What is professional development?

The 70-20-10 model is a learning framework stating that development comes from three sources: 70% from hands-on experience on the job, 20% from social learning such as feedback and coaching, and 10% from formal training like courses and workshops.

Adaptive learning is an approach that adjusts learning content and pathways based on individual learner behavior, performance, and needs.

The ADDIE model is a five-phase framework for designing training: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. It gives L&D teams a structured way to build onboarding, compliance, and skills training that meets real business needs.

AI in learning is the use of artificial intelligence to personalize, recommend, and improve learning experiences. It analyzes learner data, suggests relevant content, automates admin tasks, and speeds up content creation, making training more efficient and adaptive.

Andragogy is the theory and practice of how adults learn, popularized by Malcolm Knowles. Adults learn best when training is self-directed, builds on their experience and solves real problems, which makes andragogy the foundation of effective workplace learning.

Asynchronous learning is training that participants complete on their own schedule, without a live instructor: e-learning courses, videos, and discussions. It gives flexibility across time zones and lets everyone learn at their own pace.

Blended learning is an approach that combines digital learning with in-person or live experiences. It mixes formats like e-learning, workshops, and discussions to create a cohesive, flexible, and engaging learning journey.

Bloom's taxonomy is a framework that classifies learning into six cognitive levels: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. L&D teams use it to write clear learning objectives and design workplace training that goes beyond memorizing facts.

Career pathing means mapping out clear internal routes for how employees can grow, vertically or sideways, and pairing each step with the skills and learning it requires. It turns vague career talk into concrete development plans.

Certification management is the process of issuing, tracking, renewing, and reporting certifications to ensure learners meet required standards.

cmi5 is a modern e-learning standard that combines SCORM's course structure with xAPI's flexible, detailed tracking. The LMS launches Assignable Units and results are reported as xAPI statements to a Learning Record Store. cmi5 is widely seen as the natural successor to SCORM.

A competency framework, also called a competency model, is a structured model that defines the skills, behaviors, and knowledge employees need to succeed in specific roles. It guides hiring, development, performance, and long-term talent planning.

Competency mapping is the process of identifying and documenting the skills, knowledge, and behaviors required for specific roles or functions within an organization.

Compliance training teaches employees the laws, regulations, and internal policies they must follow to ensure safety, ethics, and legal compliance. It helps organizations reduce risk and build a responsible, trustworthy workplace.

Constructivist learning theory says that people build knowledge actively by connecting new information to what they already know, rather than passively receiving it. Rooted in the work of Piaget and Vygotsky, it is the case for hands-on, experience-based workplace training.

Content authoring is the process of creating learning content, such as courses, modules, videos, quizzes, and interactive activities.

Continuous learning is the ongoing process of regularly building new skills, knowledge, and insights to stay adaptable and effective over time. It happens through formal training and everyday experiences and helps people and organizations grow in a changing world of work.

Corporate training is all organized learning a company provides for its employees, from onboarding and compliance training to leadership development. Its purpose is to close the gap between current skills and business needs, typically owned by HR or L&D.

Customer and partner training provides external audiences - such as clients, resellers, and collaborators - with the knowledge they need to use a product or service effectively. It strengthens relationships, boosts adoption, and supports long-term success.

Digital badges are shareable, verifiable credentials that recognize specific skills, achievements, or learning milestones. Built on the Open Badges standard, each badge carries embedded data about issuer, criteria, and date, so anyone can verify what it represents.

EdTech (educational technology) is the digital tools, platforms and software used to support teaching, learning and training. It ranges from LMS and LXP platforms to authoring tools, video and AI assistants, in both education and the workplace.

E-learning refers to learning delivered through digital technology, typically online. It offers flexible, scalable training through formats like videos, quizzes, and digital courses, allowing learners to learn at their own pace.

The employee journey is the complete experience an employee has with an organization - from recruitment and onboarding to development and offboarding. It includes every touchpoint that shapes how employees feel, perform, and grow throughout their time at the company.

The forgetting curve, first described by Hermann Ebbinghaus, shows how quickly new information fades from memory without reinforcement. Memory drops fastest right after learning, then levels off. Well-timed repetition flattens the curve.

Formative assessment is the practice of checking understanding while learning is in progress, through low-stakes quizzes, polls, and knowledge checks. At work, it helps L&D teams adjust onboarding and training programs before small gaps become real problems.

Gamification is the use of game elements such as points, badges, levels and challenges in non-game contexts like training, to increase motivation and engagement. In learning, it turns passive content into interactive experiences that boost participation and retention.

