Glossary
Shared definitions for terms used throughout the ELIXIR-GOBLET Train-the-Trainer (TtT) handbook. Each entry has a permanent anchor - link to it with glossary.md#slug for now (while sections live in separate files); once everything is merged into one handbook file, the same anchors keep working, just within that single file.
Adding a new term: check here first to avoid redefining something that already has an entry. Add new entries in alphabetical order, and link back to this glossary the first time a term appears in a new section.
Active learning
Anything course-related that all learners in a session are called upon to do, other than simply watching, listening, and taking notes. Contrasts with lecturing (teacher-centred, unidirectional); associated with better retention and broader ability to apply knowledge.
First introduced in: Part II - From Lecturing to Active Learning
Assessment
Judging or estimating the amount, value, quality, or importance of something - in a training context, a learner’s current knowledge, progress, or performance, or the quality of the teaching itself. Bidirectional: used by instructors to gauge learners, and by learners to gauge the course, the instructor, and the materials. Split by timing into formative and summative assessment.
First introduced in: Part I - Introduction and Learning Outcomes
Backward Instructional Design
A course-design approach that starts from the destination (Learning Outcomes) and works backward: select Learning Experiences aligned with those outcomes, then determine the content needed to support them, then plan formative assessment, then evaluate achievement. The opposite of traditional, content-first design. When every activity, piece of content, and assessment directly supports the Learning Outcomes, this is sometimes called “constructive alignment.”
First introduced in: Part IV - Backward Instructional Design
Bloom’s Taxonomy
A framework describing six hierarchical categories of cognitive skill, from lower- to higher-order thinking: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create. Each level pairs with a set of observable, assessable action verbs, making it a practical tool for writing Learning Outcomes, designing learning experiences, and assessing whether learning occurred. Addresses cognitive complexity - an independent dimension from the Dreyfus model’s learner developmental stage.
First introduced in: Part VIII - Model 3: Bloom’s Taxonomy
Chunking
A strategy for managing working memory’s limited capacity: alternating short theoretical stretches with practical ones (or, more generally, grouping information into meaningful units) so learners have room to process and consolidate before the next load arrives.
First introduced in: Part VI - Model 1: Working Memory and Long-Term Memory
Cognitive load
The mental effort a learner is expending at a given moment. Comes in three types: intrinsic (inherent to the topic’s own complexity, not removable), germane (the desirable effort of linking new and existing knowledge - this is learning itself), and extraneous (effort wasted on how information happens to be presented, rather than on the content itself - this is the type worth eliminating).
First introduced in: Part VI - Model 1: Working Memory and Long-Term Memory
Concept map
A graphical strategy for organizing and representing knowledge, combining concepts (nodes) with the relationships between them (edges, often carrying a linking phrase like “leads to” or “requires”). Invented by Joseph D. Novak in 1972; used both to plan course content and to reduce it, by revealing which concepts are core versus peripheral.
First introduced in: Part V - Concept Maps and Content Reduction
Evidence-based principle
A research-backed guideline that crystallises one specific, well-supported aspect of how students learn - derived from rigorous studies in education, psychology, neuroscience, and related fields, rather than from opinion or tradition.
First introduced in: Part III - Landscape of Learning Theories
Expert blind spot
The tendency of an experienced instructor to lose sight of the gaps and difficulties a novice actually faces, because the component skills or knowledge involved feel too obvious to need mentioning.
First introduced in: Part IV - Eight Evidence-Based Principles of Learning (P5)
Feedup, Feedback, Feedforward
Three interconnected types of feedback, each answering a different question: Feedup (where are we going? - sets the target level), Feedback (where are we now? - the gap between current and target performance), and Feedforward (how do we close the gap? - concrete next steps).
First introduced in: Part VI - Feedback Mechanisms and Giving Good Feedback
Flipped classroom
A Learning Experience that moves direct instruction outside class time: learners prepare beforehand using specific materials tied to specific Learning Outcomes, then use in-class time to apply and discuss that knowledge through activities, with follow-up afterward to check understanding and extend learning.
First introduced in: Part III - Choosing the Right Teaching Practice
Formative assessment
Ongoing feedback and evaluation that happens during the learning process, rather than only at the end - ideally every 15-20 minutes in a training session. Lets both learner and trainer catch and correct course before it’s too late to matter. Contrast with a final/summative test.
