual recognition of language qualifications, thus facilitating educational and occupational mobility. It is increasingly used in the reform of national curricula and by international consortia for the comparison of language certificates. See Section 2.2, Module 4.1, headed The Common European Framework (CEFR) for Languages.
Comms: Short for communications, as in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Used to refer to ways in which computer systems communicate with one another, e.g. via a cable, a telephone line, satellite or wireless.
Compatiblity: Pieces of hardware and/or software which are capable of being used together are described as compatible.
Compiler: A program which converts programs written in a high-level programming language, i.e. as used by professional human programmers, into Machine Code, a language that can be "understood" by a computer. A compiler produces a binary executable program file after the programmer has completed the programming. Program files on personal computers can be recognised by their three-letter .exe or .com Extension after their filenames, e.g. winfile.exe. See Binary File, Executable, Interpreter, Programming Language.
Compression: A technique which reduces the amount of space required to store data, e.g. as used to reduce the amount of space needed to store an image, an audio recording, or a video recording.
Computer Aided Assessment (CAA): See Module 4.1, entitled Computer Aided Assessment (CAA) and language learning.
Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI): A term used mainly in the business world. Implies a top-down, instructor-centred approach to teaching with computers and is closely associated with Programmed Learning. See CALI.
Computer Based Training (CBT): A term used mainly in the business world. Implies a top-down, trainer-centred approach to teaching with computers and is closely associated with Programmed Learning.
Computer Mediated Communication CMC): Computer Mediated Communication is used as a term describing the use of the Internet as a means of fostering teaching and learning, especially the use of Email, Conferencing and Social Networking. See the entry under Web 2.0. See Section 14, Module 1.5, headed Computer Mediated Communication (CMC).
Computer Program: A set of instructions that the computer carries out in sequence to perform a given task. Programs are written in English-like programming languages (e.g. C, Pascal), and are then converted into binary machine instructions via a compiler or an interpreter. See Compiler, Interpreter, Programming Language.
Concept Keyboard: An overlay or replacement for the traditional computer Keyboard. Concept keyboards are useful for small children or learners with special needs: for example, offering pictures or symbols as an alternative to the alphabetic keyboard.
Concordance Program: A Concordance Program (also known as a Concordancer) operates on a body of texts (a corpus) and is commonly used for compiling glossaries and dictionaries, e.g. by arranging every word in the text alphabetically or in order of frequency, together with its context. Concordance programs also play an important role in language learning and teaching, for example: (i) the teacher can use a concordance program to find examples of authentic usage to demonstrate a point of grammar, typical collocations, etc; (ii) the teacher can generate exercises based on examples drawn from a variety of corpora; (iii) language learners can work out rules of grammar and usage for themselves by searching for a particular key word in context (KWIC). Concordance programs form the basis of a methodology pioneered by Tim Johns, University of Birmingham, which he describes as Data Driven Learning (DDL). See Module 2.4, Using concordance programs in the Modern Foreign Languages classroom, and Module 3.4, Corpus linguistics. See also Data Driven Learning.
Concordancer: See Concordance Program.
Condenser Microphone: This type of microphone is probably the best type to use in multimedia CALL programs as it provides a stronger signal when the learner is recording his/her own voice. Condenser microphones work only with sound cards that provide power to the microphone. Also known as a powered microphone. The other main type of microphone is known as a Dynamic Microphone, which provides a softer signal and may result in faint playback. See Microphone, Sound Card. See Section 1.2.4, Module 1.2 for further information on microphones. See also Module 2.2, Introduction to multimedia CALL.
Conferencing: Computer conferencing is a development of Email designed to support many-to-many communication, whereby computer users in different locations can take part in a "virtual conference". A conference usually consists of a group of participants who have a common interest in the conference subject matter. Computer conferencing software enables the organisation, storage, structuring and retrieval of messages. Messages may be organised under different topics, by author or by date of posting. Asynchronous conferencing may take place via a Blog, Discussion List, Forum or Wiki. Synchronous conferencing takes place in "real time", e.g. within a Chat Room. See Audioconferencing, Videoconferencing. See Section 12, Module 1.5, headed Discussion lists, blogs, wikis, social networking.
