Academic Skills
Practical skills used for study, such as planning, note-taking, reading, writing, research, revision and managing assignments.
Try accommodation, executive function, literacy, UDL, assessment, processing, working memory, dyslexia, scaffolding or transition.
Showing all Learning Glossary terms A–Z.
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How to Use This Glossary
Learning language can vary between countries, education systems and professional settings. Some terms are used differently depending on context, so this glossary aims to give a clear starting point rather than pretend every word has only one possible meaning.
- Search for the word you have seen or heard.
- Use related terms to understand the wider idea.
- Check the relevant Aspie Answers hub when you need practical guidance rather than only a definition.
- Where terminology varies internationally, use the surrounding context to work out which meaning is intended.
A — Learning Terms
Accommodation
A change to the way learning, assessment, communication or participation happens so a person can access it more fairly.
Accessible Learning
Learning designed or adapted so barriers are reduced for people with different abilities, communication needs, sensory needs and ways of processing information.
Active Learning
Learning through doing, discussing, practising, solving problems, creating or applying information rather than only receiving it passively.
Adult Learning
Learning that happens in adulthood through formal study, training, work, community participation, interests or everyday life.
Alternative Format
Information presented in another form, such as audio, large print, simplified text, digital text, captions, diagrams or Easy Read.
Assessment
A way of gathering information about knowledge, skills, progress or support needs. Assessments may be formal or informal.
Assistive Technology
Technology that helps a person access, understand, communicate, organise or complete learning tasks, such as text-to-speech or speech-to-text.
Attention
The ability to direct mental focus toward information or a task. Attention can vary with interest, fatigue, sensory load and environment.
Auditory Processing
How the brain notices, organises and makes sense of sounds, including spoken language.
B — Learning Terms
Background Knowledge
Information and experience a learner already has that can help them understand new material.
Baseline
A starting measurement or description used to compare later progress or change.
Body Doubling
Doing a task alongside another person, physically or virtually, to support starting, focus or follow-through.
Brain Break
A short pause from focused learning that may include movement, rest, sensory regulation or a change of activity.
Burnout
A state of significant exhaustion and reduced capacity that can follow prolonged stress, overload or sustained demands.
C — Learning Terms
Captioning
Written text that represents spoken words and relevant sounds in video or live content.
Chunking
Breaking information or tasks into smaller, more manageable parts.
Classroom Accommodation
A classroom change that improves access, such as alternative seating, extra processing time, written instructions or reduced sensory load.
Cognitive Load
The amount of mental effort being used at one time. Too much unnecessary load can make learning harder.
Comprehension
Understanding the meaning of information rather than only recognising, repeating or decoding it.
Concept
A general idea or category used to organise and understand information.
Concept Map
A visual diagram that shows relationships between ideas, facts or topics.
Concrete Example
A specific real-world example used to make an abstract idea easier to understand.
Concentration
Sustained attention directed toward a task or source of information.
Curriculum
The planned content, skills and learning experiences offered within an education or training programme.
D — Learning Terms
Deadline
The date or time by which a task, assignment or other piece of work is expected to be completed.
Decoding
Working out written words by connecting letters and letter patterns with sounds and meaning.
Differentiation
Adjusting teaching, materials, tasks or support so learners can access the same broad learning goals in different ways.
Digital Accessibility
Designing digital content, tools and platforms so people with different access needs can use them.
Digital Learning
Learning delivered or supported through digital devices, online platforms, apps or electronic resources.
Distraction
Something that pulls attention away from the intended task or information.
Dyscalculia
A learning difference that can affect number sense, arithmetic, sequencing, time, measurement and other maths-related skills.
Dysgraphia
A learning difference that can affect handwriting, spelling, written expression or the physical process of writing.
Dyslexia
A learning difference commonly associated with difficulties in accurate or fluent word reading, spelling and written-language processing.
E — Learning Terms
Educational Access
The ability to participate meaningfully in education, learning materials, activities, communication and assessment.
Educational Setting
The environment where learning takes place, such as school, tertiary education, training, home, workplace or online learning.
Encoding
The process of taking in information and forming a memory of it.
Engagement
Active involvement, interest or participation in learning.
Executive Function
A group of mental processes involved in planning, starting tasks, working memory, organisation, time management, self-monitoring and switching attention.
Experiential Learning
Learning through direct experience, practice, reflection and applying what happened.
Explicit Instruction
Teaching that makes steps, expectations and explanations clear and direct rather than relying heavily on inference.
