If you’re exploring a transition from teaching into Learning & Development or Instructional Design, you’ll run into a wall of unfamiliar terms fast. This glossary translates the most common ones into plain English — with a note on why each concept matters specifically for teachers making this move.
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Instructional Design Methodologies
What Is ADDIE?
ADDIE stands for Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. It’s the most widely used framework for building training programs in corporate Learning & Development, structuring the process from identifying a problem to measuring whether the solution worked.
Why it matters for teachers: ADDIE maps closely to lesson planning — Analysis is like assessing student needs, Design is like planning objectives, Development is like creating materials. If you already plan lessons with a clear objective and assessment, you’re already thinking in ADDIE terms without knowing the name.
What Is SAM (Successive Approximation Model)?
SAM is a faster, more iterative alternative to ADDIE. Instead of completing each phase fully before moving to the next, SAM builds a rough prototype quickly, gets feedback, and refines it in repeated small cycles.
Why it matters for teachers: SAM fits well if you’re used to adjusting a lesson mid-week based on how students respond. It rewards flexibility over rigid up-front planning — a mindset many teachers already have.
What Is the Kirkpatrick Model?
The Kirkpatrick Model is a four-level framework for evaluating training effectiveness: Reaction (did learners like it), Learning (did they learn it), Behavior (are they applying it), and Results (did it impact business outcomes).
Why it matters for teachers: This is the corporate equivalent of assessment — but it goes further than a test score. Level 4 (Results) is what makes L&D valuable to a business, and it’s the piece most teachers haven’t had to measure before.
What Is Bloom’s Taxonomy?
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchy of cognitive skills — from Remembering and Understanding at the base, up to Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating at the top. It’s used to write learning objectives at the right level of complexity.
Why it matters for teachers: You almost certainly already use this from teacher training. It transfers directly and unchanged into instructional design work — one of the few concepts that requires zero translation.
What Are Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction?
A nine-step sequence for structuring a lesson or training module, from gaining attention through providing feedback to enhancing retention and transfer. Developed by psychologist Robert Gagné.
Why it matters for teachers: This is essentially a formalized lesson plan structure. If you already sequence a lesson with a hook, instruction, practice, and closure, you’re using a simplified version of this model already.
Technology and Standards
What Is SCORM?
SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is a technical standard that allows eLearning content to work across different Learning Management Systems (LMS) and track whether a learner completed a course and how they scored.
Why it matters for teachers: SCORM is the file format corporate training runs on — similar to how a PDF works everywhere regardless of what program created it. Familiarity with SCORM is often listed as a requirement in Instructional Designer job postings.
What Is xAPI (Experience API)?
xAPI is a newer standard than SCORM that tracks learning experiences beyond just course completion — including real-world activities, informal learning, and mobile app interactions, not just clicks inside an LMS.
Why it matters for teachers: xAPI reflects a shift toward measuring learning wherever it happens, not just in a formal course. Knowing the difference between SCORM and xAPI signals technical fluency in interviews.
What Is cmi5?
cmi5 combines the structure of SCORM with the tracking flexibility of xAPI. It’s considered the emerging standard that may eventually replace SCORM for LMS-based content.
Why it matters for teachers: You don’t need to master cmi5 technically to mention it credibly — knowing it exists and roughly what problem it solves is often enough for early-career conversations.
What Is an LMS (Learning Management System)?
An LMS is software that hosts, delivers, and tracks training content — similar in concept to Google Classroom or Canvas, but built for corporate training rather than K-12 education.
Why it matters for teachers: If you’ve used Google Classroom, Canvas, or Schoology, you already understand the core function of an LMS. The corporate versions (Docebo, Cornerstone, SAP SuccessFactors) work on the same basic principle with more compliance and reporting features.
What Is an LXP (Learning Experience Platform)?
An LXP is a newer category of software focused on personalized, learner-driven content discovery — more like a Netflix-style recommendation experience than a traditional course catalog.
Why it matters for teachers: LXPs represent where the industry is heading — less rigid course assignment, more self-directed learning paths. Understanding this distinction helps in conversations about modern L&D strategy.
What Is an LCMS (Learning Content Management System)?
An LCMS is a system for creating, storing, and reusing learning content components — distinct from an LMS, which delivers and tracks content rather than helping build it.
