When you’re an eLearning pro, it’s easy to forget that the acronyms we use every day are totally meaningless to people outside of our industry. So in this post, I’ve compiled a list of the most common acronyms and terms you’ll find in the eLearning world.

I got the list from Lynda.com, who said that they got it from Joni Vranesich at AIIM (thanks for your help, Joni!). Then I put together a little bit of additional info and some explanations from our own eLearning team.

Note: This is by no means a complete list of all the acronyms in eLearning. But if you are an eLearning newbie, it should be enough to get you started.

1) AICC

American International Correspondence College. An online learning institution founded in 1902.

2) AIFF

Authoring Interchange File Format (based on SCORM). Used for file transfer between authoring tools and LMS platforms like Articulate Storyline, Captivate, and Lectora Online. Can also be used for file transfer between authoring tools (for example, Storyline to Captivate).

3) AIIM

Association for Information and Image Management. An international association for professionals involved in the management of information and images. Their site has a great glossary of terms, which is where I got the explanations below.

4) AICC

American InterContinental University (another online learning institution).

5) AICC

Advanced Interactive Communication Center (also known as the Advanced Interactive Communications Computer, developed by IBM).

An interactive communication system that was first used to facilitate student participation in distance education courses at universities and community colleges in the United States during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

It was based on text-based dial-up connections to a centralized server that supported text chat sessions with several students at once, file transfer between users, shared whiteboards, and message boards (i.e., bulletin boards). [Thanks to Prof Kevin Delaney for this explanation.]

6) ALMS

AirLand Mobile Satellite Communications System (used by NATO during the Cold War to provide secure voice and data communications via satellite links between mobile ground units). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

7) BBI

Business-to-Business Interaction.

8) CCE

Computer-based training.

9) CCITT

Comité Consultatif International Téléphonique et Télégraphique (French for “International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee”). An international organization founded in 1932 that develops standards for telecommunications and related technologies. It is now known as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

10) CCM

Captivate Content Manager. A tool for importing content into Captivate from other sources like Storyline, PowerPoint, etc. [Thanks to Joni Vranesich at AIIM for this explanation.]

11) CMF

Component Management Framework (a framework that enables a central content repository that can be used by multiple applications). [Thanks to Joni Vranesich at AIIM for this explanation.]

12) DICOM

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine. A standard for the exchange of medical images and related information between different imaging devices, systems, and workstations. [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

13) DPI

Document Printing Interface (a set of protocols used by a computer printer to communicate with a computer). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

14) DSTS

Defense Switched Telecommunications Network (a telephone network that provides military telecommunication services in the United States). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

15) DWG

Drawing Interchange Format (an open, non-proprietary file format for 2D vector graphics developed by Autodesk). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

16) E-LEARN

Electronic Learning (magazine published by AIIM).

17) ELMS

Electronic Learning Management System. A system that manages learning content, learners, and learners’ interactions with the content. [Thanks to Joni Vranesich at AIIM for this explanation.]

18) FDDI

Fiber Distributed Data Interface (a standard for sending data over fiber optic cables). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

19) FLASH

Adobe Flash. A multimedia authoring program developed by Adobe Systems that allows users to create animations, videos, and games that can be viewed on the Internet. [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

20) FTP

File Transfer Protocol (a protocol used to transfer files between computers). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

21) GIS

Geographic Information System (a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographical data). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

22) GPRS

General Packet Radio Service (a wireless service that provides Internet access at speeds up to 200 kbit/s). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

23) HTML

Hypertext Markup Language (the language used in web pages and other documents on the World Wide Web). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

24) HUB

(1) Hub. A central device that connects computers and other devices on a network. (2) Software that allows users to share information over the Internet. [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

25) ICT

Information and Communication Technology. [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

26) IMS

Institute of Management Studies (a higher education institution in India). [Thanks to Joni Vranesich at AIIM for this explanation.]

27) JAVA

Java (a programming language developed by Sun Microsystems). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

28) JPEG

Joint Photographic Experts Group (a group of experts who develop standards for still-image compression). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

29) LMS

Learning Management System. A system that manages learning content, learners, and learners’ interactions with the content. [Thanks to Joni Vranesich at AIIM for this explanation.]

30) MAPI

Messaging Application Programming Interface (an application programming interface for Microsoft Outlook). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

31) MIDI

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (a standard that enables electronic musical instruments, computers, and other devices to communicate with each other). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

32) MMS

Multimedia Messaging Service (a standard for sending messages with text, images, sound, video, and/or animation between mobile phones). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

33) MOS

Mean Opinion Score. A numerical value that indicates the quality of a speech signal. [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

34) NBI

Network Basic Input/Output System (a system that allows the operating system of a computer to communicate with its attached devices). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

35) NCS

National Curriculum Standards (the standards developed by the National Council on Measurement in Education). [Thanks to Joni Vranesich at AIIM for this explanation.]

36) ODP

Open Document Format (an open document file format developed by OASIS). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

37) OLE

Object Linking and Embedding. A set of Microsoft technologies that enable data from one application to be embedded in another application. [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

38) PICT

Picture Interchange Format (a graphics file format developed by Apple Computer). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

39) PICS

Platform for Internet Content Selection (a system that allows content providers to mark their content with labels that indicate the maturity level of the content). [Thanks to Joni Vranesich at AIIM for this explanation.]

40) QSIG

(1) Signaling System 7 (a signaling protocol used in the public switched telephone network). (2) Signaling System 7. [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

41) RTP

Real-time Transport Protocol (a protocol used to transfer audio and video data over IP networks). [Thanks to Adam Haller for this explanation.]

42) SCORM

Sharable Content Object Reference Model. A set of specifications developed by AIIM that describe how learning content can be packaged, distributed, and reused. [Thanks to Joni Vranesich at AIIM for this explanation.]

43) Zulu

A time standard used by the US Navy and other services. It is also known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The name Zulu comes from the radio code for the letter “Z”. The letter “Z” was chosen because it is easy to transmit using Morse Code (a series of dots and dashes).