a standard on which an assessment, evaluation, or measurement may be based (plural: criteria)

critical reflection

a thought or opinion resulting from careful, consideration; an opportunity to consider the implications of new knowledge

distractibility

a condition where one’s attention is easily drawn away or diverted from one object or situation to another

diversity

a condition where the whole is comprised of individuals which are distinct, unlike, or have differing qualities

documentation

authentication of information; written evidence

edit

to alter, adapt, or refine especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose

efficiency

productivity without waste of time or resources

evaluation

a process for determining the quality of a performance that takes a retrospective look at a given process, program, or individual, and based upon pre-established standards, decides its utility, its value, or its applicability

general education

the essential skills, processes, methodologies, tools, contexts, and ways of being that are common across all disciplines; these contribute to learner growth and improvement, as opposed to the gaining of expertise within a discipline

generalize

to draw a conclusion based upon particulars; an indefinite statement

higher education

education provided by a college or university

information

facts, data (words, numbers and symbols), lore, news, intelligence, something told or read

integration

coordinating or blending into a functioning or unified whole

intervention

to temporarily stop a process or course of events in order to resolve a problem related to the process or course of events

key issues

important issues surrounding a problem; identification of key issues can lead to stronger and more comprehensive solutions (“Identify Key Issues” is Step 2 of the Problem Solving Methodology)

kinesthetic

sensory experience based upon bodily movement and tension

knowledge

awareness about, insights gained as a result of, or conclusions drawn from the possession of information

learning activity

The core unit of instructional design which organizes a unit of time, in or out of class, to address a subset of course learning outcomes

learning community

formal and informal groups who share common values and beliefs and who voluntarily invest time to work together, and actively engage in learning together

Learning Process Methodology (LPM)

a sequence of steps for learners that makes explicit the working habits of expert learners

learning skills

skills employed in the process of learning, embedded in a learner’s behavioral repertoire, and transferable across disciplines and contexts, which enable him or her to improve mastery of subject matter. They are essential for constructing knowledge because they influence what learners can achieve at any level. These skills can be consciously improved and refined, increasing the rate and effectiveness of learning.

learning style

automatic, habitual patterns of learning or processing preferences which are based on habituation of routines and which are acquired over a learner’s entire lifetime

level of learning

categorization of educational objectives to represent the increasing complexity in the way learners formulate, connect, and present their thoughts (information, conceptual understanding, application, working expertise, and research)

Life Vision Portfolio

a collection of written work documenting the thinking process involved in developing one’s own life vision, or image of what one would like one’s future self and situation to be

major

a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization

measurement

the documenting of a performance or product against a scale

memorize

to commit to memory; learn by heart

mentor

one who guides another person in efforts to improve

methodology

an explicitly defined set of multi-step instructions for performing a complex process, designed to enable those who are novices in a skill area to work smarter without having to learn the steps through trial and error

multiple intelligence

a theory by Howard Gardner that rejects the notion of intelligence as measured by IQ tests and instead advances the idea that people have different way of learning, based upon how they individually process information

peer assessment

an assessment performed by an individual sharing the same context; peer assessments are usually mutual, with each party assessing for the other

performance

the means by which one produces valued results

plagiarism

to use another’s work, writing, research, etc., without crediting the source

primary source

documentation of information created either during events or shortly thereafter, generally by a person who has direct knowledge and experience of the events (contrast with secondary source; an example of a primary source might be, Grandma Had Big Teeth, by Little Red Riding Hood)

prioritize

to rate or list projects, tasks, or goals in order of which should be given attention before alternatives

problem

a question, matter, situation, issue, or person that is perplexing, thought provoking, or difficult to deal with

Process Education

A performance-based philosophy of education which integrates many different educational theories, processes, and tools in emphasizing the continuous development of learning skills through the use of assessment principles in order to produce learner self-development

procrastination

intentionally delaying doing something that should be done

psychomotor domain

sphere of functioning or performance that has to do with motor skills

reading log

a tool used to help a reader focus upon using the Reading Methodology as a way to assess and improve reading skills

reading methodology

a six-step model for optimally learning from written information.

revise

to look over again in order to correct or improve

rubric

a scoring tool for measuring the level of performance achieved which describes in words what performance looks like at various levels

scale

a means in measurement for determining the quality or quantity of evidence

schedule

a plan that shows the time, order, and sometimes duration of tasks or engagements

secondary source

a work that interprets or analyzes information that appears elsewhere (contrast with primary source; an example of a secondary source might be, Stating the Obvious But Still Missing the Point: An Analysis of Little Red Riding Hood, by John Wolf, Jr.)

self-actualization

to fully realize one’s potential

self-assessment

assessing one’s own progress and performance by thinking critically about it for the purpose of growth

self-grower

having developed strong performance/learning skills, self-growers continually use strong self-assessment skills to improve future performance

semantics

the study of meaning in language

SII Assessment

a method of recording and reporting assessment findings which includes a description of the strengths of the performance (including why these are strengths), the areas in which the performance may be improved (including how to implement improvement), and insights for application in other settings

sub-problem

a smaller problem that is contained within a larger problem and may be modeled or solved somewhat independently, with its solution contributing to the solution of the larger problem

syntax

the grammatical structure of a language

tactile

relating to the sense of touch

task

a piece of work (often that must be finished within a set amount of time)

teamwork

the joint action by a group of people in which individual interests become secondary to the achievement of group goals, unity and efficiency

terminology

the technical or special terms used in a field of study

urgency

a condition where immediate attention is required

validate

the act of using alternative methods to test results

value system

the base from which one works after one’s core values have been clearly defined, prioritized, and integrated into one’s plans and actions; the system represents the fundamental beliefs and ideas that serve as personal criteria for choosing among alternatives