The following glossary has been extracted from the Connecticut State Department of Education document “Plan for Reimagining CT Classrooms for Continuous Learning” document, published on June 25, 2020.
Reimagining CT Classrooms for Continuous Learning: A Glossary
Asynchronous Learning4: Students complete their work assigned on their own time. Students are given a timeframe — usually a one-week window – during which they need to connect to their class daily or as determined by the teacher.
When asynchronous, students can access assignments and content at any time of the day (or night). Prior to remote and distance learning, students engaged in asynchronous learning when completing projects assigned to complete at home over an extended period.
Assessment: The process of assessing student learning includes multiple means for demonstrating learning which results in an evaluation or inference. Demonstrations of learning are aligned to the benchmarks and standards that allow students to show you what they know through products, performance and evidences of learning, skill development and content understanding.
Blended Learning: Learning that combines online digital tools, resources and media with technology and classroom methods, with some element of student control over time, place, path or pace. Blended Learning can take place on site, on campus, in a single classroom or in remote settings. A Blended Learning environment that provides face-to-face and online learning opportunities. The blended learning environment is designed to provide teachers with the resources necessary to both innovate and differentiate instruction according to the needs and strengths of each student.
Continuous Learning: Learning that continues regardless of time, space and location to ensure continuity and minimize learning gaps during extended school closures.
Curriculum: Curriculum is different from state and national academic standards in that standards define what students are expected to learn by subject and grade. The curriculum combines how teachers will teach to develop skills, content knowledge and assess students’ ability to transfer learning. Curriculum is the central roadmap for communicating essential learning outcomes for mastery by the end of a grade or grade band. The structure and organization of curriculum is guided by a curriculum framework that must include standards aligned concepts, skills, high impact instructional methods, high quality materials and multiple means of assessment aligned to standards.
Differentiated Learning (DI): The process of modifying or delineating some aspect of instruction: the content, process, product, and/or learning environment to address the needs of the learners by the teacher. DI differs from personalized learning as it is a facilitated process that moves the learner to the center of the planning.
Digital Learning: Digital learning is any instructional practice (onsite/on campus or remote) that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience. It emphasizes high-quality, high-impact instruction and provides access to challenging content, feedback through formative assessment, opportunities for learning anytime and anywhere, advancing equity through personalized or individualized instruction to ensure all students reach their full potential to succeed in college and a career. A digital learning environment includes the use of tools and applications to promote online or blended learning.
Distance Learning: The education of students who may not be physically present at a school. Instruction and courses are delivered via the Internet (or other forms of digital technologies that may evolve from the Internet without face-toface interaction between student and instructor.
Educational Standards: The learning goals for what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.
Educational standards are not a curriculum. Educational standards are adopted by the Connecticut State Board of Education to guide the development of high-quality curriculum and high impact instruction. Local communities and educators customize and personalize the development of curriculum aligned to the approved educational standards, district needs and portrait of the learner.
Evidence of Learning: Student artifacts, assignments, projects that students use to demonstrate that they have made progress or mastered certain knowledge or skills. Evidence of learning may be compiled in a portfolio that can be in hard copy or a digital file, to include formative and summative test scores over time.
Mastery-Based Learning5: Systems of instruction, assessment grading, and academic reporting that are based on students demonstrating that they have learned the knowledge and skills they are expected to learn as they progress through their education. In public schools, mastery-based systems use state learning standards to determine academic expectations and define “mastery” in a given course, subject area, or grade level.
Personalized Learning6: The term personalized learning, or personalization, refers to a diverse variety of educational programs, learning experiences, instructional approaches, and academic-support strategies that are intended to address the distinct learning needs, interests, aspirations, or cultural backgrounds of individual students.
Remote Learning: Students and educators are not physically present in a traditional classroom environment. Instruction is relayed through technology, such as a learning management system with embedded tools like discussion boards, video conferencing, online assessments and teacher/administrator dashboards to monitor progress from remote locations.
Synchronous Learning7: Face to face teaching (on site/on campus). Classes and learning occur on set schedules and time frames. Students and teachers are online at the same time in synchronous classes. When blended or remote, all students must be online at that exact time in order to participate in the class.
Endnotes
1. https://www.leapinnovations.org/leap-learning-framework/
2. https://www.christenseninstitute.org/blog/the-next-decade-of-disruption-in-education-unlocking-networks/
3. https://www.christenseninstitute.org/blended-learning/
4. https://www.edglossary.org/asynchronous-learning/
5. https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Mastery-Based-Learning/What-is-Mastery-Based-Learning/Related-Resources 6. https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTEdTech/Commission-for-Educational-Technology/Initiatives/Personalized-Learning 7. https://www.edglossary.org/synchronous-learning/
6. https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTEdTech/Commission-for-Educational-Technology/Initiatives/Personalized-Learning 7. https://www.edglossary.org/synchronous-learning/
7. https://www.edglossary.org/synchronous-learning/
When asynchronous, students can access assignments and content at any time of the day (or night). Prior to remote and distance learning, students engaged in asynchronous learning when completing projects assigned to complete at home over an extended period.
