Glossary

 

 

 

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Accessibility

In the context of technology, accessibility most commonly refers to providing access for all people to web environments, including people with disabilities. Designing sites for the way that screen readers, text browsers, and other adaptive technologies interact with the web; choosing contrasting colors for readability; and providing alternative text tags for graphics are examples of making web sites more accessible.

Also see: Universal Design for Learning (UDL); Universal Design (UD)

Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM)

Specialized formats of curricular content that can be used by and with learners who have print disablilities and include: braille, audio, large print, and electronic text.

Also see: NIMAS

Accommodation to instruction

A change in instruction that does not result in a change in the standards or instructional goals for a student.

Also see: Modification; Assistive technology

Source: Adapted from: Ysseldyke, J., Thurlow, M., Seyfarth, A., Bielinski, J., Moody, M., & Haigh, J. (1999). NCEO Maryland/Kentucky Report 6. National Center on Educational Outcomes.

Accountability

The idea or belief that schools and teachers must take responsibility for measurable student learning.

Also see: Standards-based assessment; No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

Affect

The experience of feeling or emotion.

Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/affect

Affective networks

Networks in the brain that enable us to engage with learning; networks specialized to evaluate patterns and impact emotional significance to them.

Also see: Strategic networks; Recognition networks; Multiple means of action and expression; Multiple means of representation; Multiple means of engagement

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Federal law that protects persons with disabilities from discrimination in the operations of public businesses and governments.

Source: http://www.ncld.org/resources1/glossaries/idea-terms-to-know

Apprenticeship

Refers to a relationship between a novice and an expert in which the expert supports the novice by providing ample opportunities to practice; ongoing, immediate, and relevant feedback; and opportunities to demonstrate skill.

Also see: Modeling; Mentoring; Coaching

Appropriate level of challenge

Learners make progress when the task they put their minds to is neither overwhelmingly difficult nor boringly easy.

Also see: Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD); Scaffold

Assessment

Assessment is described as the process of gathering information about a learner’s performance using a variety of methods and materials in order to determine learners’ knowledge, skills, and motivation for the purpose of making informed educational decisions. Within the UDL framework, the goal is to improve the accuracy and timeliness of assessments, and to ensure that they are comprehensive and articulate enough to guide instruction – for all learners. This is achieved in part by keen focus on the goal, as distinct from the means, enabling the provision of supports and scaffolds for construct irrelevant items. By broadening means to accommodate learner variability, UDL assessments reduce or remove barriers to accurate measurement of learner knowledge, skills, and engagement.

Also see: Formative assessment; Summative assessment; Standards-based assessment; Embedded assessment; Progress monitoring; Rubric

Assistive Technology (AT)

Devices or services that are used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a student with a disability.

Also see: Supports

Source: Adapted from: http://idea.ed.gov/download/statute.html IDEA 2004 34 C.F.R. 300.5, 300.6

Automaticity

A general term that refers to any skilled and complex behavior that can be performed rather easily with little attention, effort, or conscious awareness; skills become automatic after extended periods of training with practice and good instruction.

Also see: Transfer

Source: Adapted from: http://www.ldonline.org/glossary#A

Avatar

A graphical image that represents a person, as on the Internet.

Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/avatar

Barrier

Anything that restrains or obstructs progress in fulfilling the task at hand.

Source: Adapted from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/barriers

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology)

A nonprofit research and development organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals, especially those with disabilities, through Universal Design for Learning.

Also see: Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Chunking

A procedure of breaking up learning materials into manageable sections (e,g., grouping of words in sentences into short meaningful phrases).

Source: Adapted from: Casteel, C. (1988). Effects of chunked reading among learning disabled students: An experimental comparison of computer and traditional chunked passages. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 17(2), 115-21.

Coach

Live or animated support provided by an agent to help the performance of a task; aimed at improving the performance of the learner.

Also see: Mentors; Models; Scaffold

Source: Adapted from: http://dl2k.dc2es.tnc.edu.tw/jtmax/Abstract/Scaffolding/Modeling,%20coaching,%20scaffolding.htm

Cognitive

Having to do with the mental processes by which knowledge is acquired.

