Letter K-W Teaching Terms

Letter K Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. Key skills Vital skills necessary for a task or to gain employment including literacy, mathematics, and basic computer skills Kolb`s learning cycle Learning model, presented by David Kolb, that identifies 4 stages in the learning cycle: concrete experience, observations and reflections, formation of abstract concepts and generalizations, and testing implications of concepts in new situations. Letter L Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. Laboratory based education Educational format in which learners complete experiments in a laboratory in order to learn experimental methods or test hypotheses they are studying. Lateral thinking Attempting to solve a problem by using non-traditional methods in order to create and identify new concepts and ideas. Learning and teaching strategy Methodology and assumptions an instructor uses to ensure learning occurs. Learning Centers Designated classroom areas where students engage in specific activities to facilitate learning skills or knowledge; students typically work in learning centers without direct oversight by the instructor. Learning contract Agreement reached between instructor and student regarding the objectives to be reached in a particular learning period or activity. Learning groups Groups of individuals who work together on a specific task. Learning environment The place and setting where learning occurs; it is not limited to a physical classroom an includes the characteristics of the setting. Learning logs Recordings of the progress made by a learner with regards to acquiring a knowledge or skill. Learning object Item one is to learn from a learning activity or lesson. Learning objectives Learning outcomes Statements indicating the end result for a learner following a learning activity; usually stated in what a person can observe the learner do at the end of a learning activity. Learning styles The various preferences and methods employed by learners in the process of learning. Lifelong learning Idea that learning can and does occur beyond the formal structure of an educational institution and occurs throughout one's lifetime Listserve Computer program that automatically distribute an e-mail message to individuals who are part of a list; messages can usually only be sent or received by members of the list. Local area network (LAN) Network of computers covering a small area, typically a building or group of buildings. Letter M Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. Managed Learning Environments (MLE) A system, typically computer-based, for organizing and evaluating information related to an educational endeavor, including the lessons, learning activities, and evaluations. Mapping competence Ability to organize and present information in a visual representation. Media 1) Mass communication enterprises including print (newspapers, magazines) or broadcast (radio, television) 2) Individuals employed in the communications industry. Mentor Adviser to a learner. Mentoring Activity of advising and guiding a person through some task. Meta-analysis Statistical procedure for integrating the results of different studies. Meta-cognition Ability to reflect on one's own thinking and learning. Meta-competence Higher-order ability to acquired and use competencies well in a variety of situations. Meta-skill Higher-order skill that allows other skills to be used and developed. Minimal competencies Lowest level of knowledge or skill necessary for engaging in a task or admittance into a program; see also competencies. Mission statement Statement articulation the primary aims of a group or institution. Model answers Samples of exemplary answers to questions or essays. Modular studies Program of study build on a set of modules. Modularization Teaching process that splits material or courses into modules to allow students flexibility in selecting modules to create a program of study Module A separate unit or selection of material that forms a coherent whole, but may be combined with other units. Monitoring achievement Tracking students' progress towards achieving a learning goal. Motivational context The attempt to provide a setting where students are motivated to learn; can be achieved in various ways such as encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning, being involved in selecting the topics for learning, or planning a lesson. MPEG (Moving Picture Expert Group) (em-peg) 1) Standard format for compressing and storing digital video and audio. 2) Any file using the MPEG format. Multiple Choice Questions Test format where students are provided several possible answers and must identify the best possible answer Letter N Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. Native Language The first language learned and spoken by individuals based on their culture, country, and/or family. Networking Attempt to connect with individuals in a similar area of work in order to engage in informal communication for mutual assistance or support. Networked Learning Environment (NLE) Learning environment based on a network of communication and information technologies. Non-print media Communication enterprises that do not produce paper publications, e.g. radio or television stations. Norm referencing Assessment based on a comparison of raw scores from a given assignment; opposed to criterion referencing. Letter O Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. Objective tests Test based on answers that require students demonstrate a knowledge or skill exactly with no opportunity for judgment by the evaluator. Objectives Goals or aims of learning activity or lesson. Objectivity Ability to remove personal feelings or presuppositions in