The terms and definitions below are provided as references for DMAPs site users.

Accessible Educational Materials

Accessible Educational Materials, or AEM are “print- and technology-based educational materials, including printed and electronic textbooks and related core materials that are designed or converted in a way that makes them usable across the widest range of student variability regardless of format (print, digital, graphic, audio, video). IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) specifically focuses on accessible formats of print instructional materials.” CAST

Buying Consortium

Local, regional, state or national groups that join together to purchase commodities with the best quality and pricing

Content Management System (CMS)

A system that supports the creation and modification of digital content using a simple interface.

Digital Curriculum

The planned interaction of students with digital instructional content, materials, resources, and processes intended to assist them in achieving identified educational goals.

Digital Learning

“Any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience. It emphasizes high-quality instruction and provides access to challenging content, feedback through formative assessment, opportunities for learning anytime and anywhere, and individualized instruction to ensure all students reach their full potential to succeed in college and a career.”

Digital Devices

Electronic devices which use and process discrete, numerable data for operations. Examples used in education include: tower computers, digital cameras, digital microphones, digital camcorders, tablets, laptops, flash drives, scanners, printers, smartphones, monitors, etc.

Digital Content

This term can have broad application and include everything from snippets of video to full-year textbooks in a digital format along with all the video, audio, text, animation, simulations, and assessments in between. Thus, digital content can consist of smaller “chunks,” such as individual chapters or lessons, allowing for flexibility in creation, purchasing, distribution, and usage. It is blurring the traditional division between “adopted” or “core” content and supplemental content. http://www.setda.org/priorities/digital-content/out-of-print/

Digital Instructional Materials

This term can have broad application and include everything from snippets of video to full-year textbooks in a digital format along with all the video, audio, text, animation, simulations, and assessments in between. Thus, digital instructional materials can include smaller “chunks,” such as individual chapters or lessons, allowing for flexibility in creation, purchasing, distribution, and usage. It is blurring the traditional division between “adopted” or “core” content and supplemental content.

Digital Learning Resources (DLR)

Digital instructional materials that are created to assist students and teachers in the teaching and learning process. Often these materials reside in an electronic repository or digital library for access by educators.

e-textbooks or e-books

The notion of digital content as core information for teaching and learning indicated as a single textbook, novel or non-fiction book

Flexbooks

Digital publications that educators and students can update because they are published with open licenses

Instructional Materials

All materials designed for use by teachers and students as learning resources. Instructional materials may be printed or not and may include textbooks, digital materials and other educational materials.

LEA

Local Education Agency (district or charter based on the state definition of LEA)

Learning Management System (LMS)

Software for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of electronic educational materials.

Open Educational Resources (OER)

OER are “teaching and learning materials licensed in such a way that they are free and may be used, reused, remixed, and otherwise customized to meet specific needs.” In other words, OER are teaching, learning, and resource materials, tools, and media that are in the public domain or are available under an open license so that they may be used and re-purposed freely by educators, students, and self-learners. OER items can range from a single lesson or instructional support material to a complete unit or full-course materials; they include e-textbooks, videos, rubrics, assessments, and any other tools that support teaching and learning.

RFP

Request for Proposals

Personalized Learning

Personalized learning refers to instruction in which the pace of learning and the instructional approach are optimized for the needs of each learner. Learning objectives, instructional approaches, and instructional content (and its sequencing) may all vary based on learner needs. In addition, learning activities are made available that are meaningful and relevant to learners, driven by their interests and often self-initiated.

Procurement

Acquisition of appropriate goods, services or works from an outside source with the best possible cost to meet the needs of the acquirer in terms of quality, quantity, time, and location.

SEA

State Education Agency

State Adoption Policies

State policies related to the adoption of instructional materials for educational use.  Textbook: The term “textbooks” means print or electronic materials for students that serve as the primary curriculum basis for a grade-level subject or course. (adapted from Virginia’s textbook definition.) *See SETDA, Out of Print: Reimagining the K-12 Textbook in a Digital Age (2012), available at http://setda.org/priorities/digital-content/out-of-print/

Textbook

The term “textbooks” means print or electronic materials for students that serve as the primary curriculum basis for a grade-level subject or course. (adapted from Virginia’s textbook definition.)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

A framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.

Vetting

This is a process states may have implemented or recommend for the review of digital instructional materials and may include outside resources such as Achieve’s OER rubrics, EQUIP rubrics or Instructional Materials Evaluation Tool (IMET).