The L&D
Word Project

Browse or search for L&D and business terms.

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Freelancer

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A freelancer is someone who is considered self-employed but performs work for organizations on a short-term or per-task basis, not committing themselves to any one employer long term.
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Future state

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Future state refers to the long-term goals and greater vision of the business over time and with changing economics and technology.
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GUI (graphical user interface)

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A graphical user interface (GUI) allows users to interact with electronic devices through visual indicators or graphical icons, as opposed to text-based interactions.
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Gagne's Nine Events

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Gagne created a nine-step process for people to use when designing learning experiences with the goal of maximum engagement and retention. The steps are gain attention, inform learners of objectives, stimulate recall of prior learning, present stimulus, provide learner guidance, elicit performance, provide feedback, assess performance, and enhance retention and transfer.
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Game-based learning

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Game-based learning describes adding games to a learning experience or using games to teach.
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Gamification

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Gamification is applying game principles to the design of a non-game experience, which may included adding game mechanics, such as scoring, leaderboards, and badging, to a program, product, or service in order to encourage participation.
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Gap analysis

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Gap analysis is the process of looking at a business's current state and its future state and analyzing where there are issues or areas of opportunity that need to be addressed to reach goals, looking at areas such as operations, resources, finances, and roles.
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Generational Theory

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Generational Theory posits that each "generation" of people born within a 20-25 year time period shares similar characteristics, or a persona, based on shared historical events.
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Great Media Debate

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The Great Media Debate, started by Clark and Kozma in the 1990s, sought to answer the question, "do media influence learning?"
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Growth mindset

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A growth mindset is one in which people believe their qualities, skills, and abilities can be developed over time through effort.
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HCD (human-centered design)

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Human-centered design (HCD) is an approach where designers make the perspective and emotions of the end user their primary focus when designing systems.
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HCM (human capital management)

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Human capital management (HCM) includes the processes for attracting, hiring, managing, developing, and retaining talent in an organization.
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HR (human resources)

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Human resources (HR) refers to the department in the organization that deals with everything employee-related.
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HRIS (human resource information system)

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A human resource information system (HRIS) is software that manages employee information and any information HR uses for business processes and operations, such as hiring and benefit information.
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Hard skills

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Hard skills are technical abilities that can be objectively and quantitatively measured.
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Human capital

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Human capital refers to the organizational and economic value of the collective skills and abilities of the employees of an organization.
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Human factors

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Human factors refers to employee characteristics and behaviors that influence how they act in their organization, affecting the overall health and safety at the organization.
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Hybrid working

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Hybrid working is a flexible working environment in which employees spend part of their time in the physical workplace and part of their time working from a remote location.
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ILT (instructor-led training)

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Instructor-led training (ILT) is when an instructor facilitates a learning experience for learners.
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Implementation

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In the ADDIE framework, implementation refers to the plan to release and communicate learning experiences with the intended learners. In technology projects, it refers to the execution of the plan to launch the technology.
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Implicit learning

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Implicit learning is an unintentional learning process, where the learner is not aware that they are learning and retaining complex information.
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Individual development plan

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An individual development plan is a plan created by an employee and their manager that outlines professional goals for the employee for a specific time period. The goals align with the organizational goals and are assessed after the time period.
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Infographic

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A infographic is a visual representation of data or information, presented in a way to simplify the data, reducing cognitive load for the end user.
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Informal learning

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Informal learning is any learning experience that is unintentional and unstructured and takes place outside of the traditional classroom environment.
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Inquiry-based learning

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Inquiry-based learning is an educational approach that starts when questions, problems, or scenarios are posed, and learners have to research and explore ideas to answer the questions.
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Instructional design

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Instructional design is the process of analyzing learning and performance gaps and creating, deploying, and measuring instructional and non-instructional learning opportunities to close gaps and encourage learning and performance improvement.
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Instructional design model

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An instructional design model is a series of steps that can be followed to create learning experiences.
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Instructional designer

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An instructional designer is someone whose main job function is to analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate learning experiences.
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Instructional systems design

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Instructional systems design was the original term for instructional design because of the systems approach taken to design and develop learning experiences. The term has been shortened to instructional design in most areas, but instructional systems design is still used in some industries, including in government and military.
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Instructional technology

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According to the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, instructional technology is the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning.
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Interactive PDF

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An interactive PDF is one that uses multimedia, including images, audio and video, links, GIFs, and fillable forms.
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JIT (Just in Time)

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Just in time (JIT) refers to learners having access to the resources and information they need at the moment they need it.
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Job aid

