Glossary
L&D Glossary
Key terms in instructional design, e-learning, LMS, and learning science — defined for practitioners.
A
- Action MappingA visual instructional design method by Cathy Moore that starts with a measurable business goal, identifies required on-the-job actions, diagnoses causes of inaction, and designs practice activities targeting those gaps.
- ADDIE ModelA five-phase instructional design process: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation — the most widely used framework for creating training programs.
- AndragogyMalcolm Knowles' theory of adult learning, based on the premise that adults learn differently from children — being self-directed, experience-rich, problem-oriented, and internally motivated rather than dependent on external direction.
- ARCS ModelJohn Keller's motivational design framework identifying four conditions for engaging learners: Attention (capturing interest), Relevance (connecting to learner goals), Confidence (enabling belief in success), and Satisfaction (making outcomes feel worthwhile).
B
- Blended LearningA training approach that combines online digital instruction with in-person learning activities, designed so each format complements the other rather than simply co-existing.
- Bloom's TaxonomyA hierarchical framework for classifying learning objectives by cognitive complexity — from Remember and Understand at the lower end through Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create at the higher end.
C
- Cognitive Load TheoryA learning science theory by John Sweller describing how working memory has limited capacity, and how instructional design can reduce unnecessary load to support better learning.
- COM-B ModelA behavior change framework identifying three conditions required for behavior: Capability (physical and psychological), Opportunity (physical and social environment), and Motivation (reflective and automatic).
D
- Deliberate PracticeK. Anders Ericsson's concept of highly structured, effortful practice that targets specific weaknesses just beyond a learner's current ability, paired with immediate, expert feedback — distinct from mere repetition or years of unfocused experience.
- Desirable DifficultiesRobert Bjork's concept describing learning conditions — such as retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, or variability — that make learning feel harder in the moment but produce stronger, more durable, and more transferable long-term retention.
F
- Forgetting CurveHermann Ebbinghaus's 1885 finding that memory of new information declines exponentially over time without reinforcement — typically losing 50–80% within a week.
- Formative vs. Summative AssessmentThe distinction between assessment during learning (formative — used to guide and redirect) and assessment after learning (summative — used to measure whether objectives were achieved), each serving a different purpose in instructional design.
G
- Gagné's Nine Events of InstructionRobert Gagné's framework of nine instructional events — from gaining attention to enhancing retention and transfer — each supporting a specific internal cognitive process required for learning.
- Guided Discovery LearningAn instructional approach where learners explore problems or content with structured support — clear goals, scaffolding, and feedback — balancing unassisted discovery, which research shows often underperforms explicit instruction, against pure direct instruction, which offers no exploration at all.
I
- Instructional DesignThe systematic process of creating effective learning experiences — analyzing learner needs, defining objectives, designing activities, and evaluating outcomes to produce measurable behavior change.
- InterleavingA practice strategy that mixes different topics or problem types within a single study session instead of practicing one type in a block — improving learners' ability to discriminate between similar concepts and apply the right approach in new situations.
K
- Kirkpatrick ModelA four-level framework for evaluating training effectiveness: Reaction (learner satisfaction), Learning (knowledge gain), Behavior (on-the-job application), and Results (business impact).
- Kolb's Experiential Learning CycleDavid Kolb's four-stage model in which learning proceeds from Concrete Experience through Reflective Observation and Abstract Conceptualization to Active Experimentation — emphasizing that experience, not content delivery, is the source of learning.
L
- Learning Experience Platform (LXP)A learner-driven platform that aggregates content from multiple sources and uses AI to surface personalized recommendations — contrasted with an LMS, which is primarily admin-driven and compliance-focused.
- Learning in the Flow of WorkJosh Bersin's concept that the most effective learning happens embedded in the work itself — short, relevant, and available at the moment of need — rather than in scheduled training events.
- Learning Management System (LMS)A software platform for creating, delivering, tracking, and reporting on training programs — used by organizations to manage employee learning at scale.
- Learning TheoriesThe three foundational frameworks for understanding how learning occurs: Behaviorism (learning as conditioned response to stimuli), Cognitivism (learning as internal information processing), and Constructivism (learning as active knowledge construction from experience).
- Learning TransferThe degree to which knowledge or skills acquired in training are applied and maintained on the job — the central challenge in L&D, since training that does not transfer produces no business value regardless of in-course performance.
- LTEMWill Thalheimer's Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model — an eight-tier evidence-based alternative to Kirkpatrick that distinguishes between attention, memory, decision-making, task competence, and actual transfer to real work performance.
M
- Mager's Performance-Based ObjectivesRobert Mager's framework for writing precise learning objectives with three components: Performance (the observable behavior), Conditions (the circumstances under which it occurs), and Criterion (the standard for acceptable performance).
- Merrill's First Principles of InstructionM. David Merrill's five evidence-based principles for effective instruction: problem-centred learning, activation of prior knowledge, demonstration of new knowledge, application with feedback, and integration into real-world context.
- MicrolearningA training format that delivers focused learning content in short, discrete units — typically 3–10 minutes — designed to match a specific learning objective or performance need.
N
P
R
- Recognition-to-Production ProgressionA course design pattern that gradually increases task difficulty from simply recognizing a correct answer to actively recalling and producing knowledge unprompted — matching the sequence in which memory strength actually develops.
- Retrieval PracticeA learning strategy where recalling information from memory — through testing, quizzing, or free recall — strengthens long-term retention more effectively than re-reading or reviewing notes.
S
- Scenario-Based LearningAn instructional strategy that places learners in realistic job situations requiring decisions, using the consequences of those choices — rather than information delivery — as the primary learning mechanism.
- SCORMSharable Content Object Reference Model — the dominant e-learning technical standard since 2001, defining how courses and LMS platforms communicate completion, score, and progress data.
- Self-Determination Theory (SDT)Edward Deci and Richard Ryan's motivation theory, which identifies three basic psychological needs — autonomy, competence, and relatedness — that must be met for intrinsic motivation to develop and be sustained.
- Social LearningLearning that occurs through observation, interaction, and collaboration with others — based on Albert Bandura's social learning theory and accounting for an estimated 20% of workplace learning.
- Spaced RepetitionA learning technique that schedules review of material at increasing intervals over time, exploiting the spacing effect to maximize long-term retention with minimal study time.
- Successive Approximation Model (SAM)An agile instructional design process developed by Michael Allen that replaces ADDIE's linear phases with iterative cycles of design, prototype, and review — enabling faster feedback and lower rework costs.
V
W
X
#
- 4C/ID ModelFour-Component Instructional Design — a curriculum framework for designing complex learning environments around whole-task practice, supportive information, procedural guidance, and part-task training.
- 70-20-10 ModelA framework describing how workplace learning occurs: 70% through on-the-job experience, 20% from social interaction and feedback, and 10% from formal training.