A number of online programs now have a “plain language” requirement for course content. This means that course content cannot use words that might be unknown to some students; institutions enforce the policy by keeping the content language at or below a designated education level. That level can be anywhere from sixth to 10th grade. Course developers are given these parameters, and often a separate group goes through the course content to replace big words with small ones and replace outside resources that are above the proscribed level. Here are some examples from actual institutional guidelines:
