Glossary

Active Learning is an approach that asks students to engage in their learning by thinking, discussing, investigating, and creating. Students understand and construct knowledge as they participate in the learning process. Active learning takes place at school based on learning opportunities designed and provided by instructors. The critical part of the learning process is the timely feedback provided either from the instructor or fellow students.

Assessment literacy is the collection of knowledge and skills associated with appropriate assessment design, implementation, interpretation, and, most importantly, use. A critical aspect of assessment literacy is that educators and leaders know to create and/or select a variety of assessments to serve different purposes such as improving learning and teaching, grading, program evaluation, and accountability. However, the most important component of assessment literacy is the degree to which educators and others are able to appropriately interpret the data coming from assessments and then take defensible instructional or other actions.

Augmentative technology includes:

• Artificial Intelligence

• AR/ VR

• Maker space

• Co/robotics

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other digital tools are used to enhance learning. These tools provide immersive and adaptable learning experiences, accommodating various learning preferences and enabling students to engage with course material in new, interactive ways.

Backward Design is a process that educators use to design learning experiences and instructional techniques to achieve specific learning goals. It is also called backward planning or backward mapping. The process begins with the objectives of a unit or course—what students are expected to learn and be able to do—and then proceeds “backward” to create lessons that achieve those desired goals.

A process of adjusting results based on a comparison with a known standard or “calibration weight” in order to allow defensible comparisons of student assessment results; for example, across different entities (e.g., schools, districts, states). In order to define a calibration weight, we need to have something in common, either:

(A) the same students taking different assessments, or

(B) different students taking the same assessments. 

The second definition is generally more practical, so common performance tasks have been administered to students in different schools, and district performance assessments serve as a “calibration weight” to evaluate the extent to which teachers in different locales evaluate the quality of student work similarly.

The degree to which the results of assessments intended to measure the same learning targets produce the same or similar results. This involves multiple levels of documentation and evaluation including:

• the consistency with which teachers in the same schools evaluate student work similarly and consistently;

• the degree to which teachers in different schools and districts evaluate student performance consistently and similarly; and

• the degree to which the results from students taking one set of assessments can be compared to students taking a different set of assessments (such as comparing pilot and non-pilot districts). 

A determination of “comparable enough” for any type of score linking should be made based on clear documentation for how comparability is determined and that it is defensible.

"A form of education that derives curriculum from an analysis of a prospective or actual role in modern society and that attempts to certify student progress on the basis of demonstrated performance in some or all aspects of that role. Theoretically, such demonstrations of competence are independent of time served in formal educational settings" (Riesman, 1979).

There are many definitions of curriculum in education. Internationally, the term curriculum or curriculum frameworks refers to the high level knowledge and skills students are expected to learn and describe (i.e., competencies). The curriculum framework may include student learning objectives or learning standards.

In the United States, the term curriculum also refers to the resources that teachers use when designing instruction and assessment to support student learning, including the:

• course syllabi, units and lessons that teachers teach;

• assignments and projects given to students; 

• materials (books, videos, presentations, activities) used in a course, module, or unit; and

• assessments used to evaluate student learning and check or understanding.

Curriculum differentiation is a strategy that teachers can use with a view to providing meaningful learning experiences for all learners. In other words, curriculum differentiation is the process of modifying or adapting the curriculum according to the different ability levels of the learners in the classroom.

Deeper learning is a term often used to describe highly engaging learning experiences in which students apply skills and knowledge and build higher order skills. The Hewlett Foundation defines deeper learning as 6 (six) competencies:

1. master core academic content;

2. think critically and solve complex problems;

3. work collaboratively;

4. communicate effectively;

5. learn how to learn; and

6. develop academic mindsets.

Deeper learning intersects with competency-based education in multiple ways, including:

• defining the learning outcomes;

• emphasis on lifelong learning skills (e.g., academic mindset, learning how to learn); and

• the importance of applying skills and knowledge to build competencies.

According to the National Equity Project, educational equity means that each student receives what they need to develop to their full academic and social potential. Working towards equity involves:

1. ensuring equally high outcomes for all participants in our educational system; removing the predictability for success or failures that currently correlates with any social or cultural factor;

2. interrupting inequitable practices, examining biases, and creating inclusive multicultural school environments for adults and children; and

3. discovering and cultivating the unique gifts, talents, and interests that every human possesses.

Habits of work and habits of mind are directly related to the ability of students to take ownership of their learning (i.e., student agency, learner’s autonomy) and become self-directed learners. There are a variety of Habits of Work (specific practices or behaviors) and Habits of Mind (skills, perspectives, and orientation) that help students succeed in school or the workplace. Schools tend to focus on a few of the habits of work and mind to help students learn the skills they need to take ownership of their learning.

High-Impact Practices, such as experiential learning, creative inquiry, and community-based projects, provide hands-on and memorable learning experiences. These practices are designed to immerse students in real-world applications of their learning, helping them to connect classroom concepts with practical skills and critical thinking.

Learning objectives are tied to the specific instructional goals of the course and are nested under a thematic idea.

Personalized learning is the process of “tailoring learning for each student’s strengths, needs and interests – including enabling student voice and choice in what, how, when and where they learn – to provide flexibility and supports to ensure mastery of the highest standards possible” (Aurora Institute, n.d.). Personalized learning takes into account students’ differing levels of development with regards to academic and cognitive skills, as well as within the physical, emotional, metacognitive, and other domains.

According to CASEL, “social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” CASEL focus on the development of 5 (five) competencies:

• self-awareness; 

• self-management; 

• social awareness; 

• relationship skills; and 

• responsible decision-making.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework based on research in the learning sciences, including cognitive neuroscience, that guides the development of flexible learning environments and learning spaces that can accommodate individual learning differences. The UDL framework was first defined by David H. Rose, Ed.D. of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) in the 1990s. UDL is a set of principles that provide teachers with a structure to develop instructions to meet the diverse needs of all learners.