Academy Modules: Modules developed for students in the three content areas are referred to as Academy modules. The instructor's modules are created for orientation purposes and are not intended for professional development. Rather, they are designed to convey information about Academy modules and how they can be integrated into teacher education programs.

Content Areas: OSEP has specified three content areas within the teacher education curriculum for the Academy to focus on. The content areas include reading, positive behavioral supports and technology in education. These are the content areas from which research-based interventions will be selected and transformed into instructional modules.

Delivery System: The vehicle used in offering courses off campus is often referred to as a delivery system. For example, in courses offered via interactive television, the TV network is the delivery system. The Academy is using the WWW and the internet as its delivery system.

Directed Questions: A series of questions about lesson content has been included as a feature in each module. A question is presented. Once students enter their response they are able to access exemplary answers. This allows them to compare their response to responses prepared by the Academy staff.

Dissemination Models: Dissemination models refers to strategies for distribution of information. The reference to dissemination models in this module relates to national efforts to distribute information for the preparation of personnel. One of the most popular models has been the "train the trainer" model where a cadre of trainers are prepared to train others. Other examples include the mass distribution of printed training materials and the use of demonstration sites. The use of the Internet and the WWW will be the dissemination model for the Online Academy.

Embedded Assessments: A number of assessments have been included throughout each module. They are designed to assist students in assessing their understanding of the lessons. They are designed as an integral part of each module.

Extranet: An extranet model allows a defined group of sites to share the same web pages by assessing their own servers. The Academy will make all resources available to each participating institution. This means that each participating institution will download the modules onto their own server and be able to offer the modules independent of the Academy.

IDEA: IDEA refers to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Inclusion Settings: For purposes of the Online Academy, inclusion settings refers to instructional environments where students are not excluded because of having a disability. These environments may be classroom, work or community settings where instruction is occurring.

Instructional Interventions: Structured teaching methods designed to teach a particular skill and/or body of knowledge represent an instructional intervention. The features of an instructional intervention typically include a specified target group, prescribed procedures, teaching resources, and assessments which are replicable.

Instructor's Home Page: In addition the Academy home page a page designed to contain information of particular interest to participating instructors has been created. A feature of the instructors home page is an email link for instructors.

Interconnectivity: Interconnectivity has several meanings.It is used in the Academy to refer to the capacity for communication between students and the instructor. E-mail can be used as a vehicle for students to share their responses to activities and assessments with their instructor. The instructor can also respond to the students using e-mail.

Juror: Researchers and content experts were selected nationally to assist in the selection of research-based interventions which are the focus of instructional modules within each of the content areas. There is a team of such individuals for each content area. They are referred to as jurors because of their role in selecting interventions. They also provide consultation when needed.

Lesson Level Assessment: With each lesson, assessments have been included to evaluate students' understanding of the content covered in each lesson. These assessments are specific to the respective lesson versus the broader topic of the module.

Lesson Outline: A detailed outline covering the contents of each lesson has been developed and included in the syllabus. The outline builds from the content map for each module.

List Serve: A program that automates the management of electronic mailing lists making all email accessible to persons who use the Academy modules (or to persons who subsribe to the listserv).

Menu: There are menus for each level and lesson in an Academy module. Links to the level menus appear in the center of the menubar. Access any level menu by clicking the level titles in the center of the menubar. Click the up arrow (top right) to access the menu for the current level or to go to the next higher menu level. For example, if you are viewing a page in a lesson the up arrow takes you to the current Lesson menu then to the menu for all Lessons then to the Table of Contents (ToC) for the entire module.

Module: A module is an instructional unit. It contains the pedagogical features necessary for instruction. Examples of features include objectives, the presentation of content, activities designed to engage the learner, assessments of learner performance and opportunities to apply what has been learned.

Module Level Assessment: With each module, assessments have been included to evaluate students' understanding of the content covered across all lessons in a module. These assessments require students to integrate what they have learned from the several lessons in responding to evaluative activities designed to assess their understanding of the broader content of the module.

Monitoring Student Progress: Even though the online modules are designed in a self-contained format instructors are encouraged to track the progress of their students in competing the modules. Features containing assessments requiring student responses have been built into the modules. These serve to provide feedback to students on their understanding of the instruction and instructors a source of information on the progress of their students.

Navigation: Navigation refers to the technical process of moving from one feature to another in an online module. The navigation system for Academy modules allows students to follow a critical path, but also to exercise flexibility when they wish to vary from the normal path of progressing through a module.

