LMS and corporate training glossary

Plain-language definitions of the learning, training, and compliance terms L&D and HR teams run into. Each entry explains what the term means, why it matters for your training programme, and how it works in practice.

LMS and learning platforms

What learning platforms are, how they differ, and how to choose and roll one out.

• Learning Management System (LMS): A learning management system, or LMS, is software a company uses to create, assign, deliver, and track employee training in one place. Inste
• Learning Experience Platform (LXP): A learning experience platform, or LXP, is software built to help employees discover and choose learning for themselves, rather than only co
• eLearning: eLearning is training delivered digitally, usually online, that people complete on a computer or phone instead of in a classroom. It ranges
• Cloud LMS: A cloud LMS is a learning management system that runs on servers owned by the provider and is used through a web browser or app, usually on
• Open-source LMS: An open-source LMS is a learning management system whose source code is freely available to use and change, Moodle being the best-known exam
• Extended enterprise LMS: An extended enterprise LMS is a learning management system used to train people outside your own workforce, such as customers, partners, res
• Multi-tenant LMS: A multi-tenant LMS runs several separate training portals from one system. Each portal, or tenant, can have its own branding, users, courses
• LMS implementation: LMS implementation is the process of setting up a new learning management system and getting your organisation using it. It covers planning,

Integrations and access

How an LMS connects to your HR system, your login, and other learning tools.

• Single Sign-On (SSO): Single sign-on, or SSO, lets employees sign in once with their existing company account and reach other systems, including the LMS, without
• LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability): LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) is a standard that lets an LMS securely open an external learning tool, pass along who the user is and
• HRIS integration: HRIS integration connects your HR information system to your LMS so employee data flows between them automatically. New hires appear in the

Course content and standards

The formats and tools that turn your material into courses any LMS can run and track.

• SCORM: SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is a set of technical rules that let an eLearning course work in any SCORM-compatible LMS. I
• xAPI: xAPI (Experience API, once called Tin Can API) is a standard for recording learning activity as short statements in the form actor, verb, ob
• Course authoring tool: A course authoring tool is software used to create eLearning courses, usually exporting them in a standard format like SCORM or xAPI so they
• cmi5: cmi5 is a set of rules built on xAPI that defines how an LMS launches a course, what the course must report, and when it counts as complete.
• Learning record store (LRS): A learning record store, or LRS, is a database built to receive and store xAPI statements, the records that say who did what, such as "Anna
• AI in corporate training: AI in corporate training means using artificial intelligence to help create, deliver, and improve employee training. Today the most practica

Compliance and certification

Required training, the rules behind it, and how to prove it was done.

• Compliance training: Compliance training is training that employees have to complete to meet a law, a regulation, or an industry rule, and that the company has t
• Anti-Money-Laundering (AML) training: Anti-money-laundering training, or AML training, teaches employees in banks, financial firms, and other regulated businesses how to spot and
• Certification tracking: Certification tracking is keeping a live record of which employees hold which certificates, when each was earned, and when it expires, so a
• GDPR training: GDPR training teaches employees how to handle personal data correctly under the EU General Data Protection Regulation, so the company stays
• Health and safety training: Health and safety training teaches employees how to work safely, recognise hazards, and follow the rules that protect them and the people ar
• Training audit trail: A training audit trail is the complete, dated record of what training each person was assigned, when they completed it, how they scored, and
• Cybersecurity awareness training: Cybersecurity awareness training teaches employees to recognise and avoid cyber threats, such as phishing emails, weak passwords, and social
• Policy attestation: Policy attestation is when employees confirm that they have read and understood a company policy, such as a code of conduct, an IT use polic
• Mandatory training: Mandatory training is training that employees are required to complete, either because the law or a regulator demands it, or because the com
• Continuing professional development (CPD): Continuing professional development, or CPD, is the ongoing learning professionals do to keep their knowledge, skills, and licences current

Learning design and delivery

Ways to structure and deliver training so people finish it and remember it.

• Microlearning: Microlearning is training delivered in short, focused pieces, usually a few minutes each, with each piece aimed at a single objective. Inste
• Blended learning: Blended learning combines online training with in-person or live sessions, so each part does what it is best at. Employees cover the knowled
• Learning path: A learning path is an ordered set of courses that guides someone from where they are to a goal, one step at a time, instead of a single cour
• Gamification: Gamification is adding game-like elements, such as points, badges, levels, and leaderboards, to training to make it more engaging and encour
• Just-in-time training: Just-in-time training gives employees the specific information they need at the moment they need it, usually while they are doing the task,
• Instructor-led training (ILT): Instructor-led training, or ILT, is training delivered live by a trainer to a group. When it happens in person it is classroom training; whe
• Spaced repetition: Spaced repetition means reviewing what was learned at increasing intervals, for example after a day, a week, and a month, so it moves into l
• Mobile learning: Mobile learning, or mLearning, is training that people take on smartphones and tablets. For frontline and deskless workers, such as retail s

Onboarding and skills

The HR and L&D processes training supports, from a first day to a new role.

• Employee onboarding: Employee onboarding is the process of getting a new hire set up, trained, and productive in their role. It covers the practical setup like a
• Training Needs Analysis (TNA): A training needs analysis, or TNA, is the process of finding the gap between the skills and knowledge your people have now and what they nee
• Upskilling and reskilling: Upskilling means training employees to get better at their current role, often because the job itself is changing. Reskilling means training
• Onboarding checklist: An onboarding checklist is a list of every task a new employee, their manager, and HR need to complete during the first days, weeks, and mon
• Skills matrix: A skills matrix is a grid that shows your people on one axis, the skills your team needs on the other, and the current level of each person

Measurement and reporting

How to see what training achieved and show it to managers and auditors.

• Learning analytics: Learning analytics is the practice of collecting and reading data about training, such as who completed what, how long it took, and how peop
• Training completion rate: Training completion rate is the share of people assigned a piece of training who actually finish it, usually shown as a percentage. If 200 e
• Kirkpatrick model: The Kirkpatrick model is the most widely used framework for evaluating training. It looks at four levels: reaction (did people find it usefu
• Training ROI: Training ROI, or return on investment, compares the value training delivers with what it costs, usually as a percentage. The formula is simp