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL): A term used to describe learning a subject such as history or geography through the medium of a foreign language and thereby learning the foreign language at the same time.
Content-Free: Used to describe a computer program which is supplied as an "empty shell", i.e. without content such as texts, images, audio recordings, or video recordings. The user (i.e. the teacher) is expected to provide the content, and the program then enables to content to be manipulated in various ways, for example to set up exercises and activities for different groups of learners. See Authoring Package.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD): Further study relevant to one's profession that most bodies encourage their members to undertake. This can take the form of seminars, research, training courses, etc. The materials at the ICT4LT website can serve the purposes of CPD.
Cookie: A piece of information stored on a user's computer by a Web Browser when the user visits a website for the first time. Websites use cookies to recognise users who have previously visited them. The next time that the user visits that site, the information in the cookie is sent back to the site so that the site can tailor what it presents to the user, e.g. tastes in music or shopping habits.
Copyright: New technologies have raised all kinds of new issues relating to copyright - mainly because it has become so easy to copy materials from a variety of digital sources. We have produced a Web page at the ICT4LT site entitled General guidelines on copyright.
Courseware: A set of computerised lessons, exercises, tests and reference material.
CPD: Abbreviation for Continuing Professional Development.
CPU: Abbreviation for Central Processing Unit.
Crash: A term describing what happens to hardware or software when it suddenly fails to work properly. The commonest symptom of a crash is the "frozen screen", i.e. when the keyboard and/or mouse goes dead with the result that nothing can be typed and the Cursor cannot be moved around the screen. Modern computers typically crash several times a day. Most crashes are not serious and are simply the result of faulty programming - i.e. most programming. Some kinds of crashes can be symptomatic of more serious problems, however, and should be investigated if they keep occurring. Operating systems themselves, e.g. Microsoft Windows, are particularly prone to crashes. See Operating System, Windows.
Crawler: A crawler is a program that searches the Web for new links, new content and changes in order to keep search engine results up to date. A crawler may also be called a bot (short for robot) or spider. Crawlers within search engines perform a useful indexing function, but there are also crawlers or bots that have more sinister motives, such as gathering addresses to be targeted by spammers. See Spam, Spambot, Spyware.
CRT: Abbreviation for Cathode Ray Tube.
Ctrl Key: The Ctrl keys can be found on either side of the space bar on a computer keyboard. They are used in conjunction with other keys as "shortcuts" for operations that would normally be carried out with a Mouse, e.g. Ctrl + S will save a file that you are working on. It is also possible to program the Ctrl keys to carry out operations that you specify yourself, e.g. for typing foreign characters. See Section 5, Module 1.3, headed Typing foreign characters.
CUI: Abbreviation for Character User Interface.
Cursor: The pointer which appears on screen and is controlled by a pointing device, such as a mouse. The cursor usually has the shape of an arrow, but can also take other shapes: e.g. an I-beam in a document, an hourglass whilst an operation is under way, or the graphic image of a hand over a Hyperlink. See I-Beam, Mouse, Pointing Device.
Cyberspace: William Gibson coined this phrase in his novel Neuromancer, first published in 1984 - some years before the World Wide Web was invented: "Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts... A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding..." Today the word cyberspace is used to refer to the world of the Internet, more specifically the World Wide Web. See Internet, World Wide Web.
Cybersquatter: A term normally used to describe someone who registers the name of a popular Web address - usually a company name - with the intent of selling it to its rightful owner at a high price. Cybersquatters also watch out for registered domain names that become available when the owner has no further use for them, goes bankrupt, or simply forgets to pay their registration renewal fees. This can lead to perfectly harmless and legitimate sites being transmogrified overnight into sites containing offensive material. See Graham Davies's article on "Dodgy links": http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/DodgyLinks.htm. See also Linkrot.