Extension Activity
An additional task that deepens, broadens or applies learning after the core task has been understood.
F — Learning Terms
Feedback
Information about performance, understanding or progress that can help a learner decide what to continue or change.
Flexible Learning
Learning that allows variation in timing, pace, format, place, method or participation where appropriate.
Fluency
The ability to perform a skill accurately, efficiently and with increasing ease, such as reading fluency.
Focus
Directed attention toward a task, idea or activity.
Formative Assessment
Assessment used during learning to check understanding and guide what to teach, practise or support next.
Foundation Skills
Core skills that support broader learning and participation, such as literacy, numeracy, communication and digital skills.
G — Learning Terms
Generalisation
Using a skill or understanding learned in one situation in a different task, place or context.
Goal
A desired learning outcome or future result.
Goal Setting
The process of deciding what someone wants to achieve and identifying realistic steps toward it.
Graphic Organiser
A visual tool for arranging information, such as a mind map, timeline, sequence chart or comparison table.
Growth Mindset
The idea that skills and understanding can develop through learning, practice, strategies and support. It should not be used to dismiss genuine barriers.
Guided Practice
Practising a new skill with examples, prompts, feedback or support before working more independently.
H — Learning Terms
Hands-On Learning
Learning through practical activity, making, experimenting, moving or direct experience.
High-Stakes Assessment
An assessment with significant consequences, such as a major exam, qualification requirement or selection decision.
Home Learning
Learning that takes place at home, whether formally, informally or as part of everyday life.
Homework
Learning tasks assigned to be completed outside the main teaching session.
Hyperfocus
A period of very intense focus on a task or interest that can make shifting attention difficult.
Hybrid Learning
A combination of in-person and online or remote learning.
I — Learning Terms
IEP / Individual Education Plan
A structured education plan used in some systems to document a learner's goals, needs, supports, accommodations and review points.
Independent Learning
Learning in which a person takes increasing responsibility for goals, planning, resources, strategies and asking for support.
Individual Learning Plan
A personalised plan that identifies learning goals, strengths, needs, strategies, supports and ways to review progress.
Information Processing
How information is taken in, organised, interpreted, stored and responded to.
Information Retrieval
Finding and accessing information from memory, notes, books, databases, websites or other sources.
Instruction
Direction or teaching intended to help someone understand or perform a task.
Instructional Scaffolding
Temporary structure or support that helps a learner complete a task while building greater independence.
Interest-Based Learning
Learning organised around meaningful interests to support engagement, curiosity and deeper understanding.
J — Learning Terms
Job-Related Learning
Learning connected with workplace expectations, procedures, safety, communication, systems and role-specific skills.
Journal
A written or digital record used to capture learning, reflections, questions, experiences or progress.
Journalling
Regularly recording ideas, learning, reflections or experiences to support thinking and review.
K — Learning Terms
Key Concept
An important idea that helps organise and understand a topic.
Key Word
An important word or search term connected with a topic.
Knowledge
Information, understanding and skills gained through learning or experience.
Knowledge Check
A brief activity used to see what has been understood or remembered.
Knowledge Transfer
Applying knowledge or skills from one context to another.
L — Learning Terms
Language for Learning
The words, sentence structures and communication patterns used to understand instructions, explanations and academic content.
Learner
A person who is gaining knowledge, understanding or skills in any setting.
Learning
The process of gaining or developing knowledge, skills, understanding, strategies or experience.
Learning Anxiety
Worry, fear or stress connected with learning, performance, assessment, mistakes or previous negative experiences.
Learning Difference
A broad term for differences in how a person takes in, processes, understands or expresses information.
Learning Disability
A term used differently across countries. In some contexts it refers to specific learning difficulties; in others it refers to intellectual disability. Aspie Answers clarifies context when using it.
Learning Environment
The physical, social, sensory and digital conditions in which learning happens.
Learning Goal
A clear statement of what a learner aims to understand, know or be able to do.
Learning Outcome
What a learner is expected to know, understand or demonstrate after a learning experience.
Learning Pathway
A route through learning options, topics, supports, settings or next steps.
Learning Plan
A structured outline of goals, strategies, resources, support and review points.
Learning Preference
A pattern in the formats or approaches a person tends to find more useful. It is not the same as a fixed 'learning style.'
Learning Support
Practical assistance, adjustments, strategies, teaching or resources that improve access to learning.
Lifelong Learning
Learning that continues across the lifespan through education, work, community life, interests and everyday experiences.