Collaborative learning

An umbrella term for the variety of approaches and models in education that involve the shared intellectual efforts by students working in small groups to accomplish a goal or complete a task.

Source: http://www.learnnc.org/reference/collaborative%20learning

 

Concept map

A visual display that supports comprehension by depicting the relationships between concepts within a learning task.

Also see: Graphic organizer; Semantic map

Construct irrelevant

The extent to which test scores are influenced by factors (e.g., mode of presentation or response) that are irrelevant (not related) to the construct that the test is intended to measure.

Also see: Construct relevant

Source: Adapted from: American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education. (1999). Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association, p. 173. 

Construct relevant

Refers to the factors (e.g. mode of presentation or response) that are relevant (related) to the construct that the test is intended to measure.

Also see: Construct irrelevant

Source: Adopted from: Madaus, G., Russell, M. & Higgins, J. (2009). The paradoxes of high stakes testing: How they affect students, their parents, teachers, principals, schools and society. Information Age Publishing, Inc.: Charlotte, NC.

Curriculum

The overall plan for instruction, and the materials, methods, and assessments to carry out the plan; comprised of four main components:

   1. Goals and milestones for instruction

   2. Media and materials to be used by students

   3. Specific instructional methods

   4. Means of assessment to measure student progress

Also see: Method; Pedagogy

Decode

The ability to sound out letters and words.

Differentiated Instruction (DI)

An approach to teaching that includes various approaches to content, process, and product in order to meet the needs of student differences in readiness, interests, and learning needs.

Source: Adapted from: Tomlinson, C. A., (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. (2nd Ed.) Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Direct instruction

An instructional approach that emphasizes the use of carefully sequenced steps (i.e., scripted lectures or demonstrations) to teach specific academic content; the approach is contrasted with more open-ended approaches, such as hands-on learning or inquiry-based learning.

Source: http://www.ldonline.org/glossary#D

Diversity

Differences between students in ability/disability, culture, language, race, background, etc.

E-text (or digital text)

A book, article, or other published material that can be retrieved by and read via an electronic device.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

The principal federal law affecting public education from kindergarten through high school in the United States. From 2001-2009, the law was known as the No Child Left Behind Act but is again referred to as ESEA in current policy discussions.

Also see: Accountability; No Child Left Behind; Standards-based assessment

Source: http://www.ncld.org/resources1/glossaries/idea-terms-to-know

Embedded assessment

A method for measuring knowledge and ability where evaluations are part of the learning activity rather than happening after the fact.

English Language Learners (ELLs)

A term used to describe students who are in the process of acquiring English language skills and knowledge; some schools refer to these students using the term limited-English-proficient (LEP).

Also see: Diversity

Source: http://nationsreportcard.gov/glossary.asp

Executive Functions (EF)

Associated with the prefrontal cortex in the brain, these capabilities allow humans to overcome impulsive, short-term reactions to their environment and to instead set long-term goals, plan effective strategies for reaching those goals, monitor their progress, and modify strategies as needed.

Also see: Metacognition; Self-monitor; Self-regulation

Feedback

An evaluative response about the result of a process or activity.

Also see: Formative assessment

Flexible curricula

Curricula designed to be adjustable from the beginning, so it can adapt to the needs of diverse learners without significant add-ons.

Also see: Options in the means; Options in the mode

Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

Special education and related services provided at public expense, under public supervision and direction, and without charge mandated by IDEA.

Also see: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); Least Restrictive Environment (LRE); Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

Formative assessment

Assessments given primarily to determine what students have learned in order to plan further instruction during the instructional episode; by contrast, an examination used primarily to document students' achievement at the end of a unit or course is considered a summative test.

Also see: Summative assessment; Standards-based assessment; Embedded assessment 

Source: Adapted from: http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Lexicon_of_Learning/F.aspx 

Functional knowledge

A student's cognitive performance under ordinary, low-support conditions.

Also see: Optimal knowledge

Sources: Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Graphic organizer

A visual representation of textual information and ideas. Concept maps, story maps, advance organizers, story webs, semantic maps, and cognitive organizers are all commonly used graphic organizers.