Data: Strictly speaking the plural of "datum", but now usually considered as a collective noun in the singular, with the plural form "data items" or "items of data". Data is information in a form which can be processed by a computer. It is usually distinguished from a computer program, which is a set of instructions that a computer carries out. Data can be text or sets of figures on which a computer program operates. See Computer Program.
Database: A structured collection of data that can be used for a variety of purposes. Databases are usually stored on a Hard Disk inside your computer, on a CD-ROM, or at a website. A database may contain data relating to staff employed by a company or to students at an educational institution. Databases can also contain bibliographies, glossaries, vocab lists, etc. In order to set up and manage a database you need a database program such as Microsoft Access.
Data Driven Learning (DDL): An approach to language learning pioneered by Tim Johns, University of Birmingham, whereby learners of a foreign language gain insights into the language that they are learning by using concordance programs to locate authentic examples of language in use. In DDL the learning process is no longer based solely on the teacher's initiative, his/her choice of topics and materials and the explicit teaching of rules, but on the learner's own discovery of rules, principles and patterns of usage in the foreign language. In other words, learning is driven by authentic language data. See Concordance Program. See Module 2.4, Using concordance programs in the Modern Foreign Languages classroom, and Module 3.4, Corpus linguistics.
Data Projector: A device that enables the image displayed on a computer screen to be projected onto a wall screen or Interactive Whiteboard.
DBMS: Abbreviation for Database Management System. An Application enabling the storage, modification, retrieval, and querying of data in a Database.
DDL: Abbreviation for Data Driven Learning.
Debug: To test a program and remove all the bugs. Permanent bugs that defy eradication are often referred to ironically as "features". See Bug.
Default: A setting or value automatically assigned to a computer program or device in the absence of a choice made by the user. When you use a program for the first time, e.g. a Browser or Word-processor, all the settings will have been preset to their default values - many of which can be changed to settings that you prefer, e.g. the default font type and size. The term default route is used in connection with Computer Assisted Language Learning, meaning the route that the teacher believes to be optimal for the learner to follow in a computer program or suite of programs - but which can be overridden by the learner if s/he wishes to follow his/her own route: see Section 3.4, Module 2.1, headed Modes of teaching and learning.
Defrag: Short for defragment. A process run by a defragging program (usually supplied as part of Microsoft Windows) whereby parts of data files scattered around different segments of a computer hard disk are gathered together into continuous file segments. This makes applications run more efficiently and also frees up disk space.
Desktop: The main workspace in Windows, an electronic desktop which is displayed as the opening screen when Windows is started. The electronic desktop is a metaphor for the top of a real desktop, where jobs to be done are laid out in different folders, symbolised by icons, i.e. small images. Users open and work with programs by clicking on icons on the desktop, and they can also store shortcuts to documents or websites there. See Icon.
Desktop Computer: A desktop computer is one that is designed to sit permanently on a desk, as opposed to a Laptop Computer that can easily be carried around.
Desktop Publishing (DTP): An Application for laying out text, graphics and pictures in order to produce a professional-looking publication. Most modern word-processors can now achieve what older DTP packages were capable of producing. Examples of DTP applications are QuarkXpress and PageMaker, which have probably become too complex and technical for the inexperienced user and are now aimed at the professional graphic designer or layout artist. See Word-processor.
Device Driver: Software that enables a computer to communicate with a hardware device such as a Mouse, Printer or Scanner. Hardware devices must each have the proper device driver installed in order to enable them to run. Most hardware devices are supplied with small programs that are installed onto your hard drive when you use them for the first time and tell the computer how to communicate with that specific device.
Diacritic: A mark such as an acute, grave or circumflex accent, a cedilla, or an umlaut, which is added to a letter to give it a special phonetic value. Characters with diacritics can be typed on standard computer keyboards by using the Alt Key in combination with a sequence of numbers. Section 5, Module 1.3, headed Typing foreign characters.
