Glossary

Searchable glossary containing hundreds of definitions and descriptions of education terms, acronyms and abbreviations used by the LTS online service and in Scottish education.

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Icon	A small picture, usually located on your computer desktop, that represents a file or program. By double clicking that icon, the file or program will open up.
Icons	The term icon comes from the Greek eikon, which means "image" or "likeness." In a religious context, it refers to some image or representation of important religious figures, but especially divine or semi-divine figures. Often, these images are venerated in some fashion.
ICS (Integrated Community Schools)	An integrated community school encourages closer and better joint working among education, health and social work agencies and professionals, greater pupil and parental involvement in schools, and improved support and service provision for vulnerable children and young people.
ICT	Information and communications technology.
ICTDRG (ICT Development Reference Group)	Local authority education departments in Scotland were invited by LT Scotland to identify 'home produced' National Qualifications support materials that they were willing to make available to colleagues in other local authorities. These printed materials have been collated into a list of resources known as the IACN (Inter-Authority Collaborative Network) catalogue. It is updated annually and is distributed to all education departments.
ICTSMAD (ICT for School Management and Administration)	An integrated community school encourages closer and better joint working among education, health and social work agencies and professionals, greater pupil and parental involvement in schools, and improved support and service provision for vulnerable children and young people.
Ideology	A set of doctrines or beliefs that form the basis of a political, economic, or other system.
IDES (International Design Technology and Enterprise Support) Network	This is an LT Scotland reference group. It maintains an overview of developments in the effective application of ICT in education and offers advice to the Advisory Council as appropriate.
IEBP (Individualised Educational and Behavioural Programme)	Usually compiled for pupils who require additional support because of issues related to their behaviour.
IEP (Individualised Educational Programme)	A plan, usually written, which outlines the steps to be taken to help a pupil achieve specified curricular targets. It normally applies to pupils who are receiving some form of additional support for learning beyond the ordinary classroom experience. It contains succinct statements of educational aims, and a list of goals to be attained with indications of expected timescales, approaches to learning and teaching, arrangements for assessment and recording of attainment, staff involved, resources, learning contexts, and involvement of parents. (SEED, ASN Division)
IiP (Investors in People)	The IDES Network is for individuals and organisations from education and industry in Scotland and internationally. It aims to raise the profile of technology, design and enterprise through networking and exchange of information and ideas.
Imagery question	In close reading in English language lessons, a question designed to discover pupils' understanding and appreciation of non-literal use of language. Imagery is most commonly understood as ‘mental pictures’. In its widest sense, it not only refers to visual sense qualities but also, such as in Tennyson, to qualities that can be heard, touched, smelled and tasted for example. It is also frequently used to signify figurative language such as metaphors and similies.
Impact (of assessment)	Desirable consequences, based on planned outcomes. Assessment impacts on the curriculum and on pedagogy, on learning and pupils’ motivation for learning, so it is vital that staff recognise this in order to minimise any adverse effects.
Inbox	An email folder that receives incoming mail.
INCA (International Review of Curriculum and Assessment Frameworks)	INCA provides descriptions of government policy on education in Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland (forthcoming), Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA and Wales. It focuses on curriculum, assessment and initial teacher training frameworks for pre-school, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education in schools (3-19 age range).
Inclusion	The act of including or the state of being included.
Indirect teaching	Indirect teaching is where, for example, pupils work mainly on their own with books, computer software and worksheets.
Information literacy	The ability to access, evaluate, organise, manipulate and present information (including electronic information).
INSET	An acronym for In-service Education and Training. This term has now been superseded by Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
Institutional racism	This term can be related to indirect or direct discrimination. It describes the impact of organisational custom and practice that excludes certain groups without possibly even realising the effect of policy and practice: "The collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture, or ethnic origin. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people." (Lawrence Report)
Int 1 (Intermediate 1)	A National Qualification equivalent to Standard Grade at General level.
Int 2 (Intermediate 2)	A National Qualification equivalent to Standard Grade at Credit level.
Intelligence	Intelligence is generally considered to represent our ability to think, reason, plan, solve problems, comprehend ideas, make judgements and learn new things. Intelligence is not just about academic learning. It reflects a broader and deeper capability for making sense of the world around us.
Inter-faith	Of, relating to, or involving persons of different faiths or beliefs: an inter-faith marriage; an inter-faith forum.
Interactive teaching	Interactive teaching is where teachers explain ideas, demonstrate practical activities, ask different types of questions, and help pupils to understand how well they have done.
Interactive whiteboards	An interactive whiteboard is a large interactive screen connected to a computer and projector. The screen is touch sensitive, which means that you can control it by using your finger or pen as a mouse.
Internal Communications Focus Group	INCA provides descriptions of government policy on education in Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland (forthcoming), Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA and Wales. It focuses on curriculum, assessment and initial teacher training frameworks for pre-school, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education in schools (3-19 age range).
International studies in attainment	Scottish Ministers need to know how Scottish pupils perform, compared to pupils in other countries. Currently, Scotland participates in three International Studies: Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and Trends in International Maths and Science Survey (TIMSS). Information from the national picture is used to inform decisions relating to national education policy.
Internet	A worldwide network of computer networks. From any connected computer with the right permission, you can get information from any other computer – and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers).
Interpersonal intelligence	The ability to relate to and understand other people. These learners are able to sense feelings, intentions and motivations and are adept at recognising non-verbal language, for example body language. Their skills include seeing things from other perspectives, listening, using empathy, understanding other people's moods and feelings and communicating both verbally and non-verbally.
Intolerance	The quality or condition of being intolerant; lack of tolerance.
Intranet	A private network, often made up of many interlinked local area networks. Used to share information and computing resources among a community, an intranet is a good way of helping people work in groups. An intranet usually includes connections to the outside internet.
Intrapersonal intelligence	The ability to understand ourselves, who we are, and what makes us the way that we are. Such learners are able to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses and have a capacity for self-analysis, awareness of their inner feelings, desires and dreams, evaluating their thinking patterns and reasoning with themselves.
Intrinsic motivation
IP Telephony	Using the internet to make telephone and fax calls. Calls travel as packets of data on shared lines, avoiding the costs of the public switched telephone network. The challenge in IP telephony is to deliver the voice, fax, or video packets in a dependable flow to the user. This depends on Quality of Service (QoS).
Ipsative assessment	A form of assessment where the pupil’s prior performance is used as criterion for measurement of progress. In sport, for example, an individual’s personal best is the benchmark against which improvement is assessed.
IQ	An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several standardised tests attempting to measure intelligence.
Islam	The faith of Muslims - it actually means "surrender or submission to Allah". Islam began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Those who follow Islam are called Muslims. Muslims believe that there is only one God, called Allah. All Muslims whether Shia or Sunnis believe in the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) as the final prophet. Islam is the second most popular faith in the world with over a thousand million adherents. There are between 1.5 and 3 million Muslims in Britain, making it the second most popular faith.
Islamophobia	Prejudice against Muslims or Islamic faith and culture. This prejudice can translate into action and behaviour against Muslims or the Islamic faith.
ISP	Internet Service Provider. A company that provides access to the internet. Some are free, where you just pay the price of a local phone call to dial the internet, others charge a fee but may offer special benefits, such as telephone support.
ITALES (Innovative Teaching And Learning Environments for Schools)	European funded Research and Development project whose key aim is to advance innovative teaching and learning frameworks for the 'School of Tomorrow'.
ITE	Initial teacher education, a training programme for aspiring teachers.
ITE (Initial Teacher Education)	This is the training to enable people to qualify to become teachers. In Scotland it is provided by seven universities through their faculties of education.