Hard skills are teachable, measurable abilities tied to a specific task or profession, such as accounting, coding or operating machinery. They are typically learned through training and verified with tests or certifications.

Hybrid learning is a model where in-person and remote participants learn together in real time. It blends classroom and virtual attendance into a single experience, supported by technology to keep all learners engaged and included.

Instructional design is the systematic process of creating effective, engaging learning experiences: analyzing learner needs, defining goals, and designing content and activities that lead to lasting skills. Common models include ADDIE and SAM.

Job shadowing is a structured learning method where an employee follows an experienced colleague through their workday to see how the job is actually done. It is widely used in onboarding, cross-training and career development.

The Kirkpatrick Model is a framework for evaluating training effectiveness across four levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. It helps you measure how training is received, what is learned, how it is applied at work, and the business impact it creates.

A knowledge check is a short, low-stakes quiz inside a course that helps participants confirm they have understood the material. Unlike graded tests, knowledge checks support learning with instant feedback rather than assessing it with scores.

Knowledge management is the practice of capturing, organizing, sharing, and maintaining knowledge within an organization.

Learning analytics is the practice of collecting and analyzing data about learners and learning experiences, such as engagement, completion rates, and test results, to improve training effectiveness, personalize learning, and support better decisions.

Learning and Development (L&D), also called training and development, is the organizational function that builds employees' skills, knowledge, and capabilities through training programs and continuous development. Its goal is to support performance, growth, and long-term organizational success.

Learning automation uses technology to automatically manage repetitive learning tasks - such as enrollments, reminders, and reporting. It helps organizations deliver training at scale, ensures smooth learning workflows, and creates timely, seamless experiences for learners.

A learning culture is a workplace environment where continuous learning, curiosity, and knowledge sharing are a natural part of everyday work. Organizations with a strong learning culture treat mistakes as opportunities to learn and value personal growth as highly as business results.

Learning experience design (LXD) is the practice of designing engaging, learner-centered learning experiences. It combines instructional design, user experience, storytelling, and technology to shape how learning feels and keep participants motivated from start to finish.

Learning governance is the set of roles, processes, and standards that ensure learning is consistent, compliant, and aligned with business goals.

Learning in the flow of work refers to learning that happens naturally during daily tasks, supported by tools and resources available at the moment of need.

A learning journey is the structured path a learner follows over time, connecting courses, practice, coaching and reflection into one coherent experience. It gives direction and progression, turning isolated training moments into continuous development.

A learning maturity model is a framework that helps organizations assess and improve how effectively they design, deliver, and measure learning over time.

Learning metrics are data points used to measure the effectiveness of learning programs - such as engagement, completion, retention, and skill development. They help organizations evaluate impact, improve training, and connect learning to business outcomes.

A learning path is a structured sequence of learning activities designed to help learners build skills and knowledge progressively toward a specific goal.

Learning transfer refers to how effectively learners apply newly acquired knowledge and skills in their actual work or real-life situations.

An LXP (Learning Experience Platform) is a learner-centric system that personalizes and recommends learning content based on individual interests and goals. Unlike an admin-driven LMS, an LXP offers a flexible, social learning experience powered by curated and AI-driven content.

Microcredentials are small, focused certifications that verify specific skills or knowledge. They provide quick, targeted recognition for learning achievements and are often used to support upskilling and career mobility.

Microlearning (micro learning) is a learning approach that delivers short, focused lessons teaching one concept or skill at a time. Sessions typically take two to ten minutes, improve retention, and fit easily into busy workdays.

Modular learning is an approach where training content is broken into independent, reusable modules, each covering one topic or skill. Modules can be combined into flexible learning paths, making modular training easier to personalize, scale, and update than traditional monolithic courses.

Nanolearning is ultra-short training delivered in under two minutes: a quick video, tip, or flashcard focused on one single learning objective. It gives employees just-in-time knowledge in the flow of work and complements deeper formats like microlearning and courses.

Offboarding is the process of supporting employees as they leave an organization through steps like knowledge transfer, exit interviews, and administrative handover. It ensures a smooth, respectful transition and helps maintain positive relationships after departure.

Performance learning focuses on developing skills and knowledge that directly improve on-the-job performance and business results.

Personalized learning tailors content, recommendations, and pathways to an individual’s role, goals, skill level, and learning preferences.

Preboarding is the period between a new hire signing their contract and their first workday. It includes activities that welcome, inform, and prepare employees early, helping them feel connected, confident, and ready before onboarding begins.

