The training world is full of technical terms. Some are easy to interpret but some are slightly obscure. Here are 10 terms that commonly pop up when discussing digital and printed training materials.
1. Copy-editing
The term for the process in which editors amend supplied text at a variety of levels, from simple spelling and grammar correction to major re-writing.
2. Drag and drop
A type of activity in which an elearning user uses their mouse to move an object by:
- Clicking/tapping and holding an object
- Moving the object
- Releasing the object to drop it in a new position
3. FSST
(Also ‘fold’, ‘saddle-stitch and trim’, or ‘saddle-stitched’.) A finishing style in which pages are printed side-by-side on wide sheets, which are then folded one inside the other and stapled or stitched down the spine, creating a soft booklet.
4. Gloss encapsulate
Encapsulation means covering and sealing printed paper or board with a tough, waterproof but very thin polyester film. This gives a great finish and helps to make your product more robust and longer-lasting. There is a range of thicknesses, allowing greater or lesser flexibility: the standard is 125-127 microns.
5. Gloss laminate
In lamination we apply a very thin (usually 12-13 micron) film of oriented polypropylene to one or both sides of the paper. The finish can range from silky matte to high gloss.
6. LMS
A software application that delivers elearning programmes and administers, tracks and reports learners’ progress. With our technical partners, Ashford can provide or externally host your LMS.
7. Loose-leaf
In this binding method, loose pages are drilled with two or four holes so that they fit into a ring binder.
8. Navigation controls
The elements of an elearning module allowing the learner to move through the course. For example: ‘Next’ button, ‘Previous’ button, etc.
9. Storyboard
This is the ‘writer’s draft’ in elearning. Our learning developer will set out the text, suggestions for activities, descriptions of flow and navigation, and some images for your module before developing it. The storyboard gives you an idea of how each screen might look. Ideally – as with the writer’s draft – you should broadly sign off the content and approach at storyboard stage, before we go into production.
10. Style pages
These are the sample pages we send you if we’re designing and laying out a new project for you. They often include several designs, and include colours, sample text and images.