DIALANG: See Section 2.2.1, Module 4.1, headed The DIALANG diagnostic testing project.
Dial-up Modem: An older type of Modem that connects a computer to the Internet via a standard telephone line. Typically a dial-up modem connects to the Internet at a very slow data transmission speed of only 56Kbps, whereas a modern Broadband modem connects to the Internet at 512Kbps or much higher. Because dial-up access uses normal telephone lines, the quality of the connection is often poor. See Kbps.
Digital: The essential meaning of this term is "based on numbers". The modern computer is a typical example of digital technology, so are Storage Media such as CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, audio CDs and video DVDs, on which numbers are coded as a string of tiny pits pressed into a plastic disc. When a CD audio recording or a DVD video recording is played back, using equipment incorporating a laser as a reading device, the exact numeric values are retrieved and converted into sound or images. Digital recording is relatively free from noise and interference and gives a very high quality of reproduction. Data (including audio and video) or programs stored on CD-ROM or DVD can be read by a computer in a similar way. There are two major benefits to digital technology. Firstly, digital technology - because it is based on numbers - is more precise. Secondly, digital technology is becoming cheaper and more powerful. Digital technology is now used in radio and TV broadcasts. Digital recordings made from any source (audio- or videocassettes, television, radio, Internet, satellite TV, microphone or Camcorder) can be edited easily, then stored on a computer's Hard Disk, CD-ROM, DVD, Flash Drive, Memory Stick, etc. They can be copied without quality loss and, more significantly, can be used by more than one learner at the same time. See the contrasting term Analogue.
Digital Camera: A camera used for taking still photographs - but some digital cameras can also record short sequences of moving images. A digital camera looks much the same as an ordinary camera but stores photographs in electronic format so that they can be uploaded onto a computer. The more expensive digital cameras achieve better results than can be achieved by using an ordinary camera and a scanner. See Camcorder, Scanner, Upload.
Digital Video Disk or Digital Versatile Disk (DVD): A Digital Video Disk or Digital Versatile Disk is an Optical Disk that is capable of storing high-quality video as well as other forms of data, e.g. programs, text, still pictures and graphics. It is possible that DVDs will completely replace CD-ROMs in the not-too-distant future. DVDs can only be read or written to on multimedia computers equipped with a DVD drive or Combination Drive. See CD-ROM, See Section 1.2.5, Module 1.2 for more information on DVDs and DVD drives. See also Module 2.2, Introduction to multimedia CALL.
Digitise / Digitize: To translate into a digital form, i.e. numbers. For example, scanners digitise images by translating them into bitmaps, i.e. thousands of individual dots or pixels. It is also possible to digitise sound and video by Sampling at discrete intervals. To digitise sound, for example, a device measures a sound wave's characteristics many times per second and converts them into numeric values which can then be recorded. See Analogue, Bitmap, Digital. Pixel.
Directory: A location on a disk containing a group of files and subdirectories grouped together for organisational purposes . The term is used synonymously with Folder, which has become a more common term since the introduction of Windows. Subdirectories are sometimes referred to as "child directories" of the "parent directory". The topmost directory on a computer, which is the parent of all directories on the disk, is known as the root directory and usually has the pathname C:\. See File, Pathname, Root Directory.
Disc: See Disk.
Discussion List: An electronic discussion list - also known as a Forum - is a way of sharing emails with the members of a group of people with a common interest. Members of a discussion list usually have to subscribe to the list by sending a message by email to the list server (the computer which manages the list), and thereafter they receive copies of all other messages sent to the list by other subscribers. The list administrator has control over list membership and, if necessary, the content of messages. The archives of discussion lists, i.e. previously posted messages, are usually made available at a website. See also Blog, Bulletin Board, Forum, Newsgroup, Wiki. See Section 12, Module 1.5, headed Discussion lists, blogs, wikis, social networking.
