Acorn Glossary of Terms

Activity: A single learning item within a course (e.g. video, quiz, SCORM package).
ACS URL: Assertion Consumer Service URL — the endpoint that receives SAML responses from your IdP.
Admin: A user with platform administration permissions.
API: Application Programming Interface — a method of exporting and importing data into the LMS.
Capability: A defined skill or competency tracked in the Capabilities module.
Cohort: A group of users, used for access control and enrolment automation. Users can be added manually or automatically using user fields. Features such as CPD points can also be cohort-specific.
Completion Condition: The rule that must be satisfied for an activity or course to be marked complete.
Content: A learning resource within the system. This includes Courses, Live Learnings, Resources, Videos, and more.
Course: A type of Content that facilitates self-directed training such as SCORMs. A Course is a container of one or more activities and assessments.
CPD: Continuing Professional Development — structured learning tracked for professional requirements.
CSV: Comma Separated Values — a data format used for data transfers and the default export format from the LMS.

Development Plan: A personalised set of learning goals and activities to improve capability proficiency.
Event: A component within a Live Learning that correlates to a piece of content being taught, made up of Sessions. Every Session within an Event should teach the same content.
HR Feed: An integration with your HRIS or payroll system that imports learner data on an automated basis (typically daily). This data can create or update users, and additional fields can be used for cohort management (e.g., job role, section).
HRIS: Human Resource Information System — software that manages employee data such as job roles and start dates (e.g., Workday, SAP, BambooHR, Aurion).
IdP: Identity Provider — the system that authenticates users for SSO (e.g. Azure AD, Okta).
Impersonate: An Admin feature that allows logging in as another user to view their experience.
JIT Provisioning: Just-In-Time Provisioning — automatic user account creation on first SSO login.

Learner: A user accessing courses and training content.
Live Learning: A type of Content that facilitates face-to-face or screen-based training. It is what a learner will see in the catalogue.
LMS: Learning Management System.
LRS: Learning Record Store — the central repository of learner progress data obtained from xAPI modules.
MFA: Multi-Factor Authentication — a second verification step at login. The system can send an SMS or email code to verify user access.
Momentum: Acorn's workflow automation engine for approvals, PDAs, and structured processes.
Node: A step or stage in a Momentum workflow.
Parent Course: A course that groups multiple child courses under a single enrolment.
Partnered Content: A deep integration with Acorn's content partners that enables the system to display partner content within the platform.
PDA: Professional Development Agreement — a workflow used to approve and track development activities.
Proficiency Level: A rating on the capability scale (e.g. Beginner, Proficient, Expert).
Program: A structured learning pathway combining multiple courses and activities.

SAML: Security Assertion Markup Language — the protocol used for SSO authentication.
SCORM: Sharable Content Object Reference Model — a standard format for eLearning modules and the most commonly used format for Learning Management Systems.
Session: A component within an Event where learners register to attend face-to-face or screen-based training.
SFTP: Secure File Transfer Protocol — a secure method to transfer data. Typically used for HR Feeds and completion data exports.
SSO: Single Sign-On — login using your corporate identity provider credentials, without entering a separate username and password.
Tenancy: An isolated Acorn instance used to segment learners and content within the system. The typical use case is to separate internal and external users. Only an Acorn Administrator has default access to all tenancies.
Transition: In Momentum, a rule that moves an application from one node to the next.
Workflow: In Momentum, the full sequence of nodes and transitions defining a process.
WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get — the text editor used in Pages, Course descriptions, and similar areas of the platform.
xAPI: Experience API — an eLearning standard that allows progress and completion data to be collected from various resources into a central LRS.

Quick reference definitions for every key term in the Acorn platform.