Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
206 results found in education.
- Signing Avatar (Sign Language Avatar, Virtual Signer)
- A 3D computer-generated character that produces sign language through animated hand movements, facial expressions, and body posture. Signing avatars are used in educational contexts to deliver accessi…
- Situated Learning Theory (Situated Cognition)
- An educational theory proposing that learning is most effective when it occurs in authentic contexts naturally tied to the activity, culture, and environment where the knowledge will be used. In sign …
- Social Constructivism (Sociocultural Theory)
- An educational theory emphasizing that learners co-construct knowledge through social interactions with others, particularly more knowledgeable individuals. Rooted in Vygotsky's work, social construct…
- Social Skills Training (SST, Social Skills Intervention)
- A behavioral intervention approach that teaches interpersonal skills through instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. For individuals with autism spectrum disorder or social communication diffi…
- Social Stories (Social Narratives)
- Short, structured narratives developed by Carol Gray that describe social situations, expected behaviors, and appropriate responses in a clear, visual format. Social stories are widely used as therape…
- Special Educational Needs (SEN, Special Needs Education, Special Education)
- An educational framework referring to children who experience difficulties in learning that require additional or different educational provision. SEN encompasses a broad range of conditions including…
- Structured Discovery (Structured Discovery Learning)
- A teaching approach used in vision rehabilitation where instructors refrain from hand-over-hand guidance, instead encouraging blind students to work through tasks independently and develop problem-sol…
- Students as Partners (SaP, Student Partnership)
- A sector-wide approach in higher education that elevates student voice by enabling students to have a collaborative, meaningful input into their university experience through a values-led approach. In…
- Swell Form (Capsule Paper, Microcapsule Paper, Swell Touch Paper, Minolta Paper)
- A tactile graphics production method using special heat-sensitive paper coated with microcapsules. When black ink is printed on the paper and passed through a heating machine, the dark areas absorb he…
- Swift Playgrounds (Apple Swift Playgrounds)
- A hybrid block-based and text-based programming environment developed by Apple for iPad and Mac that teaches coding using the Swift programming language. Swift Playgrounds is notable in the accessibil…
- Synchronous Communication (Real-Time Communication, Live Communication)
- Communication that occurs in real time, requiring all participants to be present simultaneously. In digital contexts, this includes video conferencing, live chat, instant messaging, and real-time coll…
- Tactile Aid (Tactile Learning Aid, Tactile Tool)
- A physical object designed to convey information through touch, used to make visual or abstract concepts accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. Tactile aids can include raised-line dra…
- Tactile Animation (Animated Tactile Graphics, Tactile Motion Graphics)
- A sequence of tactile images displayed over time on a refreshable tactile display to convey motion, change, or dynamic processes through touch. Unlike static tactile graphics, tactile animations allow…
- Tactile Data Comics (TDC)
- A presentation method for accessible education that combines step-by-step tactile graphics on a refreshable tactile display with synchronized verbal narration. Inspired by visual data comics, tactile …
- Tactile Graphicacy (Tactile Literacy, Tactile Reading Skills)
- The learned ability to read, interpret, and create meaning from tactile images, maps, diagrams, and graphics through touch. Just as visual graphicacy is developed through exposure to visual images, ta…
- Tactile Image (Tactile Graphic, Tactile Picture, Touch Image)
- A tactile image is a raised or textured representation of a visual image designed to be perceived through touch rather than sight. Tactile images can be produced through various methods including embo…
- Tactile Learning (Haptic Learning, Touch-Based Learning)
- An educational approach that uses the sense of touch to convey information, explore concepts, and develop understanding. For blind and low vision learners, tactile learning encompasses reading Braille…
- Tactile Literacy (Tactile Reading Skills)
- The ability to interpret, understand, and create information conveyed through the sense of touch, including the skills needed to read tactile graphics, maps, diagrams, braille, and other raised repres…
- Tactile Modeling (Tactile Demonstration, Touch Demonstration)
- A body movement teaching technique where a blind or low vision student explores and inspects a demonstrator's body position through touch, allowing them to understand poses, movements, and form that w…
- Tactile graphic production (Tactile image creation, Accessible graphic transcription)
- The process of converting visual images — such as textbook diagrams, charts, maps, and illustrations — into raised tactile representations that can be explored by touch. Production methods include swe…