Disk or Disc: Usually spelt "disk" - an abbreviation of diskette. A disk may take several different forms and is used for the permanent or temporary storage of data that can be read by a computer. See CD-ROM, DVD, Floppy Disk, Hard Disk, Storage Device, Storage Medium.
Disk Drive: A device within or connected to a computer that enables data to be read from and written onto a disk. See CD-ROM, Disk, DVD, Floppy Disk, Hard Disk. See Section 1.1.5, Module 1.2 for further information on disk drives.
Diskette: The full form of the word Disk.
Display Screen: The screen on which output from a computer is displayed. Also referred to as a Monitor. Older computers used a Cathode Ray Tube, which is essentially the same as that used in older domestic TV sets. Newer types of display screens are of the LCD or TFT flat panel type - like many modern TV sets. They are much lighter, use less electricity and take up less room on a desktop. See Section 1.1.2, Module 1.2 for further information and illustrations of different types of display screens.
Disruptive Technology / Disruptive Innovation: Terms that appear in Christensen C. (1997) The innovator's dilemma, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press and Christensen C. & Raynor M. (2003) The innovator's solution, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press. "A disruptive technology is a new technological innovation, product, or service that eventually overturns the existing dominant technology in the market, despite the fact that the disruptive technology is both radically different from the leading technology and that it often initially performs worse than the leading technology according to existing measures of performance." See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disruptive_technology
Distance Learning: A form of learning that takes place where the teachers and the students are in physically separate locations. Distance learning can be either Asynchronous or Synchronous. Traditional distance learning includes the mailing of printed materials, correspondence between teachers and students in writing, contact by telephone, and radio and television broadcasts. More recently, distance learning has included E-learning and/or Online Learning. The British Open University (OU) is one of the oldest established distance-learning establishments to have embraced existing technologies, i.e. radio and television, when it was set up in the 1960s. The OU continues to embrace new distance learning technologies as they become more widely available: http://www.open.ac.uk/new/distance-learning.shtml. See Blended Learning, Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
Dithering: The technique of combining dots of primary colours to give the appearance of intermediate colours. Dots are combined in a square area, known as a dither matrix, to simulate a dot of an intermediate colour.
DNS: Abbreviation for Domain Name Server.
DOC: The standard three-letter Extension to a document file produced by Microsoft Word.
Domain Name: A unique name that identifies a Website. A domain name can be purchased from and registered by a domain name registration company, e.g. our name ict4lt.org was purchased from Amenworld: http://www.amenworld.com. Such companies also provide a service that will check if a required name is available for purchase. Domain names always have two or more parts, separated by dots. The part on the left side is specific and the one one the right is more general. Our website's domain name is divided into two parts, ict4lt and org, the former part being our project name and the latter indicating what kind of body we are: org = "organisation". Our domain name is therefore ict4lt.org. Universities' domain names in the UK always end in ac.uk = "academic UK". UK-based companies can often be identified by co.uk. See Section 6.1, Module 3.3, headed Domain names. See Host Name.
Domain Name Server (DNS): See Domain Name, Name Server.
DOS: Short for MS DOS.
Dot Matrix Printer: An older type of printer that works by firing sets of pins in different combinations at an ink ribbon located against a sheet of paper. Such printers produce text that looks "ragged". Laser printers and ink-jet printers are now much more common.. See Printer.
Download: To transfer a copy of data, a computer program, a text file, an image file, a sound file or video file from one computer to another computer. This is the main means of obtaining data and programs from the World Wide Web. See Upload, World Wide Web.
Download Accelerator: Downloading large files from the Web can be tedious. If you connect to the Internet via a slow Dial-up Modem then you might as well make yourself a cup of coffee or take the dog for a walk while you are waiting. You may, however, find that the download process has been timed out or crashed before it has been completed. A download accelerator is therefore essential if you use a dial-up modem, and it can help manage and speed up the process of downloading if you have a Broadband connection to the Internet. See Section 3.5.1, Module 2.3, headed Delivering and receiving audio and video over the Internet.
dpi: Abbreviation for Dots Per Inch. A measure of the of the quality of output, i.e. the number of dots per square inch produced by a printer or scanner, also referred to as its resolution. A resolution of at least 300 dpi is considered reasonable for the production of high-quality output by a printer and 1200 dpi by a scanner, but modern printers and scanners can produce many more dots per square inch. The resolution of a scanner may also be expressed by two numbers. These are mostly the same, e.g. 1200 x 1200, but you may also see 1200 x 2400, which means that the number of horizontal dots is different from the number of vertical dots. See Printer, Resolution, Scanner.