First introduced in: Part IV - Backward Instructional Design
GOBLET skills matrix
A framework, developed by GOBLET (the Global Organisation for Bioinformatics Learning, Education and Training), describing four skill areas a good trainer should develop: Communication, Planning & Management, Engagement, and Expertise & Knowledge. Not every trainer needs every skill equally - the point is awareness of where you stand in each area.
First introduced in: Part I - Introduction and Learning Outcomes
Growth mindset
The belief that intelligence, abilities, and talents are learnable and can improve through effort - contrasted with a fixed mindset, which treats the same traits as stable and unchangeable. Communicating a growth mindset helps learners attribute setbacks to controllable factors (effort, strategy) rather than to fixed traits, supporting motivation to persist.
First introduced in: Part IV - Motivation: Value, Expectancy, and Environment
Kirkpatrick-Katzell four levels
A framework for evaluating overall course effectiveness across four levels: Reaction (how did learners feel about the training?), Learning (what did they actually learn?), Behavior (are they applying it?), and Results (what impact does this have on their work or organization?).
First introduced in: Part IV - Backward Instructional Design
KSA framework
A framework specifying which kind of competence a Learning Outcome targets: Knowledge (theoretical and practical understanding), Skills (practical application of that knowledge), and Abilities (the capacity to actually perform a task). One of three frameworks (alongside Bloom’s Taxonomy and SMART) recommended for writing good Learning Outcomes.
First introduced in: Part II - Learning Outcomes: Three Frameworks
Learning Experience (LE)
What a learner actually does that supports achieving a Learning Outcome - the concrete activity, not just the content. The central design question is always whether a given Learning Experience is genuinely aligned with its Learning Outcome; if not, either the LE or the LO needs revising.
First introduced in: Part III - Syllabus and Learning Experiences
Learning model
A specific, actionable framework that translates a learning theory’s insights into a structure that can be applied directly when designing or delivering instruction. If a learning theory is a blueprint, a learning model is the step-by-step instructions for building from it.
First introduced in: Part III - Landscape of Learning Theories
Learning Outcomes (LOs)
Learner-centric statements describing the knowledge, skills, and abilities a learner should be able to demonstrate once instruction is complete - the tangible evidence that something was actually achieved. Contrast with Teaching Goals.
First introduced in: Part I - Introduction and Learning Outcomes
Learning strategy
A concrete, deliberate technique a learner or trainer can use to make learning more effective - e.g. spaced practice, retrieval practice, or dual coding.
First introduced in: Part III - Landscape of Learning Theories
Learning theory
A broad, explanatory framework for why and how learning occurs in general. There is no single universal learning theory; many coexist, each capturing different aspects of the picture.
First introduced in: Part III - Landscape of Learning Theories
Lesson plan
An instructor-facing, segment-by-segment roadmap for delivering one lesson or session: for each segment, its time, Teaching Goal, Learning Outcome, activity, description, and materials. Dynamic and adaptable, unlike a Syllabus, which stays relatively fixed across an entire course.
First introduced in: Part VII - Developing Content and the Lesson Plan
Long-term memory
A vast memory store where information can be retained for extended periods - days to a lifetime. Holds the foundational knowledge and skills that all further learning builds on. Contrast with Working memory.
First introduced in: Part VI - Model 1: Working Memory and Long-Term Memory
Mental model
A simplified internal representation people use to understand, interpret, and navigate some part of the world - a subject, a discipline, a system. Novices typically haven’t built one yet for a given field; competent practitioners have one that works for everyday purposes but isn’t very accurate; experts have densely connected ones, which is why they can often jump straight from a problem to its solution.
First introduced in: Part VII - Model 2: The Dreyfus Model and Mental Models
Metacognition
Thinking about one’s own thinking - planning, monitoring, and evaluating one’s own approach to learning, and adjusting it when it isn’t working. Central to becoming a self-directed learner.
First introduced in: Part IV - Eight Evidence-Based Principles of Learning (P8)
Misconception
Inaccurate prior knowledge that can impede new learning. Misconceptions come in three broad types, in roughly increasing order of difficulty to fix: simple factual errors, broken models (a flawed underlying mental structure), and fundamental beliefs (tied to a learner’s identity or worldview).