Reboarding is the structured process of reintroducing employees to their organization after a longer absence or major change, such as parental leave, sick leave, or a new internal role. It helps returning employees regain confidence, context, and productivity faster.

Reskilling is the process of learning entirely new skills to move into a different role or career path. It enables individuals to adapt to changing job demands and helps organizations redeploy talent effectively during times of transformation.

ROI of training measures the financial return an organization gains from its learning initiatives by comparing training costs with benefits such as productivity, performance, or reduced turnover. It helps demonstrate the business value of investing in employee development.

Scenario-based learning is an approach where learners engage with realistic situations and make decisions to solve problems or navigate challenges. It provides a safe, immersive way to practice real-life skills and apply knowledge in context.

SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is a technical standard that makes e-learning content work in any compatible LMS. SCORM-compliant courses can be moved between platforms and track completion, scores, and progress in a consistent, reliable way.

A skills gap analysis compares the skills your organization needs with the skills it actually has, on team or individual level. The result shows exactly where to focus training, recruitment and development, so learning budgets go where they matter most.

Skills management is the process of identifying, tracking, and developing the skills an organization needs to reach its goals. It gives HR and L&D teams a living map of who knows what, reveals skill gaps, and supports targeted employee development.

A skills taxonomy is a structured classification of skills that organizes and groups capabilities across an organization in a consistent way.

Social learning theory, developed by Albert Bandura, says that people learn by observing, imitating and modeling others. In the workplace it explains why colleagues, mentors and role models shape behavior more than formal instruction alone.

Soft skills are interpersonal and behavioural abilities such as communication, collaboration, adaptability and problem solving. They shape how people work together and apply across every role, industry and career stage.

Spaced repetition is a learning technique where content is reviewed at gradually increasing intervals. Each review strengthens the memory just as it starts to fade, moving knowledge into long-term memory with less total study time.

A subject matter expert (SME) is a person with deep knowledge of a specific domain, process or tool. In L&D, subject matter experts provide the expertise that instructional designers turn into accurate, relevant courses.

Succession planning is the structured process of identifying business-critical roles and preparing employees to step into them. By combining skills gap analysis with targeted learning paths, you make sure knowledge and leadership stay in the organization when key people move on.

Summative assessment measures learning outcomes at the end of a course or program, typically through a final test, graded assignment, or certification. In workplace training, it verifies that participants meet the requirements for compliance, certification, or a new role.

Synchronous learning is training where participants and instructor take part at the same time, in a classroom or a live online session. It offers real-time interaction, immediate feedback, and shared momentum in the group.

Talent management is the strategy for attracting, developing and retaining the people your organization needs to reach its goals. It covers the whole employee lifecycle, with learning and development at its core: people stay where they grow.

Technical skills are the practical abilities needed to work with technology, tools, systems and methods, from data analysis and programming to operating specialised equipment. They are a subset of hard skills and can be trained and tested.

Train the trainer is a model where internal experts are certified to deliver training to their colleagues. Knowledge cascades from a master trainer to internal trainers and on to participants, making training scalable and consistent across the organization.

Transferable skills are abilities that keep their value when you move between roles, teams or industries, such as communication, problem solving, project management and data literacy. They include both soft and hard skills.

Upskilling means developing and deepening the skills you already have, so you can perform better in your current role and meet future demands. For organizations, it is a way to build internal talent, close skill gaps and stay competitive as roles evolve.

Vocational training is practical, job-focused education that teaches the specific skills needed to perform a role, from technical procedures to safety certifications. In a corporate context it covers structured, hands-on training that makes employees competent and compliant at work.

AICC is a legacy e-learning standard from 1993, created by the Aviation Industry CBT Committee. It lets courses report completion, score, and time to an LMS over HTTP. The committee dissolved in 2014, but the standard lives on in older content and systems.

A learning management system (LMS) is software for creating, delivering, managing, and tracking training across an organization. It gives admins control, instructors authoring tools, and learners a clear experience, from onboarding to compliance to skills development.

A learning record store (LRS) is a database that receives, stores, and shares xAPI statements about learning activities. It works inside an LMS or standalone, and it is required for xAPI and cmi5 tracking.

Onboarding is the structured process of bringing someone new into an organization: a new employee, a new customer or a new partner. It runs from first contact and preboarding through training and relationship-building to full integration, and it shapes whether that person stays and succeeds.

xAPI (Experience API) is an e-learning standard that records learning experiences as simple statements: actor, verb, object. Data is stored in a Learning Record Store (LRS), so you can track learning far beyond the LMS: simulations, offline training, and informal learning.