Literacy
Skills involved in reading, writing, understanding and communicating through written language.
M — Learning Terms
Maths Anxiety
Worry or stress associated with maths tasks, numbers, tests or past negative experiences.
Metacognition
Thinking about your own thinking and learning, including noticing which strategies help and when to change approach.
Memory
The processes involved in encoding, storing and retrieving information.
Memory Aid
An external tool that supports remembering, such as a checklist, reminder, note, calendar or visual cue.
Mind Map
A visual way of organising ideas around a central topic and showing connections.
Modelling
Demonstrating how a task, strategy or process works before expecting independent use.
Motivation
The forces that influence whether someone starts, continues or returns to an activity.
Multisensory Learning
Learning that deliberately uses more than one sensory channel, such as seeing, hearing, touching or movement.
Numeracy
The ability to understand and use numbers and mathematical ideas in learning and everyday life.
N — Learning Terms
Neurodivergence
A term describing ways of thinking, learning, sensing or processing that differ from dominant expectations, including autism and ADHD.
Neurodivergent Learning
Learning experiences shaped by neurodivergent strengths, needs, processing patterns, sensory experiences or executive-function differences.
Note-Taking
Recording key information in written, visual, audio or digital form for understanding and later review.
Numeracy
Understanding and using numbers, quantities, measurement, data and mathematical reasoning in practical contexts.
O — Learning Terms
Objective
A specific intended result or target for learning.
Online Learning
Learning delivered primarily through internet-connected platforms, digital resources or remote communication.
Organisation
Arranging materials, information, tasks and time so they are easier to access and manage.
Orientation
An introduction to a new course, setting, system, role or learning environment.
Overload
A state in which sensory, cognitive, emotional or task demands exceed available capacity.
P — Learning Terms
Pacing
Adjusting the speed, amount and timing of learning to match capacity and support sustainable participation.
Peer Learning
Learning with or from other learners through discussion, collaboration, practice or shared experience.
Planning
Deciding what needs to happen, in what order, with what resources and by when.
Plain Language
Communication that is organised, direct and easy for the intended audience to understand.
Practical Learning
Learning through real tasks, demonstrations, hands-on practice and applying skills.
Processing Speed
The amount of time a person needs to take in information, think and respond.
Processing Time
Time allowed to understand information, formulate a response or transition between tasks.
Progress Monitoring
Checking changes over time to see whether learning strategies, supports or goals are working.
Prompt
A cue or reminder that helps someone begin, continue or complete an action.
Proofreading
Reviewing written work to find and correct errors or improve clarity before it is finalised.
Q — Learning Terms
Qualification
A formally recognised award or credential showing that specified learning or assessment requirements have been met.
Questioning
Using questions to check understanding, stimulate thinking, gather information or encourage reflection.
Quiet Learning Space
An environment with reduced noise or other distractions that may make concentration and processing easier.
Quiz
A short set of questions used for practice, review or checking understanding.
R — Learning Terms
Reading Comprehension
Understanding, interpreting and making meaning from written text.
Reading Fluency
Reading with increasing accuracy, appropriate pace and smoothness.
Reasonable Adjustment
A change made to reduce a disability-related barrier and support more equitable participation.
Recall
Bringing previously learned information back to mind.
Reflection
Thinking back on an experience or learning process to identify understanding, challenges, progress or next steps.
Research
A structured process of finding, evaluating, organising and using information to answer a question or explore a topic.
Resource
Material or support used for learning, such as a guide, book, worksheet, video, app or person.
Retrieval Practice
Actively trying to recall information from memory as a way to strengthen learning.
Revision
Reviewing previously learned material to strengthen understanding and recall.
Rubric
A set of criteria describing how work or performance will be evaluated.
S — Learning Terms
Scaffolding
Temporary support that helps a learner complete a task or understand a concept while developing independence.
Self-Advocacy
Communicating your needs, rights, preferences, barriers and what support may help.
Self-Directed Learning
Learning in which a person takes a strong role in choosing goals, resources, pace and methods.
Sensory Load
The amount and intensity of sensory information a person is processing.
Sensory-Friendly Learning
Learning environments or methods that reduce avoidable sensory barriers.
Skill
An ability developed through learning, practice or experience.
Skill Building
The process of developing an ability through instruction, practice, feedback and application.
Spaced Practice
Revisiting learning over separated sessions rather than concentrating all study into one period.
