Active learning: The process in which an individual selects what is meaningful within an array of stimuli.

Basic sciences: Basic science typically serves as a synonym for the hard sciences or natural sciences and refers to fields of study such as physics, chemistry, and biology. These terms contrast social sciences such as psychology, sociology, and economics.

Pre-existing knowledge: The composite of prior knowledge, skills, beliefs, and concepts that each learner brings to any new situation that significantly influences what the individual notices about the environment and how the learner organizes and interprets it.