DTP: Abbreviation for Desktop Publishing.
DVD: Abbreviation for Digital Video Disk.
Dynamic Microphone: This type of microphone is often used in multimedia CALL programs when the learner has to record his/her own voice. The main drawback of this type of microphone is that it requires considerable amplification and may result in very faint playback on some systems. This type of microphone is often popularly referred to as a karaoke microphone. The other main type of microphone, the Condenser Microphone, provides a stronger signal. See Microphone, Sound Card. See Section 1.2.4, Module 1.2 for further information on microphones.
ECDL: Abbreviation for European Computer Driving Licence.
E-learning: E-learning has become a buzzword in recent years, but it is widely misunderstood and often associated with a limited view of e-learning, i.e. online learning or distance learning on the Internet using a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) - which is a blinkered vision of e-learning. Here is the definition given in the UK government's consultation document Towards a unified e-learning strategy, July 2003:
If someone is learning in a way that uses Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), they are using e-learning. They could be a pre-school child playing an interactive game; they could be a group of pupils collaborating on a history project with pupils in another country via the Internet; they could be geography students watching an animated diagram of a volcanic eruption their lecturer has just downloaded; they could be a nurse taking her driving theory test online with a reading aid to help her dyslexia - it all counts as e-learning.
In other words, this is a catch-all definition relating to the use of ICT in teaching and learning. The whole of the ICT4LT website is, therefore, in this sense all about e-learning in the context of teaching and learning foreign languages, and this is one reason why you will not find a section headed specifically "E-learning" in the ICT4LT modules. Because of a lack of agreement on what e-learning is all about, it probably makes sense to use the term Online Learning when talking generally about distance learning on the Internet and to use CALL as a catch-all term for the use of ICT in language teaching and learning. See also Blended Learning, Distance Learning, Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). See the entry under E-learning in Section 1, Module 1.1, headed Definitions of terms.
Electronic Mail: See Email.
Electronic Whiteboard: More commonly referred to as an Interactive Whiteboard these days.
Email: Contraction of Electronic Mail. A system for creating, sending and receiving messages via the Internet. In order to send and receive email messages you have to register with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that provides an email service and have email software such as Outlook or Eudora installed on your computer. Many ISPs also offer a Webmail facility, which provides an alternative means of creating, sending and receiving email messages using your Web Browser. See Section 14, Module 1.5, headed Computer Mediated Communication (CMC).
Encryption: A system of coding that helps prevent access to private information on computer networks or on the Web.
End-user: The final user of a piece of Software or Hardware, i.e. the individual person for whom the product is created, as distinct from the people who create and produce the product.
EPS: Abbreviation for Encapsulated Postscript. A file format that is used mainly for printing images on a Postscript Printer. See also BMP, GIF, JPEG/JPG, TIFF, which are other image file formats.
Error Diagnosis: A feature of CALL programs whereby the computer attempts to diagnose the nature of errors the learner makes and to branch to remedial exercises. This approach to CALL appears to have fallen out of fashion in recent years. See Response Analysis, a term with a similar meaning.
Eudora: A popular Email program. Available from http://www.eudora.com
EUROCALL: The Europe-based professional association for CALL, founded in 1986: http://www.eurocall-languages.org
European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL): An internationally recognised qualification in ICT: http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.5829. See also the ECDL for Education, which is designed specifically to help teachers, support staff and ICT coordinators develop practical computing skills for teaching and learning in the classroom and leads to an internationally recognised level of certification: http://www.educatorsecdl.com
Excel: The name of a Spreadsheet program forming part of the Microsoft Office suite of programs.
