Glossary

0 - A       B - C       D - G       H - O       P - R       S       T - U

Human Capital: The value of the knowledge, skills, achievements and potential of an organization’s people. Over the past generation (roughly corresponding with the advent of the Information Age), the value of human capital has become the predominant determinant of the worth of a business, surpassing the value of inventory and equipment.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI): Quantifiable measurements that reflect the critical success factors of an organization, business unit, team or individual and which, if not implemented properly, would likely result in a significant decrease in customer satisfaction, employee morale, and/or effective financial management. KPIs are often reported on scorecards and dashboards.

Learning Content Management System (LCMS): A software package that combines the functions of a Content Repository or Content Management System and a Learning Management System. The Learning Management System functions administer courses to learners. (Also see: Content Repository, Learning Management System)

Learning Management System (LMS) : A software package used to administer one or more courses to one or more learners. An LMS is typically a web-based system that allows learners to authenticate themselves, register for courses, complete courses and take assessments. The LMS stores the learner's performance records and can provide assessment information to instructors. A learning management system may also support the following functions: authoring, classroom management, competency management, knowledge management, certification or compliance training, personalization, mentoring and video conferencing.

Legacy system: A computer system or application still in use from an earlier stage of technological sophistication. Legacy systems are often out of date, large, monolithic, inefficient and difficult to modify, but remain in use because of the high cost of replacement, redesign and potential disruption. A big challenge to implementation of new software systems is integration and data exchange with legacy systems that are still in place.

Likert Scale: A rating scale divided into sections, typically with assigned numerical values for each segment (e.g., 1-5 or 1-10), which requires raters to make a check representing a judgment. (Pronounced "lick-ert")

Metrics: The elements of a measurement system; a system or methodology that produces quantifiable data.

Mission : An organization’s enduring statement of purpose; the organization's reason for existence, which may include what the organization does, whom it does it for, why it does it, and how it does it. Ideally a mission statement should create a shared purpose for organizational stakeholders and guide decision making and strategy within the organization.

Objective : For sequencing purposes, an objective is a global variable that allows the learning management system (LMS) to share status values between learning objects. Depending on the designer's requirements for the instruction, the objective may or may not track actual learner objectives, skills, or abilities. (Also see: Learning Management System LMS)

Olympic Scoring: The arbitrary process of discarding the outermost scores (highest and/or lowest) in a set of ratings, while retaining all other scores. The term derives from the politics of Olympic sporting events during the Cold War, when the intense competition between the West and the Communist bloc led to allegations of bias from judges evaluating contestants from their home countries or from opposing camps. Bias also colors the politics of performance evaluations; however, other schools of thought suggest that outlier scores contain potentially valuable insights and should not be summarily discarded.

On-demand: Delivery of software via the Internet, with the application and data typically remotely hosted by a software vendor. Because the application can be accessed remotely without direct mediation by an IT administrator, it is available whenever the user logs on to access it – hence the term "on demand." (Also see: SaaS and ASP.)

Organization: The organization is the part of a content package where learning objects are ordered into a tree structure and sequencing behaviors (sequencing rules) are assigned to them. The organization outlines the entire structure of the content.

Outcome measure: A quantifiable measure of the results or outcome of a program, process or activity; effectively, an empirical measurement of goal achievement.

0 - A       B - C       D - G       H - O       P - R       S       T - U

If you would like to talk with us about how we might help you strengthen your learning and development, talent and employee performance, please call us at 1-866-SMTOTAL (866-768-6825) and ask to speak to one of our sales professionals, or use our online contact form to have us contact you.