L&D & LMS Glossary

Activity completion is a tracking feature that marks when a learner has finished a specific resource or activity — for example viewing a page, submitting an assignment, or scoring above a threshold on

Adaptive learning is an educational approach in which the content, sequence, and pace of learning automatically adjusts to each individual learner based on their ongoing performance, knowledge gaps, a

ADDIE is a foundational instructional-design framework that structures the creation of learning experiences into five phases: Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate. In Analyse, designers id

AI roleplay lets learners practise real conversations — sales, support, compliance, interviews — with an adaptive AI persona that responds in character and scores their performance, building capabilit

An AI tutor is a software agent that provides personalised, on-demand teaching support — answering questions, explaining concepts in different ways, giving hints, and adapting to each learner's pace a

Asynchronous learning lets learners access content and complete activities on their own schedule, without needing to be online at the same time as anyone else. Recorded videos, readings, discussion fo

An eLearning authoring tool is software used to create digital learning content — courses, interactions, assessments and simulations — which can then be published to an LMS, typically in standards suc

Blended learning combines face-to-face instruction with online digital learning, giving learners the structure of in-person sessions and the flexibility of self-paced online content. A typical blend d

Bloom's Taxonomy is a hierarchical framework that classifies learning objectives into levels of cognitive complexity, from lower-order to higher-order thinking. The revised version progresses through

Cognitive Load Theory, developed by John Sweller, explains that working memory can hold only a small amount of information at once, so instruction must be designed to avoid overloading it. The theory

In Moodle, a cohort is a site-wide or category-wide group of users that can be enrolled into courses together in a single action, rather than one person at a time. Cohorts are ideal for managing large

Competency-based learning (or competency-based education) focuses on learners demonstrating mastery of specific, well-defined skills or competencies, rather than on time spent in a course. Learners pr

Compliance training is mandatory instruction that ensures employees understand and follow the laws, regulations, policies and standards relevant to their roles and industry. Typical topics include dat

Conversational AI refers to technologies — powered by natural language processing and large language models — that let computers understand and respond to human language in a natural, dialogue-based w

A course format determines how a course's content is laid out and navigated. In Moodle, common formats include Topics (sections by subject), Weekly (sections by date), Single Activity and Social (foru

The flipped classroom is a blended-learning model that inverts the traditional sequence. Learners first encounter new material on their own — usually through videos, readings or interactive modules de

Formative assessment is low-stakes assessment used during learning to monitor progress and provide feedback that helps learners improve. Quizzes, polls, self-checks, drafts and practice exercises are

Gamification is the use of game-design elements — points, badges, levels, leaderboards, streaks and challenges — in non-game contexts such as training and education to boost motivation and engagement.

Generative AI refers to artificial-intelligence models that create new content — text, images, audio, video or code — from prompts, using large models trained on vast datasets. In learning and develop

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The gradebook is the central area in an LMS — most notably Moodle — where every learner's scores from graded activities are collected, calculated and displayed. Teachers organise grades into categorie

H5P (HTML5 Package) is an open-source framework for creating rich, interactive learning content directly in a browser — including interactive video, drag-and-drop exercises, branching scenarios, flash

Instructional design is the systematic practice of creating effective, engaging learning experiences by applying pedagogical and cognitive principles. Designers analyse learner needs and goals, struct

The Kirkpatrick Model is the best-known framework for evaluating the effectiveness of training, organising measurement into four levels. Level 1, Reaction, captures how learners felt about the trainin

Learning analytics is the measurement, collection and analysis of data about learners and their contexts to understand and improve learning and the environments in which it happens. It draws on LMS ac

A Learning Management System (LMS) is a software platform that enables organisations to create, deliver, manage, and track learning and training programmes. An LMS serves as the central hub for all tr

Learning objectives are clear, specific statements describing what a learner should know or be able to do after completing a piece of learning. Well-written objectives are measurable and observable —

A Learning Record Store (LRS) is a data repository that collects, stores and retrieves learning records expressed in the xAPI (Experience API) format. Where a traditional LMS only tracks activity that

LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) is an education-technology standard, maintained by 1EdTech, that lets an LMS securely connect to external learning tools and content so they work as if built in.

An LXP is a platform focused on learner-driven content discovery and personalised recommendations, complementing the structured, trackable training an LMS delivers.

Microlearning delivers training in short, focused units — usually a few minutes each — designed for mobile, on-demand consumption and stronger retention.

Mobile learning (mLearning) is learning delivered through smartphones and tablets, letting people study anywhere and in short, convenient sessions. Through responsive course design or a dedicated app,

A MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is an online course designed for unlimited participation and open access via the web, typically free or low-cost to enrol. Pioneered by platforms such as Coursera,

Moodle is the world's most widely used open-source learning management system (LMS), powering online courses for schools, universities, governments and companies in over 240 countries. First released

A Moodle plugin is an installable software add-on that extends Moodle's functionality without modifying the core code. Moodle's modular architecture supports many plugin types — activity modules (such

Online proctoring is the use of technology to monitor and verify the integrity of exams taken remotely, ensuring the right person takes the test and does so without prohibited assistance. Approaches r

Open Badges are a verifiable, portable digital-credential standard (maintained by 1EdTech) used to recognise skills, achievements and milestones. Each badge is an image embedded with metadata describi

Personalised learning tailors the content, pace, sequence and support of a learning experience to each individual, rather than delivering the same path to everyone. It draws on data about a learner's

A question bank is a centralised repository where quiz and assessment questions are created, categorised and stored for reuse across multiple quizzes and courses. In Moodle, the question bank lets tea

Roles and permissions form the access-control system that determines what each user can see and do within an LMS. A role (such as learner, teacher, manager or administrator) is a named collection of c

Sales enablement is the practice of equipping sales teams with the training, content, tools and coaching they need to engage buyers effectively and close more deals. On the learning side it covers onb

Scenario-based learning places learners inside realistic situations where they must make decisions and experience the consequences, rather than passively absorbing information. By practising in a safe

SCORM is a widely used e-learning standard that defines how online courses are packaged and how an LMS tracks launch, completion, and scores. It makes courseware portable across any SCORM-compliant sy

Single sign-on (SSO) is an authentication method that lets users access multiple applications with one set of credentials, signing in once instead of maintaining separate logins for each system. In le

Social learning is the principle — rooted in Albert Bandura's social learning theory — that people learn a great deal by observing, interacting with and imitating others, not only through formal instr

Spaced repetition is an evidence-based learning technique in which material is reviewed at gradually increasing intervals, timed to reinforce memory just before it would otherwise fade. By exploiting

Summative assessment evaluates learning at the end of an instructional unit by measuring it against a standard or benchmark — final exams, certification tests, capstone projects and end-of-course assi

Synchronous learning is any form of learning that happens in real time, with learners and instructors participating together at the same moment — such as live webinars, virtual classrooms, video confe

Upskilling and reskilling are two complementary workforce-development strategies. Upskilling teaches employees new or deeper skills to perform their current roles better as those roles evolve — for ex

A virtual classroom is an online environment that recreates the interactivity of a physical classroom in real time, using video and audio conferencing, screen sharing, chat, breakout rooms, polls and

Web accessibility means designing digital content and platforms so that people with disabilities — including visual, auditory, motor and cognitive impairments — can perceive, understand, navigate and

xAPI is a modern e-learning standard that tracks learning experiences anywhere — not just courses inside an LMS — and stores them as statements in a Learning Record Store (LRS).