Also see: Concept map; Semantic map

Higher Education Opportunity Act 2008 (HEOA)

Reauthorizes the Higher Education Act of 1965 (Pub. L. No. 89-329), legislation signed into United States law on November 8, 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society domestic agenda. The law was intended “to strengthen the educational resources of our colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary and higher education.” 

The 2008 reauthorization established the first statutory definition for universal design for learning. This definition incorporates the three principles of UDL--representation, expression, and engagement--and emphasizes reducing barriers with appropriate supports and challenges built into instruction.

Source: Adapted from: http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Higher-Education-Act-of-1965

Hyperlink

A piece of text or a graphic within an electronic document that provides access to content within another document or website.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

A federal law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation, IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.

Also see: Least Restrictive Environment (LRE); Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE); National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS); Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

Source: Adapted from: http://idea.ed.gov/

Inquiry-based instruction

A student-centered and teacher-guided instructional approach that engages students in investigating real world questions that they choose within a broad thematic framework; students acquire and analyze information, develop and support propositions, provide solutions, and design technology and arts products that demonstrate their thinking and make their learning visible.

Also see: Project-based learning

Source: Adapted from: http://www.neiu.edu/~middle/Modules/science%20mods/amazon%20components/AmazonComponents2.html

Instructional media

Materials that teachers use to teach and students use to learn (for example, printed text, digitized text, speech, images). When individual forms of instructional media (text, video, audio) are combined to represent information in multiple ways they are called multimedia.

Also see: Print instructional materials; Materials; Multimedia

Integrated unit

Lessons that integrate math, science, language arts, and/or other subject areas in the process of teaching and learning about a specific topic.

Learning standards

Subject matter benchmarks used to measure students' academic achievement; guidelines published by professional organizations or enacted by government specifying what is to be taught and learned.

Also see: Standards-based assessment

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

Refers to the IDEA’s mandate that schools educate students with disabilities in integrated settings, alongside students with and without disabilities, to the maximum extent appropriate.

Also see: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

Source: Adapted from: http://www.education.com/reference/article/mainstreaming-inclusion/

Masking

An effective way to allow a reader to focus on the more relevant information of the text; done by covering up unnecessary text as well as hiding other distractions.

Source: Adapted from: www.cehd.umn.edu/nceo/Teleconferences/tele16/AccommodationGuidelines2008-2009.pdf

Mastery-orientated feedback

Feedback that emphasizes the role of effort and practice rather than “intelligence” or inherent “ability.”

Also see: Progress monitoring

Source: Adapted from: Kamins, M. L., & Dweck, C. S. (1999). Person versus process praise and criticism: Implications for contingent self-worth and coping. Developmental Psychology, 35(3), 835-847.

Materials

Materials are usually seen as the media used to present learning content and what the learner uses to demonstrate knowledge. Within the UDL framework, the hallmark of materials is their variability and flexibility. For conveying conceptual knowledge, UDL materials offer multiple media and embedded, just-in-time supports such as hyperlinked glossaries, background information, and on-screen coaching. For strategic learning and expression of knowledge, UDL materials offer tools and supports needed to access, analyze, organize, synthesize, and demonstrate understanding in varied ways. For engaging with learning, UDL materials offer alternative pathways to success including choice of content where appropriate, varied levels of support and challenge, and options for recruiting and sustaining interest and motivation.

Also see: Instructional media; Print instructional materials

Media literacy

The ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms.

Also see: Multimedia

Source: http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/rr2def.php

Media specific barrier

Something inherent to the mode of presentation that is immaterial that obstructs or impedes access to and or use.

Also see: Multimedia; Instructional media; Print instructional materials; Materials

Source: Adapted from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/barriers?fromAsk=true&o=100074

Mentor

An expert who acts as a kind of guide or coach to a novice who is learning a new skill.

Also see: Coaches; Modeling; Scaffold; Apprenticeship

Meta-awareness

The ability to be self-reflective or aware of one's own progress as a learner.

Also see: Metacognition

Metacognition

The process of "thinking about thinking." For example, good readers use metacognition before reading when they clarify their purpose for reading and preview the text.

