QLS key terms

A set of assumptions about how adults learn, emphasizing self-direction, experience as a resource, readiness tied to life roles, and problem-centered rather than subject-centered motivation.

A learning theory holding that learners build new understanding by connecting incoming information to prior knowledge and experience rather than passively receiving it.

The amount of mental effort working memory must expend at a given moment; instruction that overloads it reduces comprehension and retention.

Temporary support such as hints, models, or structured steps that helps a learner complete a task beyond current ability, gradually removed as competence grows.

The range of tasks a learner cannot yet do alone but can accomplish with timely guidance from a more capable person or tool.

Grouping separate pieces of information into meaningful units so working memory can hold and process more without exceeding its limits.

Distributing study or practice across separated sessions over time instead of massing it together, which improves long-term retention.

An instructional technique in which learners actively recall information from memory, such as through quizzing, strengthening later access to that knowledge.

A precise statement of what a learner should be able to do after instruction, typically naming an observable action and the conditions or standard for success.

A curriculum planning approach that starts by defining desired results, then determines acceptable evidence of learning, and only then designs instruction and activities.

The deliberate match among objectives, instructional activities, and assessment methods so that what is taught and tested reflects the stated outcomes.

A hierarchical classification of cognitive processes, from remembering and understanding through applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating, used to write objectives at appropriate complexity.

A sequential visual plan showing screens, narration, interactions, and media for each segment of an e-learning or video lesson before production begins.

Short, narrowly focused learning units designed to meet a single objective and fit easily into brief windows of available time.

Guiding a group's learning process by managing discussion, activities, and pace while leaving ownership of the content and conclusions largely with learners.

Any instructional approach in which learners do something meaningful, such as discuss, solve, or create, rather than only listening or reading.

A group climate in which people feel safe to ask questions, admit confusion, and take interpersonal risks without fear of embarrassment or punishment.

A model in which first exposure to content happens before class through readings or videos, freeing live session time for practice, discussion, and feedback.

Low-stakes checks during learning that reveal current understanding so instruction or study can be adjusted before a final evaluation.

An evaluation conducted at the end of a learning period to judge achievement against objectives, often used for grading or certification decisions.

The degree to which an assessment measures what it is intended to measure and supports the interpretations and decisions made from its results.

The consistency of assessment results across repeated administrations, raters, or equivalent items, indicating that scores are stable rather than erratic.

A scoring guide listing criteria and performance levels with descriptive language, used to make judgments about complex work more consistent and transparent.

A four-level framework for evaluating training that examines learner reactions, actual learning, behavior change on the job, and resulting organizational results.

Software that hosts, delivers, and tracks online courses, storing learner enrollment, activity, and completion data in one place.

A technical standard that lets e-learning content communicate completion and score data to a learning management system so records can be tracked consistently.

A specification for recording learning experiences as simple statements of who did what, allowing data to be captured from many devices and activities beyond a course.

A deliberate combination of face-to-face and online instruction in which each mode serves a distinct purpose within the overall design.

The collection and analysis of learner activity data to understand progress, predict difficulty, and improve instructional or program decisions.

A planning framework that builds in multiple ways to engage learners, present information, and let learners demonstrate what they know, reducing barriers for everyone.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, an internationally recognized set of success criteria for making digital content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for people with disabilities.

A short written description of an image's content and purpose that screen readers announce, conveying meaning that would otherwise be lost to nonvisual users.

Adjusting content, process, product, or environment to respond to varied readiness, interests, and learning profiles within the same group.

Designing learning experiences from the outset to accommodate the widest practical range of learner backgrounds, abilities, and contexts, rather than retrofitting afterward.

A structured inquiry into the gap between current and desired performance, identifying whether instruction is the right response and what it should address.

Legal rights over creations such as text, images, and software, governing how others may copy, adapt, or distribute them, including in course materials.

Documented authorization from a rights holder or a valid license allowing specific uses of protected material beyond what fair use or similar exceptions permit.

The handling of learner information in line with legal and ethical expectations, including collecting only what is needed and protecting it from misuse or exposure.

Planned, regular sharing of status, decisions, risks, and results with sponsors, subject experts, learners, and others affected by a learning program.

A document defining scope, tasks, timeline, resources, roles, and milestones for a learning initiative, used to coordinate work and manage expectations.