Glossary

Active Time

The amount of time a learner is actively viewing learning content.

Active Time is tracked while the relevant learning page is active and visible and can be used for engagement reporting.

Admin

A user with access to the CMS.

Administrators can manage learning content, learners, Organizations and other platform data depending on their permissions. CMS Administrator accounts are separate from learner User accounts.

Bookmark

A Module saved by a learner so they can easily return to it later.

Certificate

A digital record of achievement awarded when a learner completes an eligible Course or Learning Path.

CMS

Content Management System

The administrative area of Shapeshift, built on Strapi.

The CMS is used to manage learning content, learners, Organizations, enrollments, notifications and other platform data.

Cohort

The underlying Shapeshift structure used to organize groups of Users.

A top-level Cohort is normally presented to clients as an Organization, while child Cohorts are presented as Sub-Groups.

You may still encounter the term Cohort in URLs or some areas of the CMS.

Course

A structured learning experience made up of Modules.

Course Enrollment

The record connecting a learner to a Course.

It tracks information such as progress, enrollment, start and completion.

Course Library

A learner-facing catalog where available Courses can be discovered and, where permitted, self-enrolled.

The Course Library is separate from the learner's Dashboard, which shows learning they are already enrolled in.

Course Progress

The percentage of required Modules in a Course that a learner has completed.

Optional Modules are excluded from the Course completion percentage.

Curriculum

The ordered structure of Modules within a Course.

A curriculum can also contain Sections used to visually organize Modules for learners.

Draft and Publish

A CMS workflow that allows administrators to prepare changes to supported content before publishing those changes to learners.

Dynamic Content

Reusable components that can be combined to create richer learning or marketing content.

Examples include text and image layouts, videos, accordions, reveals and other interactive content. Available components depend on the content type and platform configuration.

Enrollment

The relationship between a learner and learning content assigned or made available to them.

Shapeshift uses different enrollment records to manage access, progress and completion.

Group

The underlying Shapeshift content type used for Learning Paths.

Although Learning Path is the standard client-facing terminology, you may still encounter Group  in CMS URLs, technical references or some older areas of the platform.

A Group should not be confused with an Organization or Sub-Group. Organizations and Sub-Groups organize people, while Learning Paths/Groups organize learning content.

Impersonation

An administrative tool that allows an authorized CMS Administrator to open the LMS as a particular learner.

This is useful for support and troubleshooting because the administrator can see the learner's experience directly.

Learning Path

A collection of Courses grouped into a wider learning journey.

Learning Paths can use freeform or linear progression and can optionally award their own Certificate.

Some implementations may use different client-facing terminology for Learning Paths.

See also Group, the underlying technical term used by Shapeshift.

Lesson

A Module used to deliver learning content such as text, video, images, downloads and Dynamic Content.

LMS

Learning Management System

The learner-facing part of Shapeshift where Users access Courses, complete learning activities and track their progress.

Management Dashboard

The front-end management area used by Organization Owners to manage learners and view reporting without requiring access to the CMS.

Available functionality depends on the platform's configuration.

Media Library

The central CMS library used to store and reuse uploaded images, documents and other supported files.

Module

An individual learning activity within a Course.

Standard Module types include Lessons, Quizzes, SCORM Content, Surveys and Webinars.

Module Enrollment

The record connecting a learner to a particular Module within a Course.

It records information such as whether the Module has been started or completed.

Note

A private note created by a learner while completing learning content.

Notes are private to the learner, can be collected in the Notes Library, and can include timestamps when used with supported video content.

Notification

An automated email triggered by an event or scheduled condition, such as enrollment, registration or an approaching due date.

Notifications are configured by administrators in the CMS.

Optional Module

A Module that is available to a learner but is not required for Course completion.

Optional Modules are excluded from the Course completion percentage and do not prevent Course completion.

Organization

A collection of learners and Organization Owners within a Shapeshift Portal.

Organizations are used to manage membership, access and reporting for a defined group of people.

The underlying technical structure is a top-level Cohort.

Organization Owner

A User with management responsibility for an Organization.

Organization Owners can use the Management Dashboard to perform permitted management and reporting tasks without requiring CMS access.

The exact capabilities available to an Organization Owner depend on the implementation.

Portal

An independent Shapeshift learner experience.

A client can operate multiple Portals using the same underlying Shapeshift platform while keeping their content, Users, data, branding and configuration separate.

Progression

The rules controlling how a learner moves through learning content.

For example, linear progression requires learning to be completed in the defined order, while freeform progression allows learners to navigate more freely.

Question Bank

A collection of Quiz Questions from which questions can be selected for a learner's Quiz attempt.

Question Banks can be used to randomize the questions presented to different learners or across different attempts.

Quiz

A Module used to assess learner knowledge.

Quizzes can support different Question types and features such as pass marks, retake limits, time limits, manual grading and Question Banks.

Rich Text Editor

The CMS editor used to create formatted text content.

It supports common formatting and structured content such as headings, lists, links, tables, images and configured embeds.

SCORM

Sharable Content Object Reference Model

A standard used to package and deliver e-learning content created using compatible third-party authoring tools.

SCORM packages can be added to Shapeshift as Modules.

Section

A visual grouping used to organize Modules within a Course curriculum.

Sections help structure the learner experience but do not themselves affect progress or completion.

Sub-Group

A subdivision of an Organization used to organize learners into smaller groups.

Sub-Groups can be nested to create an organizational hierarchy where required.

The underlying technical structure is a child Cohort.

Survey

A Module used to collect responses or feedback from learners.

User

A person with an account for the learner-facing LMS.

A User can be a learner, an Organization Owner, or both.

CMS Administrator accounts are separate from User accounts, although the same person may have both.

Webinar

A Module representing a scheduled learning event.

Webinars can provide learners with information about an event and access to the associated Webinar experience.