Also see: Meta-awareness

Source: http://www.ldonline.org/glossary#M

Method

Methods are generally defined as the instructional decisions, approaches, procedures, or routines that expert teachers use to accelerate or enhance learning. Expert teachers apply evidence-based methods and differentiate those methods according to the goal of instruction. UDL curricula facilitate further differentiation of methods, based on learner variability in the context of the task, learner’s social/emotional resources, and the classroom climate. Flexible and varied, UDL methods are adjusted based on continual monitoring of learner progress.

Also see: Pedagogy; Curriculum

Mnemonic

Having to do with memory.

Also see: Working memory

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=neurosci&part=A2251

Modality

A category of function; for example, vision, hearing, and touch are different sensory modalities.

Also see: Multi-modal

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=neurosci&part=A2251

Modeling

1. To "show" or "demonstrate."  A teacher may clarify to students what is expected by performing the behavior as a model of what to do. The purpose of this form of modeling is clear communication.

2. To "practice what you preach." In regular practice and behavior, the teacher is a model of thoroughness, or self-evaluation, or courtesy, or whatever else is expected of students.

Also see: Coaches; Mentor; Scaffold; Apprenticeship

Source: Saphier, J., & Gower, R. (1997). The skillful teacher: Building your teaching skills. Acton, Massachusetts: Research fro Better Teaching, Inc. (p. 298).

Modification

When a curriculum modification is made, either the specific subject matter is altered, or the performance level expected of the student is changed; a curriculum modification is made when a student is either taught something different from the rest of the class or taught the same information but at a different level of complexity.

Also see: Accommodations to instruction; Assistive technology

Source: Nolet, V., & McLaughlin, M. J. (2005). Accessing the general curriculum: Including students with disabilities in standards-based reform. CA: Corwin Press, Inc. (p. 87)

Multi-modal

Having more than one form of sensation, such as vision or touch.

Also see: Modality

Source: Adapted from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/multi-modal

Multimedia

Combining several media in one presentation; for example a multimedia Web page may combine text, graphics, audio clips, and video.

Also see: Media specific barriers; Instructional media; Materials; Media literacy

Multiple means of action and expression

The "how" of learning. Students are different in the ways that they express their knowledge; therefore, it is crucial to allow them to express verbally, physically, with written text, etc.

Also see: Multiple means of engagement; Multiple means of representation; Recognition networks; Strategic Networks; Affective networks

Multiple means of engagement

The "why" of learning. Students are different in the ways that they will become interested or motivated to learn; therefore, it is crucial to provide multiple ways to engage learners.

Also see: Multiple means of action and expression; Multiple means of representation; Recognition networks; Strategic networks; Affective networks

Multiple means of representation

The "what" of learning. Students are different in the ways that they perceive and understand information; therefore, it is crucial to provide different ways of presenting content.

Also see: Multiple means of action and expression; Multiple means of engagement; Recognition networks; Strategic networks; Affective networks

National UDL Task Force

A group of more than 40 national organizations that advocates for the incorporation of UDL in federal, state, and district education policy.

Also see: Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Source: Adapted from: http://www.advocacyinstitute.org/UDL/

National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS)

NIMAS refers to a technical standard used to produce XML-based source files. From these well-structured source files, accessible, student-ready alternate-format versions of textbooks and core materials (e.g., Braille, e-text, Digital Talking Book, large print, etc.) can subsequently be created and distributed to qualified students with print disabilities. NIMAS files are not student-ready versions. IDEA 2004, P.L. 108-446, establishes the NIMAS as a national standard and requires states and local districts to adopt the NIMAS for providing textbooks and instructional materials to students who are blind or print-disabled.

Also see: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) 

No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

The 2001 re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)-- the principal federal law affecting public education from kindergarten through high school in the United States.

Also see: Accountability; Standards-based assessment

Source: http://www.ncld.org/resources1/glossaries/idea-terms-to-know

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)

An office within the U.S. Department of Education, OSERS supports programs that help educate children and youth with disabilities, provides for the rehabilitation of youth and adults with disabilities, and supports research to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.

Also see: Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

Source: Adapted from: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/index.html

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

A federal agency under the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts.

Also see: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) 

Source: Adapted from: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html

Optimal knowledge

A student's cognitive performance when provided with support and guidance.

