3. Word List

Term	Description and Examples
course team, course team member	Use instead of instructor, professor, course author, course staff, faculty, and so on.
discussion, course discussions	Use instead of forum or discussion forum.
drop-down, dropdown	The edX problem type is labeled “dropdown”. If it is necessary to describe a particular type of user interface control, use drop-down.
The E-Commerce service	The part of the edX platform that handles payments. Always use with “service”.
edx, edX, EdX	The company name is presented in mixed case: edX or edX, Inc. However, when a sentence begins with the company name, the first letter is also capitalized, as in the following example. “EdX provides the edX Demo course…” Present the edx.org website in all lower case.
The edX mobile app	There is one app, available for different platforms. Do not refer to edX mobile apps (plural). Refer to numbered versions for the different mobile platforms. For example, “Version 2.6.2 of the edX mobile app for iOS is now available.” “The edX mobile app for Android now supports…”
email	Do not hyphenate e-mail, and use Email only at the start of a sentence or when using title capitalization. Use email to modify a noun. For example, prefer “Send an email message” to “Send an email”. Do not use as a verb.
GitHub	The “H” is always capitalized.
ID	Capitalize. Use instead of “id” or “Id”.
instructor dashboard	Lowercase both words.
learner	Use instead of “student”, except when referring to a UI label.
page	Use instead of “tab” to refer to the different areas of the LMS that deliver content to learners. In Studio, course teams can rename default pages and add pages. In the LMS, learners select {name of page} and work with the content on that page.
partner manager	Use to refer to partners’ main edX contact, not program manager. Do not capitalize either word.
plug-in	Use instead of plugin or plug in.
privilege	Use instead of “user rights”. The roles that grant privileges to users are “course creator”, “admin”, and “staff”. These role names should only be used when having the privilege is an explicit requirement to complete an activity.
sample	Use instead of “snippet”. “Example” can also be used.
section	In the edX guides, use “section” to refer to any part of a guide that is a parent to other content, including other sections or individual topics. Use instead of “chapter”.
select	Use instead of “click” (mouse), “press” (keyboard), or “tap” (smartphone). Accessible alternatives are “choose” (for a UI element that becomes highlighted and remains on screen) or “activate” (for a UI element that causes the dialog box to close or the page to refresh).
sign in to (v)	Use instead of “sign into”.
sign-in (adj)	Use instead of “login” or “log in”.
smartphone	One word. Use instead of “mobile device”. For example, Android smartphones and iPhones.
student dashboard	Present both words in lowercase.
third party (n), third-party (adj)	“Third party” is a noun: “This product comes from a third party”. “Third-party” is the adjective form: “third-party software”.
topic	In the edX guides, the concepts or procedures that are the lowest level contents of a section are referred to as topics.
username	Use instead of “user name”.
XBlock	Use instead of “Xblock” or “xBlock”.