distance education

Definition

Learning that occurs when instructor and students are separated by geography, now a sanitized term for 'online classes.' Previously the domain of correspondence schools, now the future of education, supposedly.

Example Usage

Our distance education initiative involves putting lectures on YouTube and calling it innovation.

Origin

Educational technology terminology, evolved from correspondence course era

Fun Fact

Distance education existed long before the internet - the University of London offered correspondence degrees starting in 1858, using the cutting-edge technology of postal mail

Source: Educational technology and delivery terminology

Related Terms

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Learning Management System

A software platform where professors upload materials and students pretend to access them, featuring an interface designed in the early 2000s and never updated because suffering builds character. It crashes most reliably during finals week, when it's needed most.

🎓 Education / Academia

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waitlist

Academic purgatory where hopeful students linger after a class fills, praying someone drops while simultaneously trying to convince the professor they absolutely need this specific section. Position #47 has never felt so disappointing.

🎓 Education / Academia

Intermediate

parking lot professor

An adjunct instructor who teaches at multiple institutions simultaneously, literally driving from campus to campus between classes. They often have no office, no benefits, and subsist on poverty wages despite advanced degrees and teaching full-time hours.

🎓 Education / Academia

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terminal degree

The highest degree available in a field, usually a PhD or professional doctorate. Called 'terminal' because it's the end of the formal education line, though cynics note it often feels terminal in other ways.

🎓 Education / Academia

Intermediate

hyperbolic

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🎓 Education / Academia

Intermediate

satisfactory academic progress

The minimum standards students must meet to remain eligible for financial aid, including GPA requirements, completion rates, and maximum timeframes. Fall below these metrics and discover that 'satisfactory' is carrying significant financial weight.

🎓 Education / Academia

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