First introduced in: Part IV - Eight Evidence-Based Principles of Learning (P2)
Motivation
Personal investment in reaching a desired outcome; generates, directs, and sustains what a learner does to learn. Depends on three pillars - value, expectancy of self-efficacy, and a supportive environment - and can only be influenced, not controlled, by a trainer, since learning results only from what learners themselves do and think.
First introduced in: Part IV - Motivation: Value, Expectancy, and Environment
Parking lot (technique)
A content-reduction technique: map out everything you initially think should be included, keep only what directly supports your Learning Outcomes, and set the rest aside as optional extension material for learners who move faster or want to go deeper - rather than cutting it entirely or cramming it in.
First introduced in: Part V - Concept Maps and Content Reduction
Peer instruction
A Learning Experience in which learners instruct and teach each other, typically 1-to-1: a new topic is introduced, followed by a multiple-choice activity, with corrections handled by learners explaining their reasoning to one another rather than solely by the trainer.
First introduced in: Part III - Choosing the Right Teaching Practice
Permanence
A defining feature of learning: a change only counts as learning if it lasts. Something held in mind only briefly (e.g. a one-time access code) does not qualify, no matter how accurately it was recalled in the moment.
First introduced in: Part II - How Learning Works: Fundamental Concepts
Product/process assessment
Two things an assessment can focus on: the product (the tangible final outcome a learner produces - a project, an exam, a painting) or the process (how a learner engages with the learning experience - attitudes, problem-solving, progress over time). The product shows achievement; the process reveals growth and effort. Ideally, assess both.
First introduced in: Part IV - How and What to Assess
SMART framework
A framework for defining what’s expected of learners: Specific (unambiguous), Measurable (trackable progress), Achievable (challenging but within reach), Relevant (aligned with educational or professional goals), and Time-bound (a clear timeline). One of three frameworks (alongside Bloom’s Taxonomy and KSAs) recommended for writing good Learning Outcomes.
First introduced in: Part II - Learning Outcomes: Three Frameworks
Split-attention effect
A source of extraneous cognitive load that occurs when a learner must process multiple sources of information separated in space or time - e.g. looking back and forth between a diagram and its legend, or between slide text and spoken narration - forcing working memory to hold and integrate information from different places at once.
First introduced in: Part VI - Model 1: Working Memory and Long-Term Memory
Summative assessment
Assessment usually linked to grading, determining a learner’s achievement of a Learning Outcome at the end of an instructional period; also used to measure a course’s overall adequacy, quality, and long-term impact. Contrast with formative assessment, which happens continuously during the learning process rather than as an endpoint.
First introduced in: Part II - What Is Assessment?
Syllabus
A student-facing, relatively fixed document covering an entire course or subject: its topics, Learning Outcomes, grading, and required materials. Complements a lesson plan, which covers one session in operational detail and stays flexible.
First introduced in: Part III - Syllabus and Learning Experiences
Teaching Goals (TGs)
Instructor-centric statements describing a trainer’s intentions - the actions, environment, or process the trainer sets up to help learners reach the Learning Outcomes. Also called Teaching Objectives. Contrast with Learning Outcomes.
First introduced in: Part I - Introduction and Learning Outcomes
Three pillars of motivation
Value (a goal’s subjective importance), expectancy of self-efficacy (belief one can succeed), and environment (a supportive or unsupportive classroom climate). All three must be present for fully motivated behavior; weakness in any one produces a recognisably different learner state (rejecting, hopeless, fragile, evading, or defiant).
First introduced in: Part IV - Motivation: Value, Expectancy, and Environment
TtT
Shorthand used throughout this handbook for the ELIXIR-GOBLET Train-the-Trainer course.
First introduced in: Part I - Introduction and Learning Outcomes
Working memory
A temporary system that holds and manipulates information for short periods - seconds to minutes - but only a small number of items at a time (typically 4-7). Where conscious “thinking” happens, and the bottleneck information must pass through before it can reach long-term memory. Contrast with Long-term memory.
First introduced in: Part VI - Model 1: Working Memory and Long-Term Memory
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
A concept from Vygotsky describing the gap between what a learner can do independently (the comfort zone) and what’s completely out of reach even with support. The ZPD itself - tasks achievable with support - is where appropriate challenge, and self-efficacy, actually develop.
First introduced in: Part IV - Motivation: Value, Expectancy, and Environment
Patricia Palagi
SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics / ELIXIR Switzerland