See also: Functional knowledge

Source: Fischer & Bidell, 1998; Vygotsky, 1978; Rappolt-Schlichtmann, Tenenbaum, Koepke and Fischer, 2007

Options in the means

Providing choices and flexibility in the manner or in the way a task or item is approached.

Also see: Flexible curricula; Options in the mode

Options in the mode

Providing flexibility in the selection, method, or way a user may respond to a task or item.

Also see: Flexible curricula; Options in the means

Pedagogy

The art or science of teaching; education; instructional methods.

Also see: Method; Curriculum

Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pedagogy?o=100074

Performance-based assessment

A method for measuring knowledge or ability based on a student's performance on a test or given task.

Also see: Formative assessment

Portfolio

A systematic collection of a variety of teacher observations and student work, collected over time, that monitor growth of the student's knowledge, skills, and attitudes in a specific subject area; can be print based or digital.

Also see: Assessment

Print instructional materials

Includes printed textbooks and related printed core materials that are written and published primarily for use in elementary school and secondary school instruction and are required by a SEA or LEA for use by students in a classroom.

Also see: Instructional media; Materials

Project-based learning

Teaching approach that engages students in sustained, collaborative real-world investigations. Projects are organized around a driving question, and students participate in a variety of tasks that seek to meaningfully address this question.

Also see: Inquiry-based instruction

Source: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4753

Progress monitoring

A scientifically based practice that is used to assess what students have learned and to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction.

Also see: Mastery oriented feedback; Assessment

Source: http://www.studentprogress.org/

Prompt

A cue that provides assistance or guide an action during a learning task.

Reciprocal teaching

An instructional activity that takes place in the form of a dialogue between teachers and students regarding segments of text. The dialogue is structured by the use of four strategies: summarizing, question generating, clarifying, and predicting. The teacher and students take turns assuming the role of teacher in leading this dialogue. 

Source: Palincsar, A.S. (1986). Reciprocal teaching. In Teaching reading as thinking. Oak Brook, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. 

Recognition networks

Networks in the brain that enable us to identify and understand information, ideas, and concepts; networks specialized to sense and assign meaning to patterns we see, hear, taste, touch, and smell.

Also see: Affective Networks; Strategic networks; Multiple means of action and expression; Multiple means of representation; Multiple means of engagement

Response to Intervention (RTI)

Integrates assessment and intervention within a multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and to reduce behavior problems.

Source: http://www.rti4success.org/

Rubric

A tool that supports authentic assessment by delineating specific performance criteria arranged in levels to indicate to what degree a standard has been reached; can be integrated into the ongoing learning process to help students and teachers evaluate progress and make adjustments.

Also see: Assessment

Salience

Prominence or conspicuousness.

Source: Adapted from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/salience

Scaffold

n. A temporary assistive component of an instructional material or method that helps a learner complete the learning task successfully, intended to be removed when mastery is attained.

v. The act of providing temporary assistance in a way designed to let the learner progress.

Also see: Coaches; Mentor; Modeling; Apprenticeship

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

A federal law that requires a school district to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to each child with a disability in the district's jurisdiction.

Also see: Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

Self-efficacy

People's beliefs about their capabilities to produce effects.

Also see: Affect; Affective networks; Multiple means of engagement

Source: Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press.

Self-monitor

To keep track of, or obtain an intermittent awareness of, how one is doing relative to one's purpose.

Also see: Metacognition; Executive Function (EF)

Self-regulation

To strategically modulate one’s emotional reactions or states in order to cope or engage with the environment more effectively.

Also see: Metacognition; Executive Function (EF)

Semantic

Of or relating to meaning, especially the meaning of language.

Also see: Semantic map; Syntax

Semantic map

A strategy for graphically representing concepts; as a strategy, semantic maps involve expanding a student's vocabulary by encouraging new links to familiar concepts; instructionally, semantic maps can be used as a pre-reading activity for charting what is known about a concept, theme, or individual word; they can also be used during reading as a way to assimilate new information learned from the text.

Also see: Graphic organizer; Concept map 

Source: http://www.ldonline.org/glossary#S

Sequential Highlighting

To emphasize or make information prominent as they appear in a sequence by differentiated use of color, lighting, sound, or tactile surface.

