Learning Buzz Words

Competency-Based

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Our compilation of common learning terms and their definitions to set your understanding straight.

This approach focuses on if a student can show a mastery of certain outcomes, not how long they take to complete the learning. It’s flexible in the way that credit can be earned or awarded, and creates more personalized learning opportunities. It usually leads to better engagement because the content is more focused on the application. Source: U.S. Department of Education

AdaptiveAn approach to creating a personalized learning experience for students that employs a sophisticated, data-driven, and in some cases, nonlinear approach to instruction and remediation, adjusting to a learner's interactions and demonstrated performance level, and subsequently anticipating what types of content and resources learners need at a specific point in time to make progress. Source: Education Growth Advisors researchers

Social The social learning theory combines cognitive learning theory and behavioral theory. These two theories were integrated and thus four requirements for learning were created: observation (environmental), retention (cognitive), reproduction (cognitive), and motiviation (both). Source: PsychologyToday.com

Just-In-Time

A learning strategy designed to promote the use of class time for more active learning. It relies on a feedback loop between web-based learning materials and the classroom. It also allows the instructor to create an interactive classroom environment that emphasizes active learning and cooperative problem solving. Source: The Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt University

E-learning Interactive learning utilizing electronic technology to access educational curriculum outside of a traditional classroom.Source: elearningnc.gov

Blended

A formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace, and another part in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home. The modalities along each student's learning path within a course or subject are connected to provide an integrated learning experience. Source: Clayton Christensen Institute

Micro

A way of teaching and delivering content to learners in small, very specific bursts. The learners are in control of what and when they're learning.Source: elearningindustry.com

On-Demand A training strategy for how a learner gains access to knowledge based content in real time, anywhere and at anytime. Source: Training Industry

Mobile

Also known as m-learning, mobile learning involves the exploitation of ubiquitous handheld hardware, wireless networking and mobile telephony to facilitate, support, enhance and extend the reach of teaching and learning.Source: Mobile Learning Infokit via MoLeNET