OSEP: The office within the U.S. government having primary responsibility for national leadership in special education is the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). OSEP is a division of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) within the department of Education. OSEP oversees the operation of the Online Academy.

Online Academy: The Online Academy is a federally funded project administered by OSEP. It is based in the Center for Research on Learning at the University of Kansas. It has as its primary mission the identification of research-based interventions and the development of online instructional modules to teach preservice students about those interventions. The modules are restricted to three content areas i.e., reading, positive behavior support, and technology in education.

Online Module: All Academy modules are designed to be offered online. However, they can also be used as resources in traditional courses. When reference is made to online modules the focus is on their being offered as web based instructional modules.

Online Option: All Academy modules are designed to be offered online. However, they can also be used as resources in traditional courses. When reference is made to online modules the focus is on their being offered as web based instructional modules.

Practice Exercises: The last level in all modules is a feature containing practice exercises. The practice exercises are designed to allow students to practice what they have learned in the lesson.

Preservice: Preservice: Students preparing to be teachers and enrolled in a teacher education program are considered preservice students versus those who have graduated or completed certification requirements and are professionally employed as teachers. Some five-year programs consider students during the fifth year to be graduate students but they are still preservice students as they have not completed the program requirements.

Readings: References have been selected as resources for each lesson. Students are able to access the reading online. They can read the selections online or print them for reading at a later time.

Regular Education: The term regular education is used to differentiate instructional settings designed for all students from instructional settings designed only for students with disabilities. The Academy modules are designed for teachers in regular educational settings who have responsibility for all students including those with disabilities.

Research Feature: The research feature of Academy modules includes a brief summary of research related to the module topic. The research feature is not intended to provide a literature review; rather it represents a synopsis of research that students may wish to study in conjunction with completing the module.

Research-Based Interventions: Instructional interventions that have been subjected to evaluation are considered to be research-based. To be included in the instructional modules of the Academy they must be designed for use with students having disabilities, and they must also meet specified standards recommended by the jurors.

Resource Option: If an instructor opts to not assign students to complete the modules online they can use features of the modules as resources in traditional courses.

Self-Contained Online Modules: Online instruction typically involves extensive interaction between the students and the instructor, The interactivity occurs via email, FAX, telephone and, on occasion, via US mail. The nature of the communication is to respond to activities, projects or assessments students have completed. Because the modules developed by the Online Academy will be distributed nationally and used under varying circumstances the interactivity has been built into the modules, making them self contained. In other words the students will be provided criteria, examples or models to allow them to judge their own work on activities, projects and assessments.

Spreadsheet: In developing a tracking system to monitor the progress of students instructors may use a spreadsheet such as can be produced by Excel or other graphic systems. A grid can be created by listing students names on one side and the module features across the top. Such a spreadsheet can be maintained in electronic form or produced in hard copy and maintained as a file record.

Standards: Standards are the criteria by which programs are compared when assessing quality. In the context of the Academy two types of standards have been developed. One set of standards was created to guide the selection of research-based interventions to be transformed into instructional modules. A second set of standards was developed guide the staff in the design on online modules. These standards set forth specific criteria that each module must meet to be judged of sufficient quality to be included as an Academy online module.

Student Reports: Academy modules allow students to print hard copies of their responses to activities and assessments. The reports can be retained by students as personal records and/or shared with their instructor.

Table of Contents: Each module includes a general Table of Contents (ToC) covering the entire module. Click "ToC" in the top right of the menubar to access the Table of Contents.

Teacher Educator: In a university a wide array of faculty teach courses that are included in the curriculum taken by students preparing to be teachers. However, there is a circumscribed set of courses and experiences that are specific to teaching methodology and subject matter specific to the skills and knowledge base on teaching. Teacher educator is used in this module to identify those instructors who provide instruction on the skills and knowledge base of teaching.

Technical Features: In developing online instruction there are features related to the organization and structure of the content and there are features which make the instructional program operate as intended via the Internet and the WWW. These are referred to as the technical features. The technical features require programming to operate as intended.

Traditional Courses: Instructional formats such as courses and seminars taught face to face are referred to as traditional to differentiate them from online instruction taught via the Internet and the WWW.

Traditional Formats: Instructional formats such as courses and seminars taught face to face are referred to as traditional to differentiate them from online instruction taught via the Internet and the WWW.

Validated Interventions: In contrast to research-based interventions, validated interventions refer to those which were designed for use with nondisabled students, but validated as also being effective with students having disabilities.