Executable: This describes a program which has been converted (compiled) into binary machine code. If you double-click on an executable program name in Windows Explorer, it will immediately execute itself - i.e. run. Executables usually have the Extension .exe or .com. See Compiler, Machine Code.
Expansion Slot: A long, multi-pin socket on the computer's Motherboard into which an add-on card (such as a Sound Card) can be inserted to enhance the computer's capabilities.
Extension: In computer jargon an extension is an optional addition, usually consisting of a dot plus three or four letters, to the name of a File. The extension to the filename helps the computer (and the user) recognise what type of file it is and what it may contain, e.g. .doc is a Word document file, .exe is a computer program, .jpg or .jpeg is a picture file, and .htm or .html is a Web page file. See the following websites for further information: http://www.fileinfo.net and http://www.file-extensions.org
FAQ: Abbreviation for Frequently Asked Question. The ICT4LT project's list of FAQs is located here.
Favorites: A facility within the Internet Explorer Browser that enables you to keep a record of Web pages that you have visited and may wish to visit again. Also known as bookmarks: see Bookmark. Favorites are stored in a subdirectory of the Windows directory on your computer. Note the American spelling rather than British Favourites. This arose because Internet Explorer is a product of the American Microsoft Corporation.
Feedback: Feedback is an automatic response from a computer, which may take the form of text, image, audio, video or any combination of these, to a learner's input. Input from the learner may take various forms, e.g. (i) clicking with the mouse to select an answer in a multiple-choice exercise, (ii) typing an answer at the computer keyboard, or (iii) speaking an answer into a microphone. Feedback in interactive language learning materials should go beyond a "boing" (wrong) or "applause" (right) or "try again" message and attempt to mimic the "live" situation when using the language results in either a response from the other person or an action showing that the language used was appropriate. Feedback is often described as intrinsic (implicit) or extrinsic (explicit). See Section 7.2 , Module 1.1, headed Feedback, and Section 8, Module 2.5, headed How to factor feedback into your authoring, on the distinction between intrinsic feedback and extrinsic feedback.
File: A file in computer jargon can be used to describe many different things. It may be a Computer Program, a document file created with a Word-processor, an image file, an audio file, a video file, etc. Think of it in the same way as you would think of a file in a filing cabinet. A file has a name that describes what it is, and the file is stored in a place where you can easily find it. Files are usually grouped together on a computer's Hard Disk in directories or folders and, as well as their names, they usually have a three-letter Extension that tell you what their function is or what they contain, e.g. fwtt.exe is a program, mystory.doc is a Word document, sally.jpg is a picture, and mydog.mpg is a video file. Files may also be stored on other Storage Media, such as CD-ROMs, DVDs and flash drives. See Directory, Extension, Folder, Flash Drive.
Filename: The name of a File on a computer.
File Permissions: Files stored on a computer usually have permissions governing which users are allowed to read, amend or execute them. This is particularly important in a a school, college or university network environment, where teachers and lecturers may have the permission to amend certain files, e.g. documents that they have created, but students are only allowed to read them. File permissions are usually determined by network managers.
File Transfer Protocol: See FTP.
Firewall: A firewall is a software package that sits between your computer and your Internet connection, keeping an eye on the traffic going to and fro. If anything suspect appears, such as an unauthorised attempt from a remote computer to write information to your hard disk or to send information from your computer to a remote computer, it will block it and warn you. Firewalls have become essential these days due to the frequent attempts being made by hackers to grab confidential information from computers all around the world, e.g. your bank or credit card details, which may be stored in a file somewhere on your computer. Any computer is vulnerable while it is connected to the Internet. The writer of this paragraph speaks from personal experience: two attempts have been made by hackers to grab his Internet passwords from his computer. Both attempts were fortunately spotted by his Internet Service Provider and blocked, so no damage was done. If you access the Internet via a computer in a public or commercial organisation your ICT services department has probably installed a firewall, but if you access the Internet via a privately owned computer then you should consider installing your own firewall, e.g. ZoneAlarm, which is available as freeware from http://www.zonelabs.com. Alternatively, buy an add-on to an anti-virus package such as McAfee VirusScan or Norton AntiVirus. See Hacker, Virus.
