in ruby, where classes are objects, this means the instance variables of the class object itself
Here is an example:
class Test
  @ins1 = "gah"
  def initialize()
    @ins2 = "wtf?"
  end
end
@ins2 is an instance variable and @ins1 is a class instance variable. This might hopefully shed some more light over it:
ruby: class instance variables vs instance variables
 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    