Glossary of MBA Distance Education Terms

Distance education offers the ultimate in flexibility, giving students the ability to control when and where they want to study.

But the benefits of a distance education do not stop there. There are many different types of distance education programs designed to suit the academic as well as scheduling needs of every student.

Asynchronous Learning

Any learning event where interaction is delayed over time. This allows learners to participate according to their schedule, and be geographically separate from the instructor.

Distance Learning/Education

Distance learning occurs when the instructor and the students are in physically separate locations. Can be either synchronous or asynchronous. Can include correspondence, video or satellite broadcasts, or computer based online education. Usually implies the higher education level.

Distance Training

A reference to distance learning for the corporate or professional levels. More commonly referred to as distributed learning, WBT or online education.

Distributed Learning

Distance learning that makes use of information technology. Includes most types of distance learning but not plain correspondence.

e-Learning

Any learning that utilizes a network (LAN, WAN or Internet) for delivery, interaction or facilitation. This would include distributed learning, distance learning (other than pure correspondence), CBT delivered over a network, and WBT. Can be synchronous, asynchronous, instructor-led or computer-based or a combination.

Instructor-led Training (ILT)

A learning event which is led by an instructor, and either held in a physical location or delivered via a network (WBT, e-Learning ). Usually implies the professional or corporate level and synchronous learning.

Online Learning

e-Learning over the Internet (as opposed to a local or wide area network).

Online Training

Same as online learning, only it implies the professional or corporate level.

Synchronous Learning

Any learning event where interaction happens simultaneously in real-time. This requires that learners attend class at its scheduled time. Could be held in a traditional classroom, or delivered via distributed or e-Learning technologies.

Web Based Training (WBT)

Training which is delivered over a network (LAN, WAN or Internet). Can be either instructor-led or computer based. Very similar to e-Learning, but it implies that the learning is at the professional or corporate level.