First, let me start off by saying I am very well-read. No, no, I’m extraordinarily well-read. When I’m not terribly busy, I can consume a book a day! I am a prolific writer of words – as a matter of fact, I’m writing my fifth book right now! I am the reason word bibliophile was invented (can I tell you how much my husband hates it when we move?). So, it comes as a mild surprise that two semesters into this program, I have come across not one, not two, but THREE words I’ve never encountered before in the context they’ve been presented. I must admit, this makes me cranky and insane! Let’s consider the three individually.
Inform – according to dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/inform) there are several definitions of inform as follows:
1. to give or impart knowledge of a fact or circumstance to:
He informed them of his arrival.
2. to supply (oneself) with knowledge of a matter or subject:
She informed herself of all the pertinent facts.
3. to give evident substance, character, or distinction to; pervade or permeate with manifest effect:
A love of nature informed his writing.
4. to animate or inspire.
In the context of distance education, I believe definition #3 most closely defines “inform” as evidenced by this passage from Anderson & Elloumi (2004): “ There is, however, one common trait that both defines Athabasca University’s flexible undergraduate learning model and informs most of this book’s content” (p. xi).
Affordance – again, per dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/affordance?s=t) affordance is defined as follows:
“A visual clue to the function of an object.” They offer the following generic example of using the word affordance as follows:
“An affordance is a feature that offers garden-goers a chance to interact with a garden.” Turning back to Anderson & Elloumi (2004), they provide the following use of the word of the day: “This chapter begins with a general assessment of how people learn that is based on Bransford, Brown, and Cocking’s (1999) work. It then assesses the unique characteristics of the Web that enable it to enhance these generalized learning contexts; that is, the Web’s “affordances” (p. 34).
Discourse – back to our trusty source dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/discourse?s=t), they define discourse as both a noun and a verb, as follows:
noun
1. communication of thought by words; talk; conversation:
earnest and intelligent discourse.
2. a formal discussion of a subject in speech or writing, as a dissertation, treatise, sermon, etc.
3. Linguistics. any unit of connected speech or writing longer than asentence.
verb (used without object), discoursed, discoursing.
4. to communicate thoughts orally; talk; converse.
5. to treat of a subject formally in speech or writing.
verb (used with object), discoursed, discoursing.
6. to utter or give forth (musical sounds).
I believe I could claim that I am “discoursing” right now by writing this passage. If we were sitting together having this conversation we could discourse via our “earnest and intelligent” [naturally] conversation. Back to our friends Anderson & Elloumi (2004), they illustrate use of discourse in the following passage; “Second, teaching involves devising and implementing activities to encourage discourse between and among students, between the teacher and the student, and between individual students and groups of students and content resources (p. 274).
Thanks to dictionary.com, Anderson, T., & Elloumi, F., I am three words richer today. But when I get my hands on Anderson, T., & Elloumi, F., I’m going to have to insist that they learn how to use the words zwitterion, pharmacokinetics, and esterified in a sentence!
Anderson, T., & Elloumi, F. (Eds.). (2004). Theory and practice of online learning (2nd ed.). Edmonton: AU Press.
Inform – according to dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/inform) there are several definitions of inform as follows:
1. to give or impart knowledge of a fact or circumstance to:
He informed them of his arrival.
2. to supply (oneself) with knowledge of a matter or subject:
She informed herself of all the pertinent facts.
3. to give evident substance, character, or distinction to; pervade or permeate with manifest effect:
A love of nature informed his writing.
4. to animate or inspire.
In the context of distance education, I believe definition #3 most closely defines “inform” as evidenced by this passage from Anderson & Elloumi (2004): “ There is, however, one common trait that both defines Athabasca University’s flexible undergraduate learning model and informs most of this book’s content” (p. xi).
Affordance – again, per dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/affordance?s=t) affordance is defined as follows:
“A visual clue to the function of an object.” They offer the following generic example of using the word affordance as follows:
“An affordance is a feature that offers garden-goers a chance to interact with a garden.” Turning back to Anderson & Elloumi (2004), they provide the following use of the word of the day: “This chapter begins with a general assessment of how people learn that is based on Bransford, Brown, and Cocking’s (1999) work. It then assesses the unique characteristics of the Web that enable it to enhance these generalized learning contexts; that is, the Web’s “affordances” (p. 34).
Discourse – back to our trusty source dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/discourse?s=t), they define discourse as both a noun and a verb, as follows:
noun
1. communication of thought by words; talk; conversation:
earnest and intelligent discourse.
2. a formal discussion of a subject in speech or writing, as a dissertation, treatise, sermon, etc.
3. Linguistics. any unit of connected speech or writing longer than asentence.
verb (used without object), discoursed, discoursing.
4. to communicate thoughts orally; talk; converse.
5. to treat of a subject formally in speech or writing.
verb (used with object), discoursed, discoursing.
6. to utter or give forth (musical sounds).
I believe I could claim that I am “discoursing” right now by writing this passage. If we were sitting together having this conversation we could discourse via our “earnest and intelligent” [naturally] conversation. Back to our friends Anderson & Elloumi (2004), they illustrate use of discourse in the following passage; “Second, teaching involves devising and implementing activities to encourage discourse between and among students, between the teacher and the student, and between individual students and groups of students and content resources (p. 274).
Thanks to dictionary.com, Anderson, T., & Elloumi, F., I am three words richer today. But when I get my hands on Anderson, T., & Elloumi, F., I’m going to have to insist that they learn how to use the words zwitterion, pharmacokinetics, and esterified in a sentence!
Anderson, T., & Elloumi, F. (Eds.). (2004). Theory and practice of online learning (2nd ed.). Edmonton: AU Press.
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