Absolute Grading
Absolute grading is a mode of grading where grades are given based on predetermined cutoff levels. Here, each point…
Read moreEducational terms beginning with letter “A”
Academic Hold
An academic hold is a type of restriction imposed by a school to prevent students from enrolling in classes or gaining…
Read moreAcademic Literacy
Academic literacy is the ability to understand and contextualize the academic vocabulary required in post-secondary…
Read moreAcademic Rigor
What is Academic Rigor Academic Rigor is generally regarded as three different steps in the educational process. The…
Read moreAccelerated Learning
Accelerated learning is a learning format that allows students to complete courses in a shorter period of time compared…
Read moreAccreditation
Accreditation is a recognition awarded to schools that maintain a certain educational standard. The goal of the…
Read moreAction Learning Sets
What are Action Learning Sets Action learning sets are structured learning methods that allow small groups to address…
Read moreActive Learning
Active learning is a pedagogical technique coined by professors Charles Bonwell and James Eison in their 1991 book…
Read moreAdministrative Hold
An administrative hold is a type of restriction imposed on students by their institution for a variety of infractions.…
Read moreAgile Learning
Agile learning is a method which uses incremental steps that alternate between phases of learning and completing work…
Read moreAt Risk Student
An at-risk student describes a student or groups of students who are likely to fail or drop out of their school. Grades,…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “B”
Backward Design
Backward design is a method of educational curriculum design that sets goals prior to selecting instructional methods…
Read moreBalanced Assessment
A balanced assessment is an assessment system where tools, methodologies and data systems inform decision-makers such as…
Read moreBlended Learning
Blended learning combines in-person teaching and interaction with supplemental online educational elements. An…
Read moreBlock Scheduling
Block scheduling is a method that is used in the American education system, where each student has approximately four…
Read moreBloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical ordering of cognitive skills that can help teachers and students in the classroom.…
Read moreBursar’s Office
The bursar's office is responsible for collecting and analyzing all student charges and fees which includes tuition and…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “C”
Co-Teaching
Co-teaching is an educational method that involves two teachers working together to plan a classroom and make…
Read moreCollaborative Classroom
A collaborative classroom is a classroom where students actively work with each other and with an educator in an active…
Read moreCollege Remediation
What is College Remediation College Remediation is a supplementary education program that are assigned to students in…
Read moreCollege Transfer
College transfer is the process through which students can move between higher ed institutions.
Read moreCommon Assessment
A common assessment is a standardized method of evaluating student learning, progress and knowledge retention,…
Read moreConnected Learning
Connected learning is a learning technique where students, instructors and advisors actively participate with one…
Read moreCourse Management System
A course management system is a platform of educational software in postsecondary education allowing instructors and…
Read moreCourse Syllabus
A course syllabus is an academic document that communicates information about a specific course and explains the rules,…
Read moreCritical Literacy
Critical literacy is a learning approach where students are expected to examine various texts to understand the…
Read moreCulture of Learning
A culture of learning is a culture where employees search for, and then apply, skills and knowledge to enhance their…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “D”
Deeper Learning
Deeper learning is an academic philosophy that places an emphasis on providing learners with robust skills and education…
Read moreDepartment Chair
A department chair is a faculty member in a given academic department, assigned by the dean to manage that department.
Read moreDesign Thinking
Design thinking is an interactive process that aims to understand the user and challenge their assumptions, as well as…
Read moreDiagnostic Assessment
A diagnostic assessment is a form of pre-assessment where teachers can evaluate students’ strengths, weaknesses,…
Read moreDiagnostic Teaching
Diagnostic teaching is the process of discovering individual student abilities, needs and objectives and prescribing…
Read moreDigital Classroom
A digital classroom is typically one that incorporates electronic devices and software into the learning environment. A…
Read moreDirect Instruction
Direct instruction is where teachers use explicit teaching techniques to teach a specific skill to their students. This…
Read moreDisaggregated Data
Disaggregated data is data that has been divided into detailed sub-categories.
Read moreDissertation
A dissertation is a lengthy written project prepared at the end of an academic program. There are two types of…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “E”
E-Learning
E-learning is a mode of learning that takes place electronically, often via the Internet. It requires students to use…
Read moreEducation System
An education system is an arrangement that consists of at least one teacher and one student in a context, such as in a…
Read moreEducational Technology
Educational technology is a term used to describe a wide array of teaching-and-learning–related software and hardware…
Read moreELL Students
ELL students, also known as English Language Learners, are students who learn the language of instruction—English—at…
Read moreExperiential Learning
Experiential learning is a process of education through experience, followed by reflection on that experience.
Read moreExtracurricular
An extracurricular is any activity that doesn’t count towards an academic credit. These are activities that students…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “F”
Face-to-Face Learning
Face-to-face learning is an instructional method where course content and learning objectives are taught in person to a…
Read moreFinal Assessment
A final assessment is the last activity students must complete in a course. A final assessment may be an exam, a…
Read moreFinancial Hold
A financial hold is a type of restriction imposed by an institution as a result of a student not paying their fees in…
Read moreFixed Mindset
A fixed mindset, proposed by Stanford professor Carol Dweck in her book Mindset, describes people who see their…
Read moreFlexible Learning
Flexible learning is a method of learning where students are given freedom in how, what, when and where they learn.…
Read moreFlipped Classroom
A flipped classroom is one that focuses on developing student understanding in class rather than via lectures. Here, the…
Read moreFormative Assessment
A formative assessment refers to a low-stakes assessment that does not normally contribute towards a student’s final…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “G”
Game Based Learning
Game based learning is where game characteristics and principles are embedded within learning activities. Here, learning…
Read moreGamification
Gamification is the process of integrating games into pre-existing activities or processes in order to increase…
Read moreGeneral Education Courses
General Education courses are required classes taken by students enrolled in traditional four-year degree programs at…
Read moreGeneral Education Courses
General Education courses are required classes taken by students enrolled in traditional four-year degree programs at…
Read moreGrading on a Curve
Grading on a curve is a practice used by teachers to determine student grades for assignments and/or exams, where grades…
Read moreGraduate School
Graduate school (sometimes shortened to grad school) is an academic institution that awards advanced degrees.
Read moreGraduation Rate
A graduation rate is a measure of how many students who began in the same cohort will graduate in six years for…
Read moreGrowth Mindset
A growth mindset, proposed by Stanford professor Carol Dweck in her book Mindset, describes people who believe that…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “H”
Habits of Mind
Habits of mind is a term used to refer to dispositions certain intelligent individuals utilize when faced with…
Read moreHands-on Learning
Hands-on learning is where instructors engage with students in direct experience and focused reflection to enhance…
Read moreHeterogeneous Grouping
Heterogeneous grouping is a distribution tactic in the classroom, whereby diverse students (for example, students that…
Read moreHigh-Order Thinking Skills
High-order thinking skills are a series of important competencies individuals can utilize in order to improve learning…
Read moreHigh-Stakes Testing
High-stakes testing is any test that is used to make decisions about outcomes related to punishments (e.g. penalties),…
Read moreHybrid Class
What is a Hybrid Class Hybrid class is a course that combines traditional, face-to-face “seat time” with some online…
Read moreHybrid Instruction
Hybrid instruction, similar to blended learning, combines in-class instruction with online activities. Here,…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “I”
Independent Study
Independent study is a form of educational activity undertaken by an individual student with little to no supervision.
Read moreInformal Learning
Informal learning is any type of education that does not have a set objective in regard to its learning outcomes.
Read moreInquiry-Based Learning
Inquiry-based learning is a learning and teaching approach that emphasizes students’ questions, ideas and…
Read moreInstructional Theory
Instructional theory aims to describe how to help people learn and develop, create conditions that boost the chance of…
Read moreInteractive Whiteboard
An interactive whiteboard is a digital device that allows users to project files and manipulate them on a board’s…
Read moreInterdisciplinary Teaching
Interdisciplinary teaching is a method of educational instruction whereby a student learns about a single topic or issue…
Read moreInterim Assessment
An interim assessment is a periodic assignment used to evaluate students’ learning progress. These assessments,…
Read moreInternship
An internship is a period of work experience provided to students by an organization for a limited period of time
Read moreIntrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation is a term that refers to a person’s behavior when it’s driven by personal satisfaction—doing…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “K”
Kinesthetic Learning
Kinesthetic learning is a style of obtaining information. Kinesthetic learning’s primary premise is that a student…
Read moreKnowledge Transfer
Knowledge transfer is the process of academics engaging in various activities to pass their knowledge to different…
Read moreKnowledge Visualization
Knowledge visualization is the utilization of a visual or visuals to disseminate information to a person or persons.…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “L”
Learning by Teaching
Learning by teaching is a mode of learning where students are expected to comprehend material and then prepare…
Read moreLearning Outcomes
Learning outcomes are an articulation of the specific skills, attitudes and segments of knowledge a student should…
Read moreLearning Style
A learning style is the way that different students learn. A style of learning refers to an individual’s preferred way…
Read moreLearning Technology
Learning technology is an umbrella term that describes communication, information and technological tools used to…
Read moreLecture Tools
Lecture tools act as audience, classroom or student response systems to collect real-time feedback during the teaching…
Read moreLesson Plan
A lesson plan is a teacher’s guide for facilitating a lesson. It typically includes the goal (what students need to…
Read moreLocus of Control
E-learning is a mode of learning that takes place electronically, often via the Internet. It requires students to use…
Read moreLow-Stakes Testing
Low-stakes testing involves the frequent use of evaluation instruments that have little impact on a student's course…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “M”
Mastery Learning
What is Mastery Learning In mastery learning, students must attain a given level set by their instructor in order to…
Read moreMatriculation
Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university as a candidate for a degree or of becoming eligible to…
Read moreMemorization Techniques
Memorization techniques are strategies that ease the retention of information process over time for the purpose of…
Read moreMetacognition in the Classroom
Metacognition in the classroom is a principle that helps students make greater sense of their life experiences and can…
Read moreMinor Degree
An academic minor degree is is a university or college student’s secondary declared academic discipline or field of…
Read moreMultiple Intelligences
Multiple intelligences is a theory first posited by Harvard developmental psychologist Howard Gardner in 1983 that…
Read moreMultiple Measures
Multiple measures are the use of multiple indicators to measure student learning. This data is collected at multiple…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “O”
Online Class
An online class is a course conducted over the internet. They are generally conducted through a learning management…
Read moreOnline Learning
Online learning is a method of education whereby students learn in a fully virtual environment. First introduced in the…
Read moreOpen Classroom
An open classroom kit a student-centered learning space that has a large group of students boasting wide variety of…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “P”
Performance Assessment
Performance assessment is a task students must perform instead of than write a test. For instance, in a Spanish class,…
Read morePersonalized Learning
Personalized learning is a set of diverse educational programs, instructional approaches and support systems that aim to…
Read morePrerequisite Course
A prerequisite course must be completed prior to another course. Prerequisites are often implemented at all education…
Read morePrior Knowledge
Prior knowledge is the information and educational context a learner already has before they learn new information
Read moreProblem-based learning
What is Problem-based learning Problem-based learning is an educational philosophy that centers students’ learning…
Read moreProgrammed Instruction
Programmed instruction is a method of presenting new subject matter to students through a graded sequence of controlled…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “R”
Reflective Practice
What is Reflective Practice Reflective Practice is a continuous learning process where individuals recall their own…
Read moreRelative Grading
Relative grading is a system of assessment whereby teachers in some university and college classes determine student…
Read moreRevised Bloom’s Taxonomy
Revised Bloom’s taxonomy emphasizes students’ learning outcomes through the use of refined terms. The revised…
Read moreRote Learning
Rote learning is the process of memorizing information based on repetition. Rote learning enhances students’ ability…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “S”
Scientific Inquiry
Scientific inquiry has two primary functions. Firstly, it provides a description of how scientific inquiry is conducted…
Read moreService Learning
What is Service Learning Service learning is an educational approach that combines traditional curricular learning…
Read moreStandardized Test
A standardized test is a method of assessment built on the principle of consistency: all test takers are required to…
Read moreStudent Achievement
Student achievement is the measurement of the amount of academic content a student learns in a given time frame.
Read moreStudent Orientation
Student orientation is the period prior to the start of the academic year at a college or university where a variety of…
Read moreStudent Response System
A student response system (SRS) allows instructors to gather real-time feedback during lectures through digital polls…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “T”
Teaching Assistant
A teaching assistant (TA) is typically a graduate student who assists a professor with instructional responsibilities. A…
Read moreTechnology Literacy
Technology literacy is a term used to describe an individual’s ability to assess, acquire and communicate information…
Read moreThink-Pair-Share
Think-pair-share is a collaborative teaching strategy that can be used to aid students in forming original ideas by…
Read moreTranscript
A transcript is a student's inventory of the courses they have taken towards their degree and the grades they received.
Read moreTransfer Articulation
Transfer articulation refers to a set of agreements between institutions that permit students to transfer from one…
Read moreTwenty-first Century Learning
Twenty-first century learning is the accumulation of knowledge, work habits and soft skills, including digital literacy,…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “U”
Universal Design
Universal design is the structure and composition of an environment so that it can be understood, accessed and used by…
Read moreUniversal Design for Learning
Universal Design for Learning is a system created to ensure students with learning differences can thrive in the same…
Read moreUniversity
A university is a higher learning institution focussed on education and research. In North America, students attend…
Read moreUnofficial Withdrawal
Unofficial withdrawal is a status assigned to a student who receives federal financial aid but has not fulfilled their…
Read moreUrban Education
Urban education is a method of schooling that takes place in large, densely populated areas with diverse populations. It…
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Educational terms beginning with letter “V”
Value Added Measures
Value added measures quantify the effect that individual teachers have on student learning through a term. Statistical…
Read moreValue-Added Learning
What is Value-Added Learning Value-added learning is a method of evaluation that analyzes an individual teacher’s…
Read moreVirtual Classroom
A virtual classroom is a digital learning environment that allows teachers and students to connect in online in real…
Read moreVirtual Learning Environment
A virtual learning environment is an online-based platform that offers students and professors digital solutions that…
Read moreVision Statement for Education
A vision statement for education is a public declaration that an educational institution makes describing their core…
Read moreVisual Learning
Visual learning is a type of learning style in which students prefer to use images, graphics, colors and maps to…
Read moreVocational Education
Vocational education help to prepare students for a specific career. This type of education can take place in trade…
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