Definitions draw on platform pages (Coursera, edX, Alison, MIT OpenCourseWare, AWS), the American Council on Education, an MIT study and Wikipedia, checked October 30, 2026; terms marked editorial are our plain-language definitions. Our editorial method
How to use this glossary
The same word can mean different things on different platforms. "Certificate" can mean a free completion record or a paid, identity-verified credential; "free" can mean free to watch but not to be graded. For each term below, the "what to check" column is the question to answer on the specific course page before you enrol or pay.
Sources are named in the last column. Where a definition is our own plain-language explanation, it is marked editorial.
Course formats and pacing
| Term | Plain definition | What to check | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOOC | Massive open online course: an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the web. The term was coined in 2008. | Whether "open" means free to take, free to certify, or neither | Wikipedia: Massive open online course |
| xMOOC and cMOOC | xMOOCs follow a set syllabus with recorded lectures and self-tests; cMOOCs are built around learners connecting and remixing material. | Whether you want a structured syllabus or a discussion-led course | Wikipedia: Massive open online course |
| Asynchronous | Learning that does not happen in the same place or at the same time, such as recorded lectures and discussion boards. | Whether any deadlines or live sessions still apply | Wikipedia: Asynchronous learning |
| Synchronous (live) | Learning that happens at a set time for everyone, such as a live class or video call. | Session times in your own time zone and whether recordings are provided | Editorial |
| Self-paced | You set the schedule. Alison, for example, says its courses are self-paced with no time limit for completing a course. | Whether access or a subscription ends before you finish | Alison Help Center |
| Cohort-based | A group of learners starts and moves through the course together on a fixed schedule. | Start dates, weekly deadlines and what happens if you fall behind | Editorial |
| Module | A unit within a course. Alison structures every course as course, module, topic and assessment; Coursera course pages list modules with hour estimates. | The hour estimate per module, to plan weekly time | Alison Help Center; Coursera course page |
| Completion rate | The share of enrolled learners who finish. An MIT-Harvard analysis of edX MOOCs found completion rates were low and had not improved over six years. | Your own track record with self-paced courses before paying up front | Reich and Ruipérez-Valiente, MIT Teaching Systems Lab |
Access and price
| Term | Plain definition | What to check | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | On edX, a free track with temporary access to course materials and no graded assignments. | When access ends and whether graded work is locked | edX: Verified certificate page |
| Full Course, No Certificate | A Coursera option on some courses for accessing materials, submitting assessments and getting a final grade without a certificate; you cannot earn or buy the certificate on this route. | Whether you will want the certificate later | Coursera: SQL for Data Science course page |
| Free trial | A period of paid access at no charge. Coursera Plus monthly offers a 7-day free trial. | The date the first charge happens and how to cancel before it | Coursera Plus page |
| Subscription | Recurring payment for access. Coursera Specializations and Professional Certificates start at $49 a month. | Realistic months to finish times the monthly price | Coursera: How Coursera works |
| Money-back guarantee | A refund window after purchase. Coursera Plus annual lists a 14-day money-back guarantee. | Exact window length and any conditions, such as certificates already earned | Coursera Plus page |
| Financial aid | Reduced or waived fees for eligible learners. Some Coursera programs note that financial aid is available. | Whether the specific program offers it and how long approval takes | Coursera: Mathematics for ML and Data Science Specialization page |
| OpenCourseWare (OCW) | Free publication of course materials. MIT OCW covers over 2,500 courses, needs no account and gives no credit or certificate. | Whether solutions are posted, since nobody grades your work | MIT OpenCourseWare: About |
| Creative Commons licence | A licence that allows reuse under stated conditions. MIT OCW uses CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 and asks reusers to cite it. | Attribution and non-commercial terms before reusing material in your own project | MIT OpenCourseWare: About |
Certificates, credentials and credit
| Term | Plain definition | What to check | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shareable certificate | A completion certificate you can add to LinkedIn or a resume, listed on many paid Coursera pages. | Whether it requires the paid route and passing graded work | Coursera course pages |
| Verified certificate | On edX, the paid track with graded assignments, a certificate that does not expire and unlimited access to materials. Courses start at about $50. | Price for the specific course and the refund terms | edX: Verified certificate page |
