Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the words used across the portal and this guide. Words with a dotted underline in any how-to link back here.
A
- Access matrix
- The agreed list of which staff and facilitators can see and manage which departments, cohorts and courses.
- See also: Department, Role
- Account status
- Where a learner's account stands: registered, pending activation, active, rejected or suspended. Only active accounts can sign in.
- See also: Learner approval
- Alumni
- Learners who finished a course satisfactorily and chose to join the alumni network. They appear in the hall of fame, share their story and can offer to mentor.
- See also: Certificate eligibility, Alumni invitation
- Alumni invitation
- An invitation to join the alumni network, sent by email and shown in the learner app when a learner's cohort is completed. The learner joins only if they confirm it.
- See also: Alumni
B
- Backend (API)
- The server that stores all data and serves both websites. Built with Django REST Framework; the apps talk to it over the internet.
- See also: Django admin
- Badge
- A small award for a milestone, such as finishing a first module. Managed in Badge Studio and shown on the learner's Badges page.
C
- Certificate
- A downloadable award for completing a course, carrying the FEMNET seal and a QR code for verification. Issued when a cohort is completed or a Certificate Studio design is assigned, only to eligible learners.
- See also: Certificate eligibility, Verification code (certificate)
- Certificate eligibility
- A learner qualifies for a certificate when they have completed every activity in the course and their assessment average is at least the pass mark.
- See also: Pass mark, Certificate
- Cohort
- A group of learners who take courses together, usually with a facilitator, start date and end date.
- See also: Pathway, Department
- Cohort webinar
- A recorded or live video session for a cohort, shown on the Knowledge Hub at the start of a course or after it is completed.
- Course
- A complete learning programme made of modules. Each course belongs to a thematic area and can lead to a certificate.
- See also: Module, Thematic area
- Course Studio
- The course builder in the facilitator hub, where courses are created, edited, imported, reviewed and published.
- See also: Course version, Readiness check
- Course version
- Courses are versioned. A version moves from draft to in review to published. Learners only ever see the published version; edits happen in a new draft.
- See also: Readiness check
- Course ZIP (archive)
- A portable file containing a whole course and its pictures. Export it from one server and import it on another.
D
- Department
- A FEMNET programme area that owns its own cohorts, facilitators and courses. Facilitators only see their department's data once assigned to one.
- See also: Role, Access matrix
- Django admin
- A built-in administration screen on the backend for technical staff. Used for tasks the hub does not cover, such as featuring alumni or fixing records.
- See also: Backend (API)
E
- Email verification
- A one-time code sent after sign-up to confirm the learner owns their email address. Can be switched on or off in Settings.
- See also: Sign-in code (2FA)
F
- Facilitator hub
- The website FEMNET staff and facilitators use to manage learners, cohorts, courses, reports, certificates and the shop.
- See also: Course Studio
- Faculty profile
- A short introduction to an instructor or facilitator, shown on the course page so learners know who is teaching them.
- FEMNET Learning Portal
- The whole e-learning platform: the learner app, the facilitator hub and the backend that stores everything.
- See also: Learner app, Facilitator hub, Backend (API)
- FEMNET member
- A learner who ticked "I am a FEMNET member" at sign-up. Used to report on members versus non-members.
- See also: Referral source
- Funzo
- The learner helper, drawn from FEMNET's Femininja. It answers questions from the help centre and the learner's own progress, and is ready to connect to an AI assistant later.
I
- Installable app (PWA)
- The learner app can be added to a phone's home screen like a normal app, opening full screen and working offline.
L
- Learner app
- The website learners use to sign up, take courses, track progress and earn certificates. It can be installed on a phone and works offline.
- See also: Installable app (PWA), Offline mode
- Learner approval
- A facilitator or admin reviewing a new sign-up and activating it. Can be skipped by switching on automatic learner approval in Settings.
- See also: Account status
- Lesson (section)
- One step inside a module, such as a reading, video, practice check or assignment. Learners select "Complete and continue" to move on. Course Studio calls these activities.
- See also: Module, Practice check
M
- MEL
- Monitoring, evaluation and learning: the dashboards, analytics and reports used to track reach, progress and outcomes.
- Module
- A chapter of a course. Modules unlock in order: a learner must finish one before the next opens.
- See also: Lesson (section)
O
- Offline mode
- Courses a learner has opened stay available without internet. Progress is saved on the device and synced later.
- See also: Sync, Installable app (PWA)
P
- Pass mark
- The average assessment score needed to pass a course: 70%. Used for certificates and alumni eligibility.
- See also: Certificate eligibility
- Pathway
- An ordered route of courses or modules for a cohort. Learners follow it step by step and see their place on the pathway map.
- See also: Cohort, Module
- Paystack
- The online payment service used for shop checkout. Learners pay on Paystack's secure page and return to the portal.
- PowerPoint import
- Turning a .pptx slide deck into a draft course automatically: sessions become modules, slides become lessons and pictures are kept.
- Practice check
- A quick quiz question inside a lesson. It must be answered correctly before the learner can continue.
- See also: Pass mark
- Promo code
- A discount code learners enter in their cart, either a percentage or a fixed amount, with optional limits and an expiry date.
R
- Read aloud
- The Listen button above lessons, which reads the lesson using the device's own voices, highlighting each paragraph as it goes.
- Readiness check
- An automatic check in Course Studio that lists anything missing before a course can be submitted for review.
- See also: Course version
- Referral source
- How a learner heard about the portal, asked once after their first sign-in. Reported in MEL analytics to show which outreach works.
- See also: MEL
- Reflection
- Short written feedback a learner gives after finishing a module or course: a rating, what helped and what could improve.
- Reward rule
- A rule that gives learners a free shop item, for example to a whole department, a cohort, one learner, or the first people to finish a module.
- See also: Promo code
- Role
- What a user is allowed to do. The roles are learner, facilitator, admin and super admin. Admins see every department; facilitators see only their own.
- See also: Department, Access matrix
S
- Scholarship
- Support a learner applies for, covering a course (FEMNET enrols them) or merchandise (they get a personal shop code). Reviewed in the hub's Scholarships page.
- Sign-in code (2FA)
- A short code emailed at sign-in to confirm it is really you. Learners get one when email verification is switched on in Settings; facilitators and admins when staff 2FA is switched on. Codes expire after 10 minutes.
- See also: Email verification
- Sync
- Sending progress saved on a learner's device to the backend. Happens automatically in the background when there is a connection.
- See also: Offline mode, Sync log
- Sync log
- An admin-only record of learner syncs, found in the hub's Settings page. Learners are no longer notified about syncs.
T
- Thematic area
- The programme theme a course belongs to: Economic Justice and Rights (EJR), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) or Climate Justice Rights (CJR).
- Transcript
- A summary of a learner's progress, assessment averages and certificates, which they can request at any time and save as a PDF.
V
- Verification code (certificate)
- The unique code printed on every certificate, also held in its QR code. Anyone can enter or scan it to confirm the certificate is genuine.
- See also: Certificate