Words as the EDLC uses them
Glossary
The terms the model depends on, in the sense this site uses them.
| Term | Meaning in the EDLC |
|---|---|
| Learning standard | The specification a program must meet: outcomes, required knowledge and skills, evidence, and assessment conditions |
| Outcome descriptor | A specific, observable expectation within a standard; the smallest unit of traceability |
| Mapping matrix | The record linking each outcome descriptor to the assessment tasks and delivery sessions that address it |
| Gate | A review point at the end of a stage that must be passed before effort is invested in the next |
| Release | A named, versioned package of materials delivered to a specific cohort |
| Cohort | The group of learners who receive one release of a program |
| Observability | The collection of evidence about how a program performs in delivery |
| Change request | A recorded, triaged proposal to modify a program, routed back into the lifecycle |
| Curriculum debt | The accumulated cost of expedient decisions in a learning program that must later be repaid |
| Simulated workplace | A realistic scenario that gives assessment tasks a consistent, authentic context |
| Validation | Review of assessment tools and practice, before use (stage 8) and after use (stage 10). In Australian vocational education the 2025 Standards call the first a review (Standard 1.3) and reserve "validation" for the second (Standard 1.5) |