Assessment: The process of assessing student learning includes multiple means for demonstrating learning which results in an evaluation or inference. Demonstrations of learning are aligned to the benchmarks and standards that allow students to show you what they know through products, performance and evidences of learning, skill development and content understanding.
Blended Learning: Learning that combines online digital tools, resources and media with technology and classroom methods, with some element of student control over time, place, path or pace. Blended Learning can take place on site, on campus, in a single classroom or in remote settings. A Blended Learning environment that provides face-to-face and online learning opportunities. The blended learning environment is designed to provide teachers with the resources necessary to both innovate and differentiate instruction according to the needs and strengths of each student.
Continuous Learning: Learning that continues regardless of time, space and location to ensure continuity and minimize learning gaps during extended school closures.
Curriculum: Curriculum is different from state and national academic standards in that standards define what students are expected to learn by subject and grade. The curriculum combines how teachers will teach to develop skills, content knowledge and assess students’ ability to transfer learning. Curriculum is the central roadmap for communicating essential learning outcomes for mastery by the end of a grade or grade band. The structure and organization of curriculum is guided by a curriculum framework that must include standards aligned concepts, skills, high impact instructional methods, high quality materials and multiple means of assessment aligned to standards.
Differentiated Learning (DI): The process of modifying or delineating some aspect of instruction: the content, process, product, and/or learning environment to address the needs of the learners by the teacher. DI differs from personalized learning as it is a facilitated process that moves the learner to the center of the planning.
Digital Learning: Digital learning is any instructional practice (onsite/on campus or remote) that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience. It emphasizes high-quality, high-impact instruction and provides access to challenging content, feedback through formative assessment, opportunities for learning anytime and anywhere, advancing equity through personalized or individualized instruction to ensure all students reach their full potential to succeed in college and a career. A digital learning environment includes the use of tools and applications to promote online or blended learning.
Distance Learning: The education of students who may not be physically present at a school. Instruction and courses are delivered via the Internet (or other forms of digital technologies that may evolve from the Internet without face-toface interaction between student and instructor.
Educational Standards: The learning goals for what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.
Educational standards are not a curriculum. Educational standards are adopted by the Connecticut State Board of Education to guide the development of high-quality curriculum and high impact instruction. Local communities and educators customize and personalize the development of curriculum aligned to the approved educational standards, district needs and portrait of the learner.
Evidence of Learning: Student artifacts, assignments, projects that students use to demonstrate that they have made progress or mastered certain knowledge or skills. Evidence of learning may be compiled in a portfolio that can be in hard copy or a digital file, to include formative and summative test scores over time.
Mastery-Based Learning5: Systems of instruction, assessment grading, and academic reporting that are based on students demonstrating that they have learned the knowledge and skills they are expected to learn as they progress through their education. In public schools, mastery-based systems use state learning standards to determine academic expectations and define “mastery” in a given course, subject area, or grade level.
Personalized Learning6: The term personalized learning, or personalization, refers to a diverse variety of educational programs, learning experiences, instructional approaches, and academic-support strategies that are intended to address the distinct learning needs, interests, aspirations, or cultural backgrounds of individual students.
Remote Learning: Students and educators are not physically present in a traditional classroom environment. Instruction is relayed through technology, such as a learning management system with embedded tools like discussion boards, video conferencing, online assessments and teacher/administrator dashboards to monitor progress from remote locations.
Synchronous Learning7: Face to face teaching (on site/on campus). Classes and learning occur on set schedules and time frames. Students and teachers are online at the same time in synchronous classes. When blended or remote, all students must be online at that exact time in order to participate in the class.
Endnotes
1. https://www.leapinnovations.org/leap-learning-framework/
2. https://www.christenseninstitute.org/blog/the-next-decade-of-disruption-in-education-unlocking-networks/
3. https://www.christenseninstitute.org/blended-learning/
4. https://www.edglossary.org/asynchronous-learning/
5. https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Mastery-Based-Learning/What-is-Mastery-Based-Learning/Related-Resources 6. https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTEdTech/Commission-for-Educational-Technology/Initiatives/Personalized-Learning 7. https://www.edglossary.org/synchronous-learning/
6. https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTEdTech/Commission-for-Educational-Technology/Initiatives/Personalized-Learning 7. https://www.edglossary.org/synchronous-learning/
7. https://www.edglossary.org/synchronous-learning/
