Atomic Jolt Glossary

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a self-disclosure document used by technology vendors to describe their products' compliance with accessibility standards, crucial for legal compliance and inclusivity. It helps organizations make informed decisions, ensuring technology is accessible to all, including users with disabilities, and is vital in educational technology.

SOC 2 is a framework ensuring data security when handled by third-party service providers, based on five principles: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. It builds trust, mitigates risks, and meets regulatory requirements. Despite challenges like complexity and resource intensity, SOC 2 compliance is crucial for protecting sensitive information in today's digital age.

Section 508, an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, mandates federal agencies to make electronic and information technology accessible to individuals with disabilities. It ensures digital content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Compliance improves user experience, promotes inclusivity, and aligns with legal and ethical standards, despite challenges.

SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is a set of technical standards enabling seamless interaction between eLearning content and learning management systems (LMS). Developed by the ADL Initiative, SCORM ensures compatibility and tracking capabilities across platforms, though it can be complex and inflexible. Alternatives like xAPI and cmi5 offer more flexibility and advanced features.

The Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit (HECVAT) helps universities assess cloud vendors' security and privacy practices, ensuring sensitive data protection. It provides standardized assessments, saving time and resources. HECVAT fosters collaboration, builds trust, and requires continuous vendor monitoring, though challenges include ensuring vendor compliance and adapting to evolving cybersecurity threats.

Cloud-based learning utilizes internet platforms to deliver educational content, offering flexibility, accessibility, and scalability. It allows students to access materials anytime, anywhere, and supports diverse learning styles. While it enhances engagement and personalization, challenges include internet connectivity and data security. Successful implementation requires choosing the right platform, quality content, and ongoing evaluation.

Summative assessments are crucial evaluations at the end of instructional units to measure student understanding against standards. They guide educators in refining teaching methods and inform stakeholders of educational effectiveness. These assessments, including exams, projects, essays, and presentations, must be fair, accessible, and aligned with learning objectives to ensure accurate measurement of student achievement.

Formative assessment involves informal and formal methods used by teachers to gauge student understanding during the learning process. It provides continuous feedback, helping teachers tailor instruction and students to self-assess and engage actively in their learning. Despite challenges like time constraints, it significantly enhances educational experiences when implemented effectively with clear objectives and timely feedback.

Adaptive assessments are personalized tests that adjust difficulty based on a test-taker's responses to accurately measure individual capabilities. Utilizing algorithms, these assessments offer efficiency, immediate feedback, and reduced test anxiety. Despite challenges like fairness and privacy concerns, advancements in AI and decreasing costs promise broader access and improved educational outcomes.