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Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time. For computers connected to a network, bandwidth is often expressed in Kilobits per second (Kbps), or Megabits per second (Mbps). The greater the bandwidth, the more information that can be sent in a given amount of time.

Benchmark
A benchmark is a statement of what all students should know and be able to do by the end of a specific grade. Not all states have expectations at this second, or benchmark, level. In some states this second-level expectation is called a grade-level expectation, a performance objective, or some other similar term.

Clip
A clip is a segment or chunk of a video program. Programs are divided into clips in order to provide short, contextual learning objects that can stand alone, separate from the entire program, as part of a lesson.

Codec
Codec is the component of Windows Media® Player that decompresses the incoming frames and rebuilds them as images.

Copy Link
The "Copy Link" feature enables you to create a shortcut to a learning object to be placed in a document or PowerPoint™ presentation. The link is temporary and expires five days from creation.

Downloading
Downloading is a method of transferring a file from one computer to another.

High-speed Internet
A computer accessing the Internet at a bandwidth above 500 Kbps (Kilobits per second) is considered to have a "high-speed" Internet connection. Often referred to as a broadband connection, high-speed Internet access can be achieved many different ways: T1, DSL, Cable Modem, ISDN, etc. Standard dial-up modems with a maximum of 56.6 Kbps are not considered high-speed.

Keyword
A keyword is a significant or descriptive word entered in a search engine for the purpose of finding data relating to the keyword. Keywords are also referred to as "search terms." Careful keyword selection is the "key" to getting good search results. To assist in this, The Learning Source staff has put together a Search Tips document with information on how the search engine works and suggestions for selecting keywords.

Learning Object
A Learning Object is "'any digital resource that can be reused to support learning.' This definition includes anything that can be delivered across the network on demand, be it large or small. Examples of smaller reusable digital resources include digital images or photos, live data feeds... live or prerecorded video or audio snippets, small bits of text...."

Wiley, D. A. (2000). Connecting learning objects to instructional design theory: A definition, a metaphor, and a taxonomy. In D. A. Wiley (Ed.), The Instructional Use of Learning Objects: Online Version. Retrieved February 5, 2004, from the World Wide Web: http://reusability.org/read/chapters/wiley.doc

Metadata
Metadata is basic descriptive information of digital content or an organized database of information linked to content. Types of metadata for a video in The Learning Source include program description, title, subject keywords, grade level, program length, and year of production -- the types of information you might find for a book in a card catalog at your library. This "data about data" is linked to the actual image, file, or video clip found in The Learning Source. With complete, accurate metadata one can quickly retrieve digital content through a search engine using keywords.

PDF
A .pdf, or portable document format, is a file format created by Adobe®, initially to provide a standard form for storing and editing printed publishable documents. Because documents in PDF form can easily be seen and printed by users on different computers and the original layout and formatting of the document is preserved, they are very common on the World Wide Web. To view files of this type, download the Adobe Reader®, which is available free from Adobe's Web site at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

Playlist
Playlist is a term used in the film industry to describe a customized collection of video programs. The Learning Source allows you to save your favorite digital video learning objects into playlists that you can access quickly for use in your classroom.

Program
A program is one episode in a video series or a single stand-alone work.

Search Term
See Keyword.

Series
A video series is a collection of video programs produced around one subject or concept.

SSL
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. Logging in with SSL creates a secure passage of information between two computers over the Internet.

Standard
A standard is a broad description of knowledge and skills that students should acquire in a particular subject. On The Learning Source we use the term "standard" to signify the first level of student achievement expectations determined by a specific state. In some states this first-level expectation is called a goal, an objective, or some other similar term.

Streaming
Streaming is a method of transmitting audio and video data from one computer to another. The data is processed as a steady and continuous "stream." Unlike downloading, streaming leaves no data on the receiving computer.