Education Dictionary

For-Profit School adj : an educational institution operated by private companies seeking a profit.

As more and more for-profit colleges and universities begin to pop up in the education space, it becomes increasingly more important for current and potential students to understand the difference between for-profit vs. non-profit colleges. For-profit institutions such as Phoenix University and DeVry University are known for efficiency and highly qualified professors, all motivated by their drive for profit. They are also in-tuned to their students’ needs and flexible in meeting those needs.

Synchronous adj : instructor’s delivery of online course content and participation by online students occurs at the same time.

For those who opt for a synchronous distance learning course, the experience is very similar to the traditional classroom one: instructors and students meet at a scheduled time at a predetermined [virtual] location, and interaction is instantaneous. With this type of online course, educators rely on technology such as video conferencing, chat rooms, webinars, and phone conferences.

Asynchronous adj : instructor’s delivery of online course content and participation by online students not occurring at the same time.

For those who opt for an asynchronous distance learning course, there are no scheduled online class meeting times and interaction between online instructors and students are normally delayed. Educators rely on discussion boards, e-mails, and prerecorded videos to communicate with their online students.

Accreditation n : in the U.S., a voluntary process where higher education institutions undergo an extensive review by a third party to ensure that schools and/or programs meet operating and quality standards.

Distance Learning n : the delivery and consumption of education through the online medium. In this education process, instructors and students are separated by physical distance and are not always in the traditional classroom setting. Technology enabled by the Internet such as dynamic web pages, video streaming, group chat, and discussion boards allow for interaction between and communication among online students, their peers, and instructors.