For all slideshows, there are simple, non-automatic transitions between slides.
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Transitions have an effect on learner information processing. Researchers conducted a study where learners were split into two groups. One group was shown a presentation with animated, automatic transitions on slides, and the other group was shown an identical presentation with no transitions.
When learners were tested on recall and understanding, the group that watched the presentation with no transitions scored higher (Mahar et al, 2009).
Moreno & Mayer (2000) also found that that irrelevant sounds, motions, or animations in a presentation can reduce learner comprehension.
References:
Mahar, S., Yaylacicegi, U., & Janicki, T. (2009). The dark side of custom animation. International Journal of Innovation & Learning, 6(6), 581-592.
OSCQR has been developed by a community of online practitioners interested in quality course design. There are numerous opportunities for community members to offer suggestions, donate resources, and help with future development.
Slideshows use a predefined slide layout and include unique slide titles.
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Using a consistent layout will set the stage for continuity and consistency in your course. If presenting slides, keep the layout simple and clearly convey the following in your opening slides:
The main purpose of the presentation.
Why the material is important.
How you expect learners to interact with the presentation.
Learning materials presented in slide format work best if the slideshow is considered as a highlight with minimal text that can be supplemented with a content summary provided in handouts or assigned readings (Kinchin, 2006).
OSCQR has been developed by a community of online practitioners interested in quality course design. There are numerous opportunities for community members to offer suggestions, donate resources, and help with future development.
Tables enable learners to quickly scan and make visual associations between table cell contents and appropriate row or column headings. In order for screen readers to process table information, row and column headers need to be in place. When they are, learners can navigate through table cells one at a time and the row and column headers will be read out to them.
Taking the time to learn how to include these headers within the LMS will make it easier to meet accessibility guidelines and serve all online learners.
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General Suggestions
Keep row and column headers short and simple.
Listen to how your table appears in a screen reader. Download a free version of JAWS to understand how course content is accessible to the visually impaired student using this tool.
When the proper HTML markup is in place, users of screen readers can navigate through data tables one cell at a time, and they will hear the column and row headers spoken to them.
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Tables are accompanied by a title and summary description.
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If you have tabular data that you need to display, you will need to provide a title and summary description in order to guide learners using screen readers through the topic before the screen reader accesses the actual data in the table.
Be sure that the title appears first, the description second, and the table last. The description should include the word “table” so that learners using screen readers will know that a data table will be coming up next in the page sequence.
All data tells a story. You can choose to explain the data itself to your learners, detail why the data is important, ask open ended questions, or summarize each category. Either way, you need to provide an introduction and context to support all learners.
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General Suggestions
As you are creating this content, read it aloud to see if it makes sense in sequence.
Follow the guidelines for creating an accessible table (see entry #26).
Write a narrative description of the table and include a link to a downloadable version of the table.
Listen to how your table appears in a screen reader. Download a free version of JAWS to understand how course content is accessible to the visually impaired student using this tool.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is developed through the W3C process in cooperation with individuals and organizations around the world, with a goal of proving a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally.
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When possible, information is displayed in a linear format instead of as a table.
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The code that is used to generate tables on online pages does not work well with screen readers that are used by learners with visual disabilities. Tables tend to distort the information, making it hard to process smoothly, and reading in these situations becomes choppy and distorted.
In order for screen readers to scan code properly, the table needs to be structured properly so that a learner who is blind, low-vision and/or using a screen reader can process the auditory output that is generated.
The Web Accessibility Guidelines published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) refer to these issues with table programming and display as information relationship and meaningful sequence issues that need to be addressed.
To avoid these issues, present information as text in paragraphs, bