An e-learning glossary is necessary as it provides learners and trainers with standard definitions of all terms that relate to e-learning. These definitions explain and summarise terms and the glossary helps to catalogue these definitions making them easily accessible and retrievable for users of the glossary.

Where do you start searching?

You can start searching at the following glossary websites:

http://www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art1_1.htm

http://www.cybermediacreations.com/elearning/glossary.html

How do you judge their relevance and credibility?

In order to judge relevance and credibility one must look at the publisher of the glossary and then read definitions to determine their appropriateness.

Glossary Example 1

Name/Publisher: WorldWideLearn – E-Learning Glossary

http://www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art1_1.htm

Definition of E-learning from the glossary: Learning that is accomplished over the Internet, a computer network, via CD-ROM, interactive TV, or satellite broadcast.

Comment: The definitions from this glossary tend to be short and concise summaries of terms. The surce is credible.

Glossary Example 2

Name/Publisher: Cyber Media Creations – E-Learning Glossary

http://www.cybermediacreations.com/elearning/glossary.html

Definition of E-learning from the glossary:

Although the exact definition of the term eLearning is a hotly debated topic, it can broadly be defined as the process of sharing information and creating knowledge using an electronic medium. In other words, eLearning enables you to use the massive advances in technology such as the internet, learning management systems (LMS) and CD’s to create interactive materials that increase productivity through increased knowledge retention. The benefits of eLearning include factors such as global access, lower costs, increased training speed, better performance, greater flexibility and more effective accountability. In addition, eLearning allows you greater flexibility in terms of deployment options (CD, DVD, LMS, Internet and intranet) and greater user interactivity (audio, video, interactive text, animations, and graphics). Clearly the advances in technology can be extremely beneficial. However, the important thing to realize is that eLearning is a specialized field that requires cross functional expertise. In other words vendor selection is a key consideration when thinking about developing an eLearing program.

Comment:

The definitions in this glossary tend to be long and slightly informal. The definitions are not good summaries of terms but rather they present commentaries on the context and descriptions of other influencing factors. This glossary is not very reliable in my opinion.