Speech-to-Text
Technology that converts spoken words into written text.
Study Skills
Strategies for planning, reading, note-taking, revision, managing time, organising work and preparing for assessment.
Summative Assessment
Assessment used to judge learning at the end of a unit, course or period of study.
Support Plan
A document or agreed approach describing needs, strategies, adjustments, responsibilities and review arrangements.
T — Learning Terms
Task Analysis
Breaking a complex task into smaller steps so it can be taught, planned or completed more clearly.
Task Initiation
Beginning a task or action, especially when the first step is unclear, effortful or uninteresting.
Teaching Approach
A method or overall way of explaining, demonstrating, practising or supporting learning.
Test Adjustment
A change to assessment conditions, such as extra time, rest breaks, alternative format or a quieter room, where appropriate.
Text-to-Speech
Technology that reads digital text aloud.
Time Management
Planning and using time for tasks, deadlines, breaks and transitions.
Training
Structured learning intended to develop practical, vocational, professional or role-specific skills.
Transfer of Learning
Using knowledge or skills learned in one situation in a new or different situation.
Transition
A change from one task, setting, stage, programme or role to another.
Tutor
A person who provides individual or small-group teaching, guidance or learning support.
U — Learning Terms
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
A framework for designing learning with multiple ways to engage, access information and demonstrate learning.
Understanding
Making sense of information, ideas or experiences rather than simply remembering them.
Unstructured Learning Time
A period in which learners have significant choice or limited external structure and may need to organise their own activity.
Upskilling
Developing additional or more advanced skills, often for work, study or changing responsibilities.
V — Learning Terms
Verbal Instruction
Information or directions given through spoken language.
Visual Aid
A visual item used to support understanding, such as a diagram, chart, image, example or symbol.
Visual Schedule
A sequence of activities, tasks or events shown visually.
Visual Support
A visual tool that helps make information, expectations, choices, sequences or routines clearer.
Vocabulary
The words a person understands or uses, including subject-specific terminology.
Vocational Learning
Learning connected with work, trades, careers, practical skills or employment preparation.
W — Learning Terms
Work-Based Learning
Learning that takes place through real or simulated work tasks, placements, apprenticeships or workplace training.
Working Memory
The ability to hold and use a small amount of information in mind while completing a task.
Workload
The amount and complexity of work expected within a period of time.
Workplace Learning
Learning procedures, systems, communication, safety, role expectations and new skills in a work setting.
Writing Support
Strategies, tools or adjustments that help with planning, composing, spelling, handwriting, typing or editing written work.
X — Learning Terms
xAPI / Experience API
A technical standard used by some digital-learning systems to record learning activities and experiences across different platforms.
Y — Learning Terms
Young Adult Learning
Learning, training and transition support for young adults moving beyond school.
Youth Transition
The move from school into tertiary education, training, employment, community participation or greater independence.
Your Learning Profile
A practical description of your strengths, barriers, preferences, support needs and strategies that tend to help.
Z — Learning Terms
Zone of Proximal Development
A learning-theory concept describing tasks a person cannot yet do independently but may be able to do with appropriate guidance or support.
Zones for Learning
Different spaces, routines or conditions intentionally used for focus, collaboration, movement, creativity, rest or recovery.
From Definitions to Useful Pathways
A glossary explains language. When you need practical strategies, support, resources or deeper information, use the related pathways below.
Learning Topics A–Z
Browse learning subjects, strategies, access and support alphabetically.
Browse Learning TopicsLearning Support Pathways
Practical help for study, planning, reading, writing, focus and accessibility.
Explore Learning SupportLearning & Neurodivergence
Explore strengths, barriers, sensory needs, executive function and neurodivergent learning experiences.
Explore the PathwayEducation Hub
For formal education, learning settings, teaching, participation and education pathways.
Education HubKnowledge & Learning Library
Browse explainers, educational material and curated learning content.
Open the LibrarySitewide Glossaries
Find terminology from other Aspie Answers subject areas.
Browse Glossaries & DefinitionsTerms Can Change Across Settings
Learning and education terminology is not always universal. For example, learning disability can mean different things in different countries, while words such as accommodation, reasonable adjustment, special education and learning support may be defined by local systems or law. This glossary provides accessible general explanations; when a term affects formal eligibility, assessment, rights or services, check the rules that apply in your location and setting.
Clearer Language Can Make Learning Easier to Navigate
Understanding the words used around learning can make it easier to ask questions, explain needs, compare options and find the right support.