Glossary

eLearning and LMS terms, explained

Short, plain-English definitions of the terms L&D teams and LMS admins use every day, with what to watch out for and how they apply in Litmos.

A

AICC

AICC is an older eLearning interoperability standard, created by the Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee, that lets an LMS launch content hosted elsewhere and record results. It predates SCORM and is now rarely used for new content, but some legacy courses and content vendors still rely on it.

Assessment

An assessment is a test, quiz or practical evaluation that checks whether a learner has understood the material or can perform a skill. In an LMS, assessments are usually scored against a pass mark, may allow several attempts, and often decide whether a course counts as complete.

B

Blended learning

Blended learning combines online learning, such as eLearning courses and videos, with live instruction, in a classroom or over video. A typical blend uses self-paced online modules for knowledge and live sessions for practice, discussion and assessment, all tracked together as one programme in the LMS.

C

Certification and recertification

Certification is formal recognition that someone has completed required training or demonstrated a skill, often with a certificate. Recertification is repeating that training before the certification expires, typically every one to three years, so that knowledge stays current and the organisation can prove ongoing compliance.

Competency

A competency is a defined combination of knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to do a job well, such as “handles customer complaints” or “operates a forklift safely”. Competency frameworks list the competencies for each role, and training is mapped to them so that progress can be measured against what the role actually requires.

Completion rate

Completion rate is the percentage of assigned learners who have finished a course or learning path. It is calculated as completions divided by assignments, usually for a given course, team or period. It is the most widely used training metric, though on its own it says nothing about where unfinished learners stopped.

Compliance training

Compliance training is training employees must complete to meet legal, regulatory or company policy requirements, such as data privacy, anti-bribery, health and safety, or information security. Organisations usually need to prove who completed it and when, and many topics must be repeated on a schedule, often every year.

Content library

A content library is a ready-made collection of eLearning courses, usually from a third-party provider, covering common topics like compliance, leadership, software skills and soft skills. Organisations license the library and make its courses available in their LMS instead of building every course themselves.

Continuing professional development (CPD)

Continuing professional development (CPD) is the ongoing learning professionals do to keep their skills and knowledge current, often required by a professional body. It is usually measured in hours or points per year, and professionals keep a record of their CPD activities as evidence for renewal of their membership or licence.

Course assignment

Course assignment, also called enrolment, is the act of giving a learner access to a course and making it part of their required training, usually with a due date. Assignments can be made to individuals, to teams or groups, or automatically by rules based on attributes such as job title or department.

D

Dormant users and access reviews

An access review is a regular check of who can sign in to a system and with what permissions, to remove access that's no longer needed. Dormant users are accounts that haven't been used for a long time. In an LMS, reviews focus on inactive administrators, people who never logged in and long-dormant learners.

G

Gamification

Gamification in eLearning uses game mechanics, such as points, badges, leaderboards and levels, to motivate learners and make training more engaging. Learners earn rewards for completing courses, scoring well or being active, and can see how they compare with colleagues.

I

Instructor-led training (ILT and VILT)

Instructor-led training (ILT) is training delivered live by a trainer, traditionally in a classroom. Virtual instructor-led training (VILT) is the same thing delivered online through video conferencing. In an LMS, ILT sessions are scheduled, learners register for them, and attendance is recorded so the session counts towards completion.

L

Learner engagement

Learner engagement describes how actively people take part in training: whether they log in, start what they're assigned, finish it and come back. It is measured with signals such as login activity, start and completion rates, time to complete and assessment attempts, rather than any single number.

Learning analytics

Learning analytics is the measurement and analysis of data about learners and training, such as completions, scores, time spent and activity, to understand what's working and improve it. It ranges from basic completion reports to finding the modules where people struggle and comparing results across teams.

Learning and development (L&D)

Learning and development (L&D) is the function within an organisation responsible for building employees' skills and knowledge. It covers identifying training needs, designing or buying content, running programmes such as onboarding and leadership development, managing the LMS, and measuring whether training improves performance.

Learning management system (LMS)

A learning management system (LMS) is software that organisations use to deliver, track and report on training. Admins upload courses, assign them to people and set due dates; learners take the training online; and the LMS records progress, scores and completions so managers can see who has done what.

Learning path

A learning path is an ordered sequence of courses that together make up a programme, such as new-starter onboarding, a manager development track or an annual compliance bundle. Learners work through the courses in order, and the LMS tracks progress across the whole path as well as each course within it.

Learning record store (LRS)

A learning record store (LRS) is a database that receives, stores and returns xAPI statements: records of learning activity such as “Alex passed the forklift assessment”. An LRS can sit inside an LMS or stand alone, collecting learning data from many systems into one place for reporting and analysis.

Licence management

Licence management (license management in US English) means keeping track of how many paid user licences an organisation uses in a system such as an LMS, and making sure they go to people who need them. It usually involves monitoring active users, deactivating leavers and dormant accounts, and planning renewals.

LMS reporting dashboard

An LMS reporting dashboard is a page of charts and key numbers summarising training activity, such as completion rates, overdue training, active users and recent completions. It gives admins and managers an at-a-glance view, with the ability to drill into teams, courses and individual learners.

LXP vs LMS

A learning experience platform (LXP) is built around learner discovery: personalised recommendations, content from many sources and social features. A learning management system (LMS) is built around administration: assigning required training, tracking completions and reporting. Many organisations use an LMS for mandatory training, and some add an LXP for self-directed learning.

M

Mandatory training

Mandatory training is any training an organisation requires people to complete, whether because of law, regulation, industry standards or internal policy. It includes compliance topics like data protection and safety, plus role-specific requirements such as equipment certification. It is usually assigned automatically and tracked against due dates.

Microlearning

Microlearning is training delivered in short, focused pieces, usually a few minutes each, that cover one idea or skill. Examples include short videos, quick quizzes and single-topic lessons. It suits busy and mobile learners, and reinforcing knowledge over time, better than long courses do.

O

Onboarding training

Onboarding training is the set of courses new employees complete when they join, covering company policies, systems, compliance basics and the skills for their role. In an LMS it is usually a learning path assigned automatically on the start date, with due dates spread over the first weeks or months.

Overdue training

Overdue training is an assigned course or learning path that a learner hasn't completed by its due date. It is the headline number in most compliance reporting, and is usually tracked per course, per team and per person, so admins and managers can follow up with the people who are behind.

S

SCORM

SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is a set of technical standards that lets eLearning content packaged by one tool run in any compliant LMS. A SCORM package is a zip file of HTML, media and a manifest; the LMS launches it and records completion, score and progress reported back by the content.

Single sign-on (SSO)

Single sign-on (SSO) lets people sign in to many applications, including an LMS, with one corporate login managed by an identity provider such as Microsoft Entra ID, Okta or Google Workspace. It typically uses standards such as SAML or OpenID Connect, so the LMS never handles the user's password.

T

Training matrix

A training matrix is a grid that shows which people or teams need which training and whether they've completed it. Rows are usually people or teams, columns are courses or certifications, and each cell shows a status or completion percentage, so gaps are visible at a glance.

U

User provisioning

User provisioning is creating, updating and deactivating user accounts in a system as people join, move or leave an organisation. In an LMS it covers adding new starters, putting them in the right teams, keeping details such as job title current, and deactivating leavers, either by hand, by file import or automatically from HR systems.

X

xAPI (Tin Can)

xAPI, also called the Experience API or Tin Can, is an eLearning standard for recording learning activity as simple statements such as “Sam completed Fire Safety”. Unlike SCORM, it can track learning outside the LMS, including mobile apps, simulations and offline activity, and stores statements in a learning record store (LRS).

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