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A job aid is a set of simple, step-by-step instructions that help a learner complete a task at work.
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Job architecture

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Job architecture refers to the organizational structure of job roles and their hierarchy within the organization, as well as the requirements and competencies of those roles.
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Job task analysis

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A job task analysis looks for the tasks and activities, as well as resources and requirements, needed to do a particular job successfully.
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KPI (key performance indicator)

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A key performance indicator (KPI) is a quantifiable measurement of progress toward a performance goal within an organization.
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KSA (knowledge, skills, abilities)

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Knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are the qualifications necessary to perform a job, listed in job postings and on resumes by applicants.
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Kanban

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From the Japanese word meaning "visual board," kanban refers to a visual system of organizing work as it moves through steps in a process.
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Kirkpatrick’s Learning Evaluation Model

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Kirkpatrick's Learning Evaluation Model includes four levels of training evaluation: reaction (measuring how learners felt about the experience), learning (measuring what was learned), behavior (measuring how people apply their learning), and results (measuring the learning against organizational outcomes).
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Knowledge

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The facts, skills, and information gained during a learning experience.
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Knowledge management

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The process of identifying, creating, managing, sharing, and evaluating information within an organization.
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LCMS (learning content management system)

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A learning content management system (LCMS) is a software creating, editing, implementing, and maintaining learning content for an organization.
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LMS (learning management system)

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A learning management system (LMS) is a software that allows for creating, implementing, maintaining, tracking, and reporting on data from learning experiences.
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LRS (learning record store)

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A learning record store (LRS) is defined by the xAPI specification as "a server (i.e. system capable of receiving and processing web requests) that is responsible for receiving, storing, and providing access to Learning Records."
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LXD (learning experience design)

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Learning experience design is another, more modern term for instructional design that aims to take the focus away from "instruction" and place it on the learner and their experience.
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LXP (learning experience platform)

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A learning experience platform is another, more modern term for a learning management system that aims to take the focus away from asset management and place it on the learner's experience in the software.
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Leadership development

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Leadership development refers to the upskilling and training of leaders so that they can be successful in their roles and with their teams.
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Lean

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Originally from the manufacturing industry and then adopted by software development and learning and development, lean refers to the set of processes and principles that aims to maximize efficiency and reduce waste.
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Learner journey

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A learner journey looks at how the learner moves through a learning experience, including the time before they begin the experience to the activities that occur after the experience to apply and reinforce learning.
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Learning

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Learning is the process through which we acquire knowledge and/or skills.
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Learning and performance ecosystem

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In a learning and performance ecosystem, employees are connected to the resources they need to learn, improve performance, and develop their skills to grow in their roles.
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Learning culture

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Learning culture refers to how employees, teams, and organizations use learning and growth opportunities to help employees feel they belong in and have a future at their organization.
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Learning design

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Learning design is another, more modern term for instructional design that aims to take the focus away from "instruction" and place it on the learner as an active participant.
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Learning environment

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The learning environment refers not only to the physical location where one learns but also to the delivery method, educational approach, and cultural context where learning takes place.
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Learning myths

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A learning myth is one that sounds plausible but has no basis in research or research-based practice.
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Learning objective

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A learning objective is a brief statement that describes what someone will learn by the end of a successful learning experience.
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Learning pathway

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A learning pathway is a set of modules, lessons, courses, activities, resources, or experiences that help a learner move through information on a particular topic.
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Learning styles

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One of the most popular and well-known learning myths that is still taught in graduate education today, the learning styles theory states that people learn in one of three main ways: auditory (through listening), visual (through seeing images and graphic representations), through reading/writing, and kinesthetic (through manipulating objects or doing something "hands-on").
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MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator)

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Created by a mother/daughter duo based on the work of Carl Jung, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a personality test used to divide people into extroversion or introversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling, and judgement or perception. It's validity, dichotomy, reliability, and lack of objectivity have been repeatedly called into question over the years.
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MOOC (massive open online course)

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A massive open online course (MOOC) is a course available to a large group of learners over the internet.
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MR (mixed reality)

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Mixed reality is an immersive experience that involves parts of the real world and digital world.
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Masterclass

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A masterclass is a lesson given by an expert to a group of high-performing learners who have a specific interest in the topic.
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Mayer’s Multimedia Principles

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Mayer's Multimedia Principles are 12 principles to follow when designing multimedia assets that aim to increase retention and reduce cognitive load of learners.
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Memorization

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Memorization is the process of committing information to memory so that you can recall it later.
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Mental model