Why it matters for teachers: Think of an LCMS as the authoring and content-library layer, and an LMS as the delivery and tracking layer. The two are often confused in job postings, so knowing the distinction helps you read requirements accurately.
Corporate L&D Concepts
What Is Andragogy?
Andragogy is the theory and practice of teaching adults, as distinct from pedagogy (teaching children). It emphasizes self-direction, relevance to real problems, and drawing on learners’ existing experience.
Why it matters for teachers: This is the single most important concept to understand before transitioning. Adult learners expect to know why they’re learning something and want it tied to an immediate, practical problem — a different dynamic than a K-12 classroom.
What Is Microlearning?
Microlearning delivers content in short, focused segments — typically 3 to 10 minutes — designed to teach one specific skill or concept rather than covering broad material in a single long session.
Why it matters for teachers: Microlearning rewards the same instinct behind a tight, single-objective lesson plan rather than a sprawling unit. It’s one of the most in-demand formats in corporate L&D in 2026.
What Are Job Aids?
Job aids are quick-reference tools — checklists, one-page guides, flowcharts — that support performance at the moment of need, rather than requiring someone to complete a full training course first.
Why it matters for teachers: Job aids are the corporate equivalent of an anchor chart or a reference sheet you’d give students. The instinct to build a simple, usable reference tool transfers directly.
What Is Performance Support?
Performance support refers to any tool or resource that helps someone do their job in the moment, as opposed to training that happens before the task. Job aids are one form of performance support.
Why it matters for teachers: This concept reflects a broader shift in L&D: solving performance problems doesn’t always mean building a course. Sometimes a simple tool at the point of need works better than formal training — a distinction hiring managers value seeing you understand.
What Is a Needs Analysis?
A needs analysis is the process of identifying the actual cause of a performance problem before designing a solution — determining whether the issue is a lack of knowledge, unclear expectations, poor tools, or something training can’t fix at all.
Why it matters for teachers: This is the corporate equivalent of diagnosing why a student is struggling before choosing an intervention. It’s considered one of the most valuable skills in L&D because it prevents building training that doesn’t solve the real problem.
Career Transition Terms
What Is a Storyboard (in Instructional Design)?
A storyboard is a slide-by-slide or screen-by-screen outline of an eLearning module before it’s built — showing what content, visuals, and interactions appear on each screen.
Why it matters for teachers: A storyboard is similar to a detailed lesson plan outline, but built for a self-paced digital module rather than a live classroom session. It’s typically the first deliverable in any portfolio project.
What Is an SME (Subject Matter Expert)?
An SME is the person with deep expertise in the content being trained on — often a specialist within a company — who the Instructional Designer interviews to gather accurate information for a course.
Why it matters for teachers: As a former teacher, you already have SME-level knowledge of your subject area. Understanding this term helps you see how ID roles rely on partnering with experts rather than knowing everything yourself.
What Are Instructional Objectives?
Instructional objectives are specific, measurable statements describing what a learner will be able to do after completing training — the corporate equivalent of a lesson’s learning objective.
Why it matters for teachers: If you’ve ever written “students will be able to…” at the top of a lesson plan, you’ve already written an instructional objective. This skill transfers with almost no adjustment needed.
What Is a Design Brief?
A design brief is a short document outlining a training project’s business problem, target audience, learning objectives, and proposed solution — used to align stakeholders before development begins.
Why it matters for teachers: A design brief is the first artifact hiring managers look for in a portfolio project. It demonstrates that you can think about a business problem strategically, not just build a nice-looking course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know all 40 of these terms before applying for L&D jobs?
No. Fluency in the core concepts — ADDIE, andragogy, needs analysis, and the difference between an LMS and an LXP — covers most early-career conversations. The rest can be learned as you encounter them in specific job postings or projects.
Which terms should I prioritize learning first?
ADDIE, andragogy, and needs analysis give you the most conversational credibility fastest. SCORM and LMS basics come next, since they appear in almost every entry-level job posting.
Is this glossary useful if I’m not planning to become an Instructional Designer specifically?
Yes. Most of these terms apply across the broader L&D field — Training and Development Specialist, Corporate Trainer, and L&D Specialist roles all use this same vocabulary, even if the day-to-day work differs.
Looking for a structured path to build your first L&D asset? Our 90-day teacher career transition plan walks through exactly how to apply these concepts to a real portfolio project — even with limited time and energy.