Firewire: A firewire is in essence a facility that allows you to transfer video recordings very quickly from one device to another, e.g. from a Camcorder to a computer, using a special cable that connects to the computer's fireware socket. Many modern computers already have a firewire socket built in. If your computer does not have a firewire socket then you have to buy a firewire card and slot it in. See Section 2.2.3.4, Module 2.2, headed Video editing software.
Firmware: Software that has been written to a ROM (Read Only Memory) chip by the manufacturers. See ROM, Silicon Chip.
Flash Drive: A portable Storage Device. Flash drives look like a small flat pen, around 5cm to 10cm long, and are easily carried in your pocket. Their storage capacity is impressive; 2GB is not unusual these days. They are used to store data that you wish to carry around, e.g. a PowerPoint presentation, and they can be plugged into any computer with a USB socket. Flash drives are also commonly referred to as pen drives or memory sticks. See Section 1.1.5.3, Module 1.2, which contains an illustration of a flash drive.
Flash Player: Software produced by Adobe (formerly Macromedia) for the development and viewing of animated and interactive sequences on the Web. See Plug-in. See Section 4.4, Module 3.3, headed Tools for adding sound and video to your website.
FLV: Abbreviation for Flash Video, a proprietary file format used to deliver video over the Web using the Adobe Flash Player.
Floppy Disk: A plastic disk covered in magnetisable material, enclosed in a case, on which data is stored magnetically. A typical 3.5-inch floppy disk can store up to 1.44MB of data. Floppy disks are used for carrying small amounts of data around from one location to another, e.g. a Word document, but they are now being replaced by Storage Media with much bigger capacities that can contain PowerPoint presentations, sound files and video files. See CD-ROM, DVD, Flash Drive. See Section 1.1.5.2, Module 1.2 for further information on floppy disk drives.
Folder: An alternative word for a directory and which has become more common since the introduction of Windows. It describes a location on a disk which contains a set of related files. A folder can be divided into sub-folders. See Directory, Pathname.
Font: The terms font (also spelt fount) and typeface are often confused or interchanged. Font refers to a complete collection of letters, numerals, symbols and punctuation marks that have common characteristics, including their style and size. The two commonest fonts are Times New Roman, a Serif font, which is characterised by cross-lines that finish off the stroke of each letter, and Arial, a Sans Serif font that has no cross-lines. Typeface is the name given to the style of a particular set of letters, numerals, symbols and punctuation marks.
Formatting: The process of preparing a writeable disk for use. Formatting creates a structure on the disk which enables it to hold data.
Forum: Often used synonymously with Discussion List. An electronic forum on the Internet or an intranet enables users to post messages by email or via the Web for other users to read and respond to. See also Blog, Bulletin Board, Newsgroup, Wiki. See Section 12, Module 1.5, headed Discussion lists, blogs, wikis, social networking.
Fourth Generation Language (4GL): A programming language of a higher level than 3GLs such as C or Pascal - that is, the program code is closer to English, and a 4GL function might be the equivalent of many 3GL functions. 4GLs are used for writing software for specialised tasks, such as querying databases. See Programming Language.
Frame: A area in a Web page that scrolls independently of the rest of the Web page. A Web page can be divided into multiple frames. For example, a frame can include a navigation bar - as at the ICT4LT website - that always stays on the screen as the user moves around the other pages of the site.
Freeware: Software that can be copied and used without payment to the author(s), although there may be some restrictions on distribution. See Shareware.
FTP: Abbreviation for File Transfer Protocol. This is the method, i.e. a software standard, used for tranferring files from one computer to another via the