TALON Glossary

What do we mean when we say ...

Asynchronous Learning: Learning that takes place through content available online for students to access when it best suits their schedules.

Blended Learning: Course delivery that uses in-person and online methods to engage students.

Classroom: A space for teaching and learning. A classroom can be both a physical room and a shared digital learning space.

Digital Disparity: Differences in individuals’ access to digital information and relevant technologies for learning due to geographic location and/or socioeconomic factors such as income level, race, gender, etc.

Digital Literacy: An individual’s ability to use digital information and relevant technologies for learning.

Distance Education: Students study at their own pace without face-to-face contact with an instructor.

Emergency Instruction: An alternate teaching delivery model implemented in times of crisis—a temporary solution in a serious, unexpected, and dangerous situation that requires immediate action.

Experiential Learning: Learning that takes place through experience, action, and critical reflection, i.e., learning-by-doing.

Higher Education: Tertiary (or postsecondary) education leading to the award of an academic degree.

Inclusive Practice: The possibility for all students to participate and succeed.

Interactive: Activities that invite students to participate and contribute.

Netiquette: Accepted social behaviours for ethical conduct, and politeness in online communication, and digital teaching, and learning.

Online: Connected to another computer or to a digital network (the Internet).

Online Education: Any kind of learning that takes place online, via computer/the Internet.

Pedagogy: The method and practice of teaching or, more generally, the knowledge and skills utilized in a classroom context.

Physical Distancing: The requirement for students to maintain a safe distance (6 feet, 2 metres) to avoid catching or spreading COVID-19.

Remote Learning: Scheduled instruction whereby the activities happen away from the physical site of a provider. Usually, students use digital means to engage with program content. Transition to remote delivery is often done in response to crises, as happened with the COVID-19 pandemic.

SAPL: The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Calgary, Canada. The “home” of TALON.

Synchronous Learning: Learning that takes place with students engaging with tasks/materials in real time.

Tools: Software, apps and online platforms that help keep the online classroom engaging, inclusive, and interactive.

Virtual Classroom: A learning environment in which students engage with course materials online, both synchronous and asynchronous.