assessing learning or other areas. Online learning Educational environment that exists in cyberspace using communications tools such as email, chatrooms readings on the Internet, and/or video conferencing. Open book examination Examination format that allows to access resource materials while completing the examination. Open learning Learning environment that has no formal requirements for admission. See also flexible learning Open learning materials Materials prepared for and open learning environment. Open-ended questions Questions that do not have predetermined answers and allow the responder to develop a unique, personal response. Optical mark reader (OMR) Computer device for reading examinations completed by students who fill in boxes with their responses. Oral skills Skill set related to speech. Letter P Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. Pedagogy Approach or process of teaching. Peer assessment Assessment completed by other students or member in the same discipline. Peer learning Form of learning in which students are engaged in teaching each other material. Performance criteria Written standards used by an evaluator to judge whether an individual can perform a skill or has demonstrated knowledge. Performance indicators Behavioral or quantitative measures of the performance of a skill or knowledge. Personal development plan Document that identifies the current status and future plan of individual to achieve a personal or professional goal. Personal tutor A teacher who provides personal instruction to an individual student. Phonemes Sounds of speech. Phonics The connection between symbols and sounds that form the basis of speech. Plagiarism Any use of the ideas or writings of another person without providing credit to the original author. Portfolio Collection of work completed by a person over time to demonstrate abilities and competencies. Portfolio Assessment Assessment of a portfolio intended to judge the students development and current state of knowledge and skills. Positive feedback Comments intended to highlight positive elements of a person's activities. Post Action of submitting a message to a virtual or electronic discussion board. Poster displays Demonstration of one's work by placing materials and evidence on a large display for easy viewing by others. Practical work Activities completed in a course that are intended to show how theories and general knowledge are applied. Problem-based learning Process of learning Stages a learner passes through as they acquire knowledge or skills. Product of learning End result of a process of learning; what one has learned. Progression The movement from one educational stage or developmental level to another. Psychomotor domain The physical aspect or muscular activity of experience or learning. Letter Q Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. Qualitative assessment Assessment based on personal views, experience or opinion of the reviewer. Quality assurance Internal and external processes for ensuring the quality of an object or institution maintains a desired level. Quality control Procedures used to ensure the desired level of quality and standards are met. Question bank A set of questions on a subject used either for study/review or for drawing questions used on an examination. Letter R Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. Range The difference between the smallest and largest values in a distribution. Records of achievement Written records, either qualitative or quantitative, of a learner's achievement during a period of learning. Redeemable failure Situation in which a student does not meet the necessary level but is still allowed to move to the next level. References 1) Commonly used source of information on a topic; see also resource. 2) Documentation of sources referred to in a written document. Reflection Activity of a person to consider a past experience or event and the impact it has had. Reflective practice Practice of engaging in reflection to identify important elements of past events. Regional networks Groups of individuals involved in common area of interest or research who will within a limited geographical area. Regulations Rules, principles, codes, statutes, or laws formulated to control actions or individuals within a designated group. Rehearsal Process of practicing an action or activity in order to perfect it. Reliability The characteristic that same or similar results can be obtained through repeated experiments or tests. Remedial teaching Education activities aimed at removing deficiencies in knowledge or skills. Reports Formal account of a current state of affairs. Research skills Set of abilities related to undertaking research, including strategies and tools for accessing and evaluating information. Resource Material, either object, person, or location, that can be used to provide information. Review A short essay providing a critical commentary of a work. Role play Learning process in which participants act out the roles of other individuals in order to develop particular skills and to meet particular learning objectives. Rubric(s) Written instructions or explanation clarifying how individuals should act or respond; see also grading rubric. Letter S Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. Scaffolded Instruction Teaching methodology where teachers assist and guide students so that they can complete learning activities they could not do without support. Self assessment Assessment completed by the learner him/herself to evaluate his/her own performance, strengths and weaknesses. Sight Vocabulary Words an individual can identify immediately without decoding. Software Computer instructions or data. Standards Specified ends of learning all students are