Source: Adapted from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/highlighting?o=100074

Standards

A specific criteria for what students are expected to learn and be able to do.

Also see: Standards-based assessment; No Child Left Behind (NCLB); Accountability

Source: Adapted from: http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Lexicon_of_Learning/S.aspx

Standards-based assessment

Assessments intended to represent systematically described content and achievement standards.

Also see: Standards; Accountability; No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

Source: http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/toolkit/glossary.asp#D

Strategic networks

Networks in the brain that enable us to plan, execute, and self-monitor actions and skills; networks specialized to generate and oversee mental and motor patterns.

Also see: Recognition networks; Affective Networks; Multiple means of action and expression; Multiple means of representation; Multiple means of engagement

Summative assessment

A type of test intended to evaluate and document what students have learned; the term is used to distinguish such tests from formative tests, which are used primarily to diagnose what students have learned in order to plan further instruction.

Also see: Standards-based assessment; Formative assessment

Source: Adapted from: http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Lexicon-of-Learning/S.aspx

Support

Means to help students overcome deficits in the learning medium that prevent them from accessing or interacting with the content; supports need not necessarily be removed.

Also see: Assistive technology

Syntax

The rules governing how words are combined into sentences.

Also see: Semantics

Tactile graphics

Images that are designed to be touched rather than looked at. When information in a print graphic is important to a tactual reader, a tactile graphic may be developed. The concept and content of the graphic are represented by a set of tactile symbols selected to be easily read and understood.

Source: http://www.tactilegraphics.org/whataretgs.html

Template

A model for the form of something, into which content can be added; can scaffold a process or content, and can help students organize and self monitor.

Also see: Modeling, Graphic organizer

Text-to-Speech (TtS)

The combination of text appearing on the computer display together with the computer speaking that text aloud with a digitized or synthesized voice.

Also see: Assistive technology

Source: Adapted from: http://www.newbedford.k12.ma.us/edtech_toolkit/students/cast/index.htm

Touch equivalents

A method of using tactual sensory options to access the information as typically available visually, auditorially or kinestheticly.

Also see: Assistive technology

Source: Adapted from: Turp, M. (2000). Touch, enjoyment and health: In adult life. European Journal of Psychotherapy, Counselling, and Health, 3(1), 61.

Transfer

Occurs when learning in one context enhances (positive transfer) or undermines (negative transfer) a related performance in another context.

Also see: Automaticity

Source: Perkins, D. N., & Salomon, G. (1988). Teaching for transfer. Educational Leadership, 46(1), 22-32. 

UDL Checkpoints

Specific recommendations that further articulate each of the nine UDL Guidelines.

Also see: UDL Guidelines

UDL Guidelines

Developed in response to the call from stakeholders in the education field to make the application of UDL principles and practices more concrete. The nine UDL Guidelines are organized according to the three main principles of UDL that address representation, expression, and engagement. They are not meant to be a “prescription” but a set of strategies that can be employed to overcome the barriers inherent in most existing curricula. 

Also see: UDL Checkpoints

Universal Design (UD)

The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

Source: http://design.ncsu.edu/cud/about_ud/about_ud.htm

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

An educational approach with three primary principles:  

1. Multiple means of representation, to give diverse learners options for acquiring information and knowledge

2. Multiple means of action and expression, to provide learners options for demonstrating what they know

3. Multiple means of engagement, to tap into learners' interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase motivation

Also see: National UDL Task Force; Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST); Multiple means of action and expression; Multiple means of engagement; Multiple means of representation

Source: http://www.cast.org/about/index.html

Wiki

A particular type of web site that allows collaborative authoring and editing of the content of that web site.

Also see: Multimedia

Working memory

The ability to store and manage information in one's mind for a short period of time; in one test of working memory a person listens to random numbers and then repeats them; the average adult can hold seven numbers in their working memory; working memory is sometimes called Short-term memory.

Also see: Mnemonic

Source: http://www.ldonline.org/glossary#W

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

A term coined by psychologist Lev Vygotsky to mean the range of challenge in which a learner can progress because the task is neither too hard nor too easy.

Also see: Scaffold