| Online degree | A degree awarded by an accredited university partner. Coursera says undergraduate degrees often take 2 to 6 years and graduate degrees 1 to 3. | Admission route, total tuition and transfer credit rules | Coursera: Online degrees |
| ACE credit recommendation | A recommendation by the American Council on Education that colleges award credit. Each college sets its own transfer policy. | Ask the target college whether it accepts that specific recommendation | American Council on Education |
| CEU | Continuing education unit, a measure used in continuing education programs to help professionals maintain licences. No single body is the accepted standard. | Whether your licensing body accepts that provider's CEUs | Wikipedia: Continuing education unit |
| Pass mark | The minimum assessment score for a certificate. Alison requires at least 80 percent and allows unlimited retakes. | Retake rules and whether retakes cost extra | Alison Help Center |
| Proctored exam | A supervised exam, either at a test centre or online. AWS exams are taken at Pearson VUE centres or as online proctored exams. | Technical requirements for online proctoring and ID rules | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner page |
| Prerequisite | Knowledge a course expects before you start. The Machine Learning Specialization asks for basic coding and high-school-level math. | Whether you can do the stated prerequisite tasks without notes | Coursera: Machine Learning Specialization page |
Platform and technology terms
| Term | Plain definition | What to check | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMS (learning management system) | Software for delivering, tracking and reporting on courses. Canvas, Blackboard Learn, Moodle and D2L Brightspace are widely used in US higher education. | Which LMS your program uses and whether it has a mobile app | Wikipedia: Learning management system |
| Course platform or marketplace | A site such as Coursera, edX or Alison that hosts courses from many instructors or institutions. | Who actually issues the certificate: the platform or the partner | Editorial |
| Hands-on lab | A practice environment provided inside the course, such as a hosted notebook or cloud console. | Whether lab work is saved and can be downloaded | Editorial |
Five terms that most often change the price
In our reading of course pages, these terms are where a free-looking course turns into a cost. Check them first.
- Audit or Full Course, No Certificate: free to learn, but graded work or the certificate may be excluded.
- Free trial: note the first charge date; Coursera Plus monthly starts billing after 7 days.
- Subscription: multiply the monthly price by realistic months, not the advertised minimum.
- Verified or shareable certificate: confirm what you must pass and pay to receive it.
- Credit recommendation: it becomes credit only when a college accepts it.
Questions before you decide
What does MOOC mean?
MOOC stands for massive open online course, an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the web. The term was coined in 2008. Open does not always mean the certificate or graded work is free.
What is the difference between auditing and a verified certificate on edX?
edX says auditing is free and gives temporary access to course materials without graded assignments. The verified track includes graded assignments, a certificate that does not expire and unlimited access to materials, with courses starting at about $50.
What does asynchronous mean for an online course?
Asynchronous learning does not happen at the same place or time, so you work through recorded material and discussion boards on your own schedule. Check whether the course still has weekly deadlines or live sessions.
What is an LMS?
A learning management system is software for delivering, tracking and reporting on courses. Canvas, Blackboard Learn, Moodle and D2L Brightspace are widely used in US higher education.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- edX: Verified certificates and audit track Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Coursera: How Coursera works, program types and starting prices Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Coursera: SQL for Data Science course page Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Coursera Plus: plans and pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Coursera: Online degrees Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Coursera: Machine Learning Specialization Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Coursera: Mathematics for Machine Learning and Data Science Specialization Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Alison Help Center: How do Alison courses work? Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- MIT OpenCourseWare: About OCW Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner: exam overview Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- American Council on Education: Credit and transcripts for students Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- MIT Teaching Systems Lab: The MOOC pivot (Reich and Ruipérez-Valiente, 2019) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia: Massive open online course Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia: Asynchronous learning Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia: Learning management system Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia: Continuing education unit Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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