expected to attain. Strategic learning Learning methodology in which learners adapt their learning style to fit the needs of the assigned task. Student-centered learning Educational approach emphasizes the student's responsibility for learning, interacting with teachers and other students, researching, and assessment by focusing on the student's role in these activities. Study groups Groups assembled to work together to facilitate learning. Study skills Sets of skills associated with an individual's ability to learn, including note taking, time management, and study planning. Summary A condensed presentation of the main elements of some material intended to highlight the main points. Summative assessment Assessment typically completed at the end of a learning period with the aim of providing a final evaluation of individual's mastery of a knowledge or skill. Surface learning Learning that emphasizes the memorization of details (rote learning); contrast with deep learning. Synchronous communication Communication that occurs in real time between participants who may or may not be in the same location. Contrasted with asynchronous communication. Letter T Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. Taxonomy A classification or ordering into groups. Team assessment Teamwork Process where individuals engage in a cooperative effort to achieve a common objective. Thesis Written essay of variable length typically completed at the end of a baccalaureate or masters degree program. Time-constrained assessment Assessment based on an assignment that must be completed in a specified and limited amount of time, e.g. a timed examination. Time management Methods and techniques to ensure one makes the most effect appropriate use of his/her time. Transcript Record of a student's courses and grades earned in those courses Transfer of learning Ability to apply knowledge and skills learned in one area to another context or problem. Transferable skills Skills possessed by an individuals that can be used in a variety of settings Transparency Effort to make processes and policies visible to outside interested parties, e.g. external examiners, quality control committees, and the general public. Tutor Instructor who provides instruction to one or more students outside of traditional classroom instruction. Letter U Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. User groups Groups of individuals who meet to share information about technology and computerrelated activities, often to aid each other solve problems. Letter V Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. Validity The degree to which an investigation accurately assesses the specific idea a researcher is investigating. Values Fundament beliefs and principles about what is important to a person, professional, or discipline. Video conference Discussion between two or more people who can see and hear each other using video equipment and transmissions over telephone lines or the Internet. Video files Video and audio images stored in computer files. Video streaming Technical process of accessing and viewing a video file directly by a user from a network computer without the need to download the entire file prior to viewing. Virtual discussion forums See electronic discussion boards. Virtual field trip Simulated field trip completed by visiting sites on the Internet. Virtual laboratory Computer-based learning experience where individuals are able to simulate experiments completed in a traditional laboratory. Virtual learning environments Computer- and Internet-based learning environments created using websites. Virtual universities Institutions of higher education that do not have a physical location but offer courses via online learning. Vocational courses Classes focusing on the development of trade or business skills. Letter W Teaching Terms These are common terms found in education. Click on any links to learn more about the topic. Web browser Webmaster Individual charged with the responsibility for developing, managing and maintaining an Internet site. Web page Hypertext document that include text, images, and hyperlinks. Website A collection of web pages organized around one theme or managed by a single organization. Weighting Statistical process of determining a factor for an item to reflect the importance of the item as it relates to other items, e.g. one test item may be "weighted" to count twice as much as any other problem. Wide area network (WAN) A collection of local area networks (LANs) connected together over distance via telephone lines and/or radiowaves. Widening access Attempts to provide disadvantaged students maximum opportunities to participate in courses; attempts may include modifications of entry requirements or alternative teaching formats. Word length Total number of words required for an essay, thesis or written report. Word Wall A selected collection of words posted on a wall that is arranged in lists or groups to facilitate students familiarity with common sight words. Work-based learning Learning that occurs in work place and is usually completed under the supervision an employee of the company and a instructor connected to an educational institution; examples include co-op programs, student teaching and internships. Work experience Skills and knowledge gained from having been employed or during occupation-related assignments. Work load The amount of work assigned to a person during a specific time period. Work placement Placing students in specific jobs or employment settings to gain work-related knowledge and skills outside of traditional educational institutions. World Wide Web (WWW, the web) A sub-portion of the Internet where text, images, and video are accessed; what most people refer to as the Internet.