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L&D

Learning science and program design: how training is built, delivered and measured, from ADDIE to the Kirkpatrick model.

60 terms

70-20-10 model

A learning guideline suggesting roughly 70% of development comes from on-the-job experience, 20% from others through coaching and feedback, and 10% from formal training.

Adaptive learning

Learning experiences that adjust content, difficulty or pacing to each learner based on their performance.

ADDIE model

A five-phase instructional design process: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation.

Andragogy

The theory of how adults learn: they're self-directed, draw on experience and want learning that's immediately relevant to their work.

Behavior change

The goal of most corporate training: people doing things differently on the job after the program ends.

Blended learning

A program that mixes formats (live sessions, self-paced modules, practice and coaching) to reinforce the same skill.

Bloom's taxonomy

A hierarchy of learning objectives that runs from remembering and understanding up to applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating.

Coaching culture

An organization where giving and receiving feedback is a regular, expected part of work at every level.

Cohort-based learning

Training delivered to a group that moves through a program together on a shared schedule, adding peer accountability.

Competency framework

A defined set of skills and behaviors required for a role, often with proficiency levels, used to guide hiring, training and assessment.

Completion rate

The percentage of assigned learners who finish a course or program. It shows participation; skill needs its own measure.

Continuous learning

An ongoing habit of skill-building embedded in the flow of work rather than one-time training events.

Deliberate practice

Focused, repeated practice on a specific skill just beyond your current ability, with immediate feedback. It is the method behind expert performance in most fields.

eLearning

Training delivered digitally, usually self-paced, through an LMS or learning platform.

Experiential learning

Learning by doing: practicing, reflecting and trying again instead of passively consuming content.

Forgetting curve

Hermann Ebbinghaus's finding that people forget much of what they learn within days unless it's reinforced. It is the main argument for spaced practice.

Formative assessment

A low-stakes check during learning that gives feedback while there's still time to improve.

Gamification

Using game elements such as points, leaderboards and badges to increase engagement with training.

GROW coaching model

A coaching framework that moves through Goal, Reality, Options and Will (or Way forward) to help someone solve their own problem.

Human skills

Another name for soft skills: the communication, collaboration and judgment skills that are hardest to automate and most valuable in customer-facing roles.

Instructional design

The practice of designing learning experiences (objectives, content, activities and assessments) that reliably build a target skill.

Just-in-time learning

Short, targeted learning delivered right when someone needs it, such as rehearsing a pitch minutes before a call.

Kirkpatrick model

A four-level framework for evaluating training: Reaction (did learners value it), Learning (did they gain knowledge or skill), Behavior (do they apply it on the job) and Results (did it move business outcomes).

Knowledge check

A quick quiz or question embedded in training to confirm a learner understood a key concept.

Leadership development

Programs that build the skills managers and executives need, including coaching, giving feedback, decision-making and communicating with influence.

Learner engagement

How actively people participate in learning, measured by logins, time spent, practice attempts and completions.

Learning and development (L&D)

The function responsible for building employee skills and capabilities through training, coaching and development programs.

Learning in the flow of work

Delivering learning inside the tools and moments where people already work, so they can learn and apply a skill without leaving their job.

Learning objectives

Specific, measurable statements of what a learner should be able to do after a program, such as "Handle the top five pricing objections."

Learning path

A sequenced series of courses, practice activities and assessments that takes a learner from beginner to proficient in a role or skill.

Learning transfer

The degree to which what's learned in training is actually applied on the job. Kirkpatrick Level 3 measures this.

Manager coaching

Coaching delivered by a front-line manager to their direct reports. It is one of the strongest levers for rep performance and one of the hardest to scale.

Mentoring

A longer-term development relationship where a more experienced person guides someone's growth and career.

Microlearning

Short, focused learning units, often under ten minutes, built around a single objective.

Onboarding

The structured process of getting a new hire productive, from product and process training to their first customer conversations.

Onboarding certification

A certification new hires must pass, often a recorded pitch or roleplay, to prove they're ready for customer conversations.

Peer coaching

Colleagues at a similar level coaching each other, often by reviewing recordings or roleplaying together.

Performance support

Resources available in the moment of need, such as checklists, job aids and quick practice, that help people perform without leaving their work.

Phillips ROI model

An extension of the Kirkpatrick model that adds a fifth level, return on investment, by comparing a program's monetary benefits with its costs.

Power skills

A newer name for soft skills such as communication, collaboration and adaptability, reflecting how much they drive performance.

Proficiency

The level at which someone can perform a skill to the required standard without help.

Psychological safety

A shared belief that it's safe to take interpersonal risks, such as asking questions or making mistakes, without being punished or embarrassed. Private practice with AI supports it.

Reskilling

Training employees in new skills so they can move into a different role.

Retrieval practice

Recalling information from memory instead of rereading it, which strengthens long-term retention. Quizzes and roleplays are both forms of retrieval practice.

Roleplay training

A training method where learners act out realistic conversations to build a skill through practice. It is used for sales, customer support, management and any role where the conversation itself is the job.

SBI feedback model

A feedback framework: describe the Situation, the specific Behavior you observed and its Impact. It keeps feedback concrete and non-judgmental.

Scenario-based learning

Instruction built around realistic situations learners must work through, so they apply knowledge in context instead of memorizing it.

Self-paced learning

Learning that each person completes on their own schedule instead of with a live cohort.

Skill decay

The loss of a skill over time when it isn't used or practiced. Reinforcement and spaced practice slow skill decay.

Skills gap analysis

Comparing the skills a team has today with the skills it needs, to prioritize where training will have the most impact.

Soft skills

Interpersonal and communication skills such as listening, empathy, persuasion and collaboration. Many organizations now call them power skills or human skills.

Spaced repetition

Reviewing or practicing material at increasing intervals over time to move it into long-term memory.

Subject matter expert (SME)

A person with deep knowledge of a topic who supplies content, reviews accuracy or sets the standard for a training program.

Summative assessment

An evaluation at the end of a program, such as a final exam or certification, that judges whether the learner met the standard.

Train-the-trainer

A model where experts train internal facilitators, who then deliver the program to the wider organization.

Training needs analysis (TNA)

A structured review of business goals, roles and performance data to determine what training is required and for whom.

Training ROI

The business return of a training program relative to its cost, often tied to outcomes like ramp time, win rate or retention.

Upskilling

Teaching employees new or more advanced skills that make them more effective in their current role.