Glossary of terms : E - H

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E

electronic communication aid – used to describe electronic aids, which enhance a pupil’s ability to communicate more effectively. Range from simple single-message devices, through to sophisticated multi-level systems.

electronic mail – see email

electronic whiteboard – interactive screen that is linked to a computer. The computer image is projected onto the screen. The user interacts on the screen with a ‘pen’ and the screen sends information back to the computer about the pen’s movements, enabling the user to interact with various software packages.

email (electronic mail) – short for electronic mail – messages that are communicated through the Internet.

email attachment – see attachment

embed – to insert information stored in one format into information in another format, for example a graphic into a text file.

embosser – special type of printer that can produce Braille from a computer.

emulator – hardware or software which enables one type of computer to behave like another.

encryption – conversion of data into a format that cannot be read except with a special decryption program. Used on the Internet for secure transactions.

E-Tran Frame – a transparent square of perspex on which pictures, symbols and words can be mounted for communication via eye pointing.

expanded keyboard – keyboard (usually larger than standard) which may include extra formatting options, a numeric keypad and the ability to customize key-press response times.

expansion card – card which slots into the motherboard of the computer to increase its functionality, e.g. a sound or graphics card.

extension – see file extension

F

favourites – see bookmarks.

fax (facsimile) – transmission of images over the telephone network. Fax messages can be sent direct from a desktop computer fitted with a fax modem, or via a fax gateway.

fax modem – modem which handles faxes as well as normal data transmission.

fibre optics – thin strands of pure glass or polymer used for transmitting light. Applications include the transmission of large volumes of data at high speed, and multi-sensory environments.

field – category in a database

file – collection of data held on a computer as one item with one name. A file can be a piece of work created by the user in an application such as a word processor. Each file needs a unique label (file name) in order to be accessed. See also directory.

file extension (file name extension) – suffix following a file name which allows the file type to be recognized by the computer. Common extensions are .doc for a word-processed document and .jpg for an image.

file server – see server.

file transfer – to copy / move a file from one computer to another.

file transfer protocol (FTP) – file transfer protocol is used to download or upload files between your computer and a server on the Internet. It is commonly used for transferring large files (e.g. software downloads) and for uploading your Web pages to a server.

firewall – means of protecting networked computers from unauthorized access.

floor turtle – programmable device, sometimes called a floor robot; controlled by Logo or Logo-like languages. The turtle can have a pen holder which can be lifted or dropped to trace the turtle’s movements on paper.

floppy disc – small portable data storage medium in which the disc is flexible (as opposed to a hard disc). Currently usually a 3.5-inch disc in a rigid plastic case. See also CD-ROM, hard drive.

foot rest – important for pupils with severe and complex needs to ensure correct and comfortable seating position while using a computer.

forum – An Internet space where people can meet to discuss topics of mutual interest. Messages sent to email forums are automatically sent out to all other members.

font – Set of letters, numerals etc, of one face and style. Each font has a name (e.g. Arial, Sassoon) and can be displayed in different sizes. Some designed specifically for legibility.

framework program – see content-free program.

free-text database – stores its information in normal written form. All words can be searched for individually but often a controlled vocabulary (keywords) is used as well.

freeware – software that can be copied and used without payment to the author.

frequently asked questions (FAQ) – list of the most frequently asked questions and their answers, produced as a reference document for email discussion lists, newsgroups or Web sites, in order to avoid repeating the same questions.

full motion video – moving video with a frame rate of 24 frames per second or more may be considered true ‘full motion’. Slower frame rates may appear jerky.

fuser – see tactile imaging

fuzzy matching – a ‘guess’ by a searching, spelling or predictive word-processing program to achieve a near match to the user’s input, so that phonetic or poor spelling is not a barrier to communication.

G

gateway – device connecting different networks by carrying out protocol conversion between them, i.e. translating the rules of communication of one set of computers to those of another.

GIF – ‘graphics interchange format’ – format commonly used to store digitized images as most popular software can cope with it. See also JPEG.

gigabyte (GB) – 1024 megabytes or 1073741824 bytes.

grammar checker – part of a word processor which scans through text on the screen and highlights any word or group of words where the grammar may need correcting. The user is given the option of ignoring or correcting the text. See also spellchecker

graphical user interface (GUI) – a system using windows, icons, menus and the mouse for most user input / output. See also wimp.

graphics – charts, diagrams, pictures, symbols or animations on a computer screen which may be printed out or saved to disc.

graphics card – circuit board inside the computer that produces the monitor output. In some systems this may be built into the motherboard.

graphics tablet – device that enables the mouse to be replaced by a pen.

H

hard copy – printed (paper) output from a computer as opposed to the ‘soft’ copy stored on the computer.

hard disc – computer storage medium, rigid disc usually made of aluminium, coated with magnetic material and hermetically sealed; fitted internally in a computer.

hardware – physical components of a computer or a communications system, including both mechanical and electronic parts, such as the processor, hard drive, keyboard, screen, cables, mouse and printer. Contrasted with software.

hardware compatibility – computers which can use the same software because they share or can use the same operating system.

head pointer – pointing device used by some pupils with severe physical difficulties to access the computer. Simple ones can be used to press keys. See also optical head pointer.

home page – opening or main page of a Web site of a particular organization or individual.

host – computer acting as an information or communications server; often used for a computer acting as a Web server.

hotlink – see hyperlink

hotlist – see bookmarks

hotspot – means by which ‘point and click’ software can be accessed by devices other than a mouse (usually a switch). Software such as ClickIt! or SAW can be used to create hotspots over ‘clickable’ points on a screen. A switch or overlay keyboard user can then access the same resources as a mouse user.

housekeeping – organizing and tidying information and software on a computer to keep them manageable and minimize the storage space they occupy.

hyperlink – in a hypertext document (e.g. Web page), an area (e.g. words or parts of images) which can be clicked on to jump between set places in a set of documents.

hypermedia – conceptual term for the use of hypertext links to connect multimedia items.

hypertext – system enabling the non-sequential connection of information, linking one computer file with another. The user can choose to follow the link or to continue using the original file sequentially. Used for the Web. See also hyperlink, hypertext mark-up language.

hypertext mark-up language (html) – computer language used to create hypertext documents such as Web pages. The author using html marks up or defines how elements of the text will appear on the Web by inserting tags which will be invisible to the ordinary user of that page. The tags are special instructions to the computer, such as to insert a picture or to change text size and style. Tags may also define text or an image as a link to another page (a hyperlink). Word-processing packages can be used to create html documents but there are also many specially designed packages enabling html creation.

hypertext transfer protocol (http) – protocol by which a browser program requests and downloads files from a Web server. See protocol.

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