Cisco - E-Learning - Glossary of Terms

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Glossary of Terms

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assessment: The process used to evaluate a learner's skill or knowledge level compared to the expected skill or knowledge for a person in same job, position, or assignment. See configuration map (PDF 116 KB)
assessment item: A question or measurable activity used to determine if the learner has mastered a learning objective.
asynchronous learning: Any learning event that is delivered after the original live event. Also used to indicate a learning event where the interaction is delayed over time, such as a correspondence course.
Audio on Demand (AoD): See Content on Demand.
authoring tool: Software application used to produce media-based learning content.
broadcast: Method of transferring learning content to many learners simultaneously. Variants include: IP multicast, delivery of a learning event over the network using the Internet Protocol from a single source to multiple participants, and satellite broadcast.
certification: Program and process where a learner completes prescribed training and passes an assessment with a minimum acceptable score. To increase validity and assure authentication, the certification process should be proctored by an independent agent.
Cisco Connection Online (CCO): The external Cisco Web site.
Cisco Employee Connection (CEC): The internal Cisco Web site.
Cisco Learning Network (CLN): The Cisco implementation of e-learning.
Cisco Networking Academy Community Server (CNACS): A Web site that creates a virtual community for the public sector with portals to offerings, assessment, and administration applications.
Cisco Networking Academy Management System (CNAMS): The Cisco Networking Academy Program management system for the public sector.
Cisco Networking Academy Program (CNAP): Cisco's public sector offering for the CLN strategy.
Cisco Online Testing (COLT): A database-driven system that allows for the authoring, delivery, administration, and reporting of assessment items.
class: Scheduled learning event that can take place at a centralized location or in a virtual environment.
cognitive level: A designation that identifies the skills (mental or physical) and knowledge that the learner is required to display in order to prove mastery of a given reusable information object (RIO). A two-level hierarchy is being used based on the work of David Merrill's component display theory and Bloom's Taxonomy (a classification of levels of intellectual behavior).
computer-based training (CBT): Any instructional event that can be accessed via a standalone computer.
content item: A small piece of information that is stored in a database and is used to communicate skills or knowledge in support of a RIO. It can be in any media format including text, graphics, animation, video, audio, and HTML plugin. It is combined with practice items and assessment items to create a RIO.
content on demand (CoD): Delivery of an offering, packaged in a media format, anywhere, anytime via a network. Variants include: audio on demand (AOD) and video on demand (VOD).
course: An offering comprising a collection of learning events.
curriculum: A predefined or dynamic path of learning events with an end goal such as certification or achieving required job skills and knowledge. Variant includes: track.

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delivery: Any method of transferring offerings to learners. Variants include: instructor-led training, Web-based distance learning, online laboratory, CD-ROM, and books.
distance learning: Any learning event where the learner is not required to travel to a specific location, ideally delivered electronically. Learn more about distance learning.
e-book: Offerings that organize text and graphics into lessons or chapters like traditional print books.
e-coach: A Cisco implementation of a networked feedback system that provides either prepared question-and-answer pairs or asynchronous human interaction from a virtual instructor. Variant is eMentor.
e-learning: Network-enabled transfer of skills and knowledge.
e-lecture: One of Cisco's implementations of a virtual classroom.
electronic classroom: A traditional classroom that has any number of active multimedia devices used to augment the learning experience.
engine: The component in a system responsible for the delivery of content.
evaluation: Any method of gathering information about the impact or effectiveness of a learning event. Results of the measurements can be used to improve the offering, measures if the learning objectives have been achieved, and determines if the offering has been of value to the organization.
feedback: A two-way communication between the instructor or system and the learner to increase the quality of the learning experience.
Global Training Management System (GTMS): The Cisco e-learning management system for the private sector.
globalization: The tailoring of an offering to show clear, grammatically correct text with slang, gender references, and cultural or generational idioms eliminated.

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instructional designer (ID): An individual who applies a systematic methodology based on instructional theory to create content for learning events.
instructor-led training (ILT): A scheduled event conducted by an instructor, either in a classroom or through network delivery. Sometimes called leader-led training (LLT) or lecture/lab training (if the course includes hands-on lab exercises).
IP/TV® broadcast: Cisco implementation of video offerings over an IP network. See broadcast. See configuration map (PDF 60 KB)
lab: A physical or virtual hands-on learner interaction to meet skills-based learning objectives.
learner: Anyone who accesses information to increase their skills and knowledge.
learning event: The process used by the learner to increase skills and knowledge.
learning objective: A statement that establishes a measurable behavioral outcome, which is used as an advanced organizer to indicate how the learner's acquisition of skills and knowledge is being measured.
Learning Objective (title): A collection of RIOs, overviews, summaries, and assessments that supports a specific learning objective. See reusable learning object (RLO).
localization: The tailoring of an offering to meet the specific needs of a geographic area, product or target audience. For example, America uses avoirdupois weight units while Europe uses metric units.

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metadata: Information about content that allows it to be stored in and retrieved from a database.
offering: Any learning event or service that is made available to a person. Variants include on-demand event (a learning event that is accessed and taken by the learner at any time they choose) and scheduled event (a learning event that occurs at a predetermined time.)
on-demand event: See offering.
portal: A specific view into a Web site that matches a person's needs to available offerings.
practice item: A self-assessed question or learning activity that allows learners to test whether or not they can apply the skills and knowledge just learned in a reusable information object (RIO).
practices: Reinforcement activities that give the learner an opportunity to apply skills and knowledge. Often the system provides mentoring and feedback. Performance may or may not affect the learner's overall assessment. Variants include: case study, learning activity, practice quizzes, practice test, testing quiz, and practice labs.
prescriptive learning: A process through which the learner's knowledge and skills gaps are matched with appropriate offerings.
private sector: Any business or organization that is not categorized as public sector (public education or government agency).
product: See offering.
public sector: Any public education or government agency.

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remediation: A process using feedback in order to raise a learner's knowledge and skills relative to the learning objective of the offering.
remote lab: A lab that is accessed from a distance through the network. See configuration map (PDF 76 KB).
reusable information object (RIO): A collection of content, practice, and assessment items assembled around on a single learning objective.
reusable learning object (RLO): A collection of RIOs, overview, summary, and assessments that supports a specific learning objective.
scheduled event: See offering.
self assessment: Process where the learner determines personal level of knowledge and skills.
self-paced learning: An offering designed such that the learner determines the pace and timing of content delivery.
subject-matter expert (SME): An individual who is recognized as having proficient knowledge and skills about a topic or subject area.
synchronous learning: Learning event delivered in real time to the learner that can include immediate, two-way communication between participants.
template: A predefined set of tools or forms that establishes the structure and settings necessary to quickly create content.
testing quiz: See practice.
track: See curriculum.
translation: Word-for-word conversion from one language to another.
video on demand (VoD): See content on demand.
virtual classroom (VC): Delivery of a scheduled offering to multiple locations (either desktop or classroom) via a networked solution. See configuration map (PDF 91 KB).
Web-based training (WBT): Any instructional event that can be accessed via the Web.

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