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LMS, SCORM, xAPI, gamification, proctoring… We have gathered the terms that come up most often in corporate training and e-learning on a single page, explained in plain English. Use the letters to jump to the term you are looking for.
A model arguing that 70% of learning happens through on-the-job experience, 20% from other people and 10% through formal training. Used when planning where the training budget should go.
An approach where content automatically gets harder or easier according to the learner's assessment results and pace. Instead of giving everyone the same curriculum, each person follows their own route.
The classic five-stage framework for instructional design: Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate. The most widely used method for structuring training programmes.
An AI-generated synthetic presenter that delivers a lesson without anyone stepping in front of a camera. It speeds up multilingual content production.
Preparing lesson plans, presentations, scenarios and assessment questions with AI assistance. It shortens production time but still needs editorial control.
When AI confidently produces information that is not actually true. It makes human verification of outputs essential when generating training content.
Employees' ability to use AI tools accurately, safely and ethically. The new mandatory subject in corporate training programmes.
An AI-powered guide that answers learners' questions around the clock and re-explains a topic in different ways.
Systems that analyse assessment results and behavioural data to identify missing competencies, then recommend or generate content.
An e-learning content standard that came out of the aviation sector and was common before SCORM. Today it mostly comes up when you need compatibility with older systems.
An interface that lets two pieces of software exchange data. Used to connect your learning platform to an HR, CRM or ERP system. Integrations
Technology that overlays digital information on a view of the real world. Used for step-by-step guidance in field maintenance, assembly and laboratory training.
Learning that does not require the trainer and learner to be online at the same time. Recorded videos, documents and tests all fall into this category.
A retrospective, tamper-proof record of who completed which training and when. Presented as evidence during regulatory inspections.
Software that produces course content, animation and assessments. Storyline, Camtasia and Vyond are common examples. The output is usually exported as a SCORM package.
Using AI to transcribe speech from video and live broadcasts and translate it into other languages. It makes accessibility and multilingual operations far easier.
A model that deliberately combines face-to-face training with online learning. The theory is covered online and the practical work happens in the room.
A classification dividing learning objectives into six cognitive levels, from remembering through to creating. Used to balance the difficulty of assessment questions.
A document issued once training and assessment are complete, which can carry an expiry date and a verification code. Certificate Management
Running the forums and groups where learners ask each other questions and share experience. Community Management
The full set of knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to do a job well. It makes training objectives measurable.
The percentage of the people assigned a course who finish it. The most basic health indicator for a training programme.
Training that regulation makes mandatory, where completion and documentation are subject to inspection. Health and safety, data protection and sector-specific regulation are the main examples.
A structure that brings a company's training for employees, dealers and customers together under one roof. Employee Training
A storefront listing every course in the organisation, split into categories. It lets learners discover training without waiting to be assigned something.
A storefront where the courses you have built are put on sale online. It includes payment infrastructure, coupons and package management. Course Sales module
A visual certificate with verification data embedded in it, showing that a competency has been earned. Can be shared on social networks.
Any learning where the trainer and learner are not physically in the same place. It can be synchronous or asynchronous.
Training delivered digitally, on a computer or mobile device. The most common form of distance learning.
Bringing game elements such as points, badges, levels and leaderboards into training. Used to raise participation and bring people back. Gamification
AI that can produce text, images, audio or video. In training it is used to draft lesson outlines, scenarios and assessment questions.
The discipline of planning how training is structured, from the learning objective through to how it will be measured. It comes before any content is produced.
Video that is not one-way: the viewer answers questions, makes choices or clicks through to a link. Interactive Video
A framework that measures the impact of training at four levels: reaction, learning, behaviour and results. Used to demonstrate the return on a training investment.
An AI model trained on very large volumes of text that can produce writing close to human language. In training, it is used for content generation, summarising and question writing.
A protocol that connects to your existing user directory so employees can sign in without a separate account. Integrations
The practice of combining completion, time, assessment and engagement data to measure the impact of a training programme. A step beyond reporting.
A sequence of courses that must be completed in a set order to reach a role or a goal. It turns scattered courses into a journey that makes sense.
An online lesson where the trainer and attendees connect at the same time, run with tools such as screen sharing, Q&A and attendance. Live Training module
The system where training is built, assigned, tracked and reported on. The central backbone of corporate learning. LMS module
A connection standard that lets different learning tools be embedded inside an LMS in a standard way. Especially common in universities.
A platform built around discovery and recommendation, going beyond the mandatory content people are assigned. It sits on top of an LMS rather than replacing it.
Training delivered with avatars in a three-dimensional virtual environment, used particularly to rehearse risky or expensive procedures. Metaverse in Training
An approach that breaks a topic into independent 3–7 minute pieces. It noticeably lifts completion rates among field-based and mobile-first teams.
Reaching training from a smartphone or tablet. For staff who are not desk-based, it is often the only practical channel.
An architecture that runs multiple isolated organisation, dealer or brand environments on a single platform.
The programme covering how a new starter settles into the organisation, the team and the role. Onboarding Training
A way of preventing cheating in online exams using camera, screen monitoring and behaviour analysis. A precondition for validity in certification exams. Exam Management
The text that tells an AI what you want it to do. The quality of the output depends heavily on how clear the prompt is.
The skill of designing and refining prompts systematically. One of the most requested subjects in corporate AI training.
A pool of questions prepared so exams can draw on them randomly and in different combinations. It means every candidate sees a different set.
Having the AI pull relevant information from your organisation's own documents before it produces an answer. It reduces the risk of hallucination and grounds answers in your own knowledge.
An approach to using AI built on transparency, data privacy, bias checks and human oversight. The foundation of any corporate AI policy.
Comparing what you spend on training against the time saved, the fall in error rates and the lift in performance. The most concrete way to defend a training budget.
A standard that carries secure sign-in information between a corporate identity provider and an application. The most common protocol in SSO setups. Integrations
The most widely used packaging standard for making e-learning content work across different LMSs. It standardises content portability and progress tracking.
Practising in a setting that mimics the real environment. Favoured in healthcare, aviation and manufacturing, where the cost of a mistake is high.
The difference between the skill a role requires and the skill an employee currently has. The measure of a training need.
A table showing which competency each person on a team holds and at what level. The starting point for training planning.
Knowledge spreading through employees learning from each other rather than from a trainer. Forums, mentoring and communities of practice are the main tools. Community Management
Reaching every system with a single sign-in using your corporate account. It removes the need to manage separate passwords. Integrations
Real-time learning where the trainer and attendees are present at the same time. The opposite of asynchronous learning.
The work of establishing, from data, which team needs training on what. A sound training plan starts with this analysis, not with content.
Collecting, storing and processing personal data in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. On a learning platform, user records and assessment data fall within scope.
Defining which screens each role — administrator, trainer, department manager, learner — can see and what each can do.
An online lesson environment where trainer and learners meet in real time. It brings classroom tools such as raising a hand, a whiteboard, attendance and group work into the digital space. Live Training module
An internal video channel of your own with a managed broadcast schedule. Used for internal communication and announcements. Web TV
A mechanism that sends an automatic notification to another system when an event happens — when a course is completed, for instance. Integrations
An online seminar. Usually presentation-led and one-way, and it scales to large audiences.
Running the platform under your own logo, colours and domain, with no sign of the provider's brand. Website Builder
A data standard that goes beyond SCORM to record learning experiences outside the platform too — a task carried out in the field or a video watched elsewhere can also be logged.
