Glossary - Lena Support Center

A quick reference for terms you’ll encounter throughout the Lena platform and this documentation.

Academic terms

Term	Definition
Academic session	A full academic year (e.g., “2025/2026”). Contains terms or semesters. Only one session can be active at a time.
Term	A division of the academic year in K-12 schools (e.g., First Term, Second Term, Third Term).
Semester	A division of the academic year in universities (e.g., First Semester, Second Semester).
Active period	The currently active term or semester. Determines which courses are visible and which academic period new courses are linked to.

School structure

Term	Definition
Grade	A class level in K-12 schools (e.g., JSS 1, SS 2, Primary 3). Students are assigned to a grade.
Arm	A subdivision within a grade, also called a class section (e.g., Arm A, Arm B, Science, Arts). Each student belongs to one arm within their grade.
Section	A grouping of grades in K-12 schools (e.g., “Primary”, “Junior Secondary”, “Senior Secondary”). Used in Excel imports for bulk structure creation.
Faculty	A broad academic division in universities (e.g., Faculty of Science, Faculty of Engineering).
Department	A specific academic unit within a faculty (e.g., Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering).
Level	A student’s year of study in a university (e.g., 100 Level, 200 Level, 300 Level).
Matriculation number (matric number)	A unique enrollment identifier assigned to university students (e.g., CSC/2023/001).

Course terms

Term	Definition
Entry code	A short alphanumeric code that students use to join a course. Generated automatically when a course is created. Not case-sensitive.
Course code	A short identifier for the course (e.g., MTH101, ENG-SS2). Primarily for teacher/admin organization. Auto-generated but customizable.
Draft	A course (or exam) that has been created but is not yet visible to students. Only the creator can see it.
Published	A course (or exam) that is live and visible to students. Students can join published courses and take published exams.
Closed / Archived	A course whose academic period has ended. Students can still view materials and grades but cannot submit new work.
Grade weights	The percentage each assessment type (assignments and quizzes) contributes to a student’s overall course grade. Must total 100%.
Student group	Criteria (faculty, department, level, grade, or arm) that determine which students can join a course without an entry code.

User roles

Term	Definition
Course owner	The teacher who created the course. Has full control, including managing collaborators and transferring ownership.
Collaborator	A teacher, assistant, or student assistant added to help manage a course. See Managing Collaborators.
Teacher (course role)	A collaborator with full access to course content and grading. Cannot manage other collaborators.
Lecturer	Same as Teacher — used in university contexts. Has full course access.
Assistant	A staff member collaborator with moderate access — can help manage content and assist with grading.
Student Assistant	A student collaborator with limited access — can assist with basic course tasks.
Super Admin	A school administrator with full access to all school operations, including managing other admins.
Academic Admin	A school administrator who can manage academic structure, courses, and users but cannot manage other admins.
Non-Academic Admin	A school administrator with access limited to non-academic operations.

CBT terms

Term	Definition
CBT (Computer-Based Testing)	Lena’s secure, timed exam system. Students take exams through a dedicated web app at cbt.lena.africa.
Exam window	The time range during which students can start a CBT exam (e.g., 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM). Different from the exam duration.
Duration	How long a student has once they begin a CBT exam (e.g., 60 minutes). The timer starts when the student clicks Begin.
Tab-switch limit	The maximum number of times a student can navigate away from the exam before auto-submission. Set by the teacher.
Auto-submission	When the system automatically submits an exam — triggered by time expiry, exceeding the tab-switch limit, exiting fullscreen, or opening developer tools.
Proctor / Invigilator	A teacher assigned by a school admin to oversee a CBT exam session in person. Proctors receive an invitation they can accept or decline, and are assigned to a specific class.
Exam approval	The process where a school admin reviews and approves a CBT exam before it becomes available to students.

App terms

Term	Definition
Student App	The Lena app for students — available on web, iOS, and Android.
Teacher App	The Lena app for teachers — available on web, iOS, and Android.
School Admin App	The web-based dashboard for school administrators at school.lena.africa. Desktop only.
CBT App	The dedicated web app for taking CBT exams at cbt.lena.africa. Desktop/laptop only.
School profile	A connection between your Lena account and a specific school. Defines your role (student, teacher, or admin) and stores school-specific details. You can have profiles at multiple schools.
OTP (One-Time Password)	A 6-digit verification code sent to your email during account creation or password reset. Expires after 10 minutes.

Platform Overview — how the four apps work together
Academic Structure — setting up grades, faculties, sessions, and periods
Managing Collaborators — collaborator roles and permissions
Exam Rules & Policies — CBT exam rules explained