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A mental model is a representation in someone's thought processes for how something works.
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Mentoring

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Mentoring is a reciprocal relationship between a more experienced person and lesser experienced person, where the more experienced person provides advice to the lesser experienced person for the purposes of achieving career goals and growth.
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Merrill's Principles of Instruction

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David Merrill spent time researching which principles were most common in instructional design theory and came up with what he deemed the first five principles of instruction where learning is promoted: 1. when learners are engaged in solving real-world problems, 2. when existing knowledge is activated as a foundation for new knowledge, 3. when new knowledge is demonstrated to the learner, 4. when new knowledge is applied by the learner, and 5. when new knowledge is integrated into the learner’s world.
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Metacognition

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Metacognition is the process of thinking about one's own thought processes and the patterns that create them.
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Metaverse

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A simulated digital environment that uses augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and social media mechanics to create a space for people to communicate and interact like they would in the real world.
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Methodology

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Methodology refers to the systems, rules, and processes of doing something.
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Micro-credentials

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Micro-credentials are qualifications based on a short-term, focused learning experience.
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Modality

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Modality refers to the pathways through which people consume information. This can refer to sensory pathways, such as seeing and hearing information, or the delivery method, such as hybrid or remote.
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Multimodal learning

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Multimodal learning uses multiple channels of information to create a learning experience.
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NDM (naturalistic decision making)

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Naturalistic decision making is a field focused on people's decision making in cognitively complex, real-world situations.
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NLP (natural language processing)

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Natural language processing is how computers process human language data to provide insights and information.
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NLP (neuro linguistic programming)

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Neuro linguistic programming is a pseudoscientific claim that posits there is a connection between neurological processes, language, and behavioral patterns learned through experience and that these can be changed to achieve specific goals in life.
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NPS (net promoter score)

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The net promoter score is a metric that assesses customer experience, including how likely it is that a customer would recommend the product or service, and helps estimate business growth.
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Neuroscience

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Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system).
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Neurotypical

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Neurodiverse refers to people who experience typical mental functions and behaviors.
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New skilling

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New skilling is the continuous learning of skills for your role or another in your organization.
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No-code

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No-code refers to platforms that allow non-technical people to create computer software without programming knowledge or skill.
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Non-formal learning

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Non-formal learning occurs outside of a typical learning environment but still has learning objectives and structure.
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Non-instructional interventions

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Non-instructional interventions are performance solutions that do not involve traditional instruction or learning.
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Nudge theory

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Nudge theory is the idea that you can positively change people's behavior by guiding them to make decisions they would already make.
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OD (organizational development)

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Organizational development (OD) are the efforts of an organization to make changes in processes, practices, and systems to improve the organization's performance and culture.
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OJT (on-the-job training)

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One-the-job training refers to instruction and learning that occurs in the workplace, while someone is performing the tasks of a job.
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OKR (objectives and key results)

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Objectives and key results (OKRs) refer to a goal-setting framework created to help organizations track goals, performance, and outcomes.
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Off-the-shelf content

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Off-the-shelf content refers to ready-made, immediately available learning experiences.
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On-demand learning

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On-demand learning refers to when a learner has immediate access to learning content, anytime and anywhere.
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Onboarding

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Onboarding refers to welcoming and integrating a new employee to their organization. Onboarding is also used in customer education to describe providing customers with basic knowledge of a product or service.
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Organizational culture

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Organizational culture refers to the values, beliefs, and behaviors that are expected from everyone in the organization.
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Organizational psychology

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Organizational psychology is the study of human behavior in the workplace. It is also referred to as Industrial Organizational Psychology, or I/O psychology, for short.
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Outcome

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An outcome is the change in the organization, employees, or customers that drives business results.
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PIR (post-implementation review)

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A post-implementation review assesses how effectively a project reached its objectives after the project is complete.
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PKM (personal knowledge management)

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Personal knowledge management (PKM) is the process one uses to collect, store, organize, and retrieve information they've collected.
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Pedagogy

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Pedagogy refers to the practice of teaching.
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People analytics

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People analytics refers to collecting and assessing candidate and employee information for reaching talent and business goals.
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Performance consulting

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Performance consulting is a practice that takes a systems approach to identifying performance issues in an organization and creating solutions to solve those problems.
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Performance management

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Performance management refers to how a supervisor or manager monitors and assesses an employee's work throughout the year and provides feedback on their progress and ability to achieve outcomes.
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Performance support

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Performance support refers to a resource designed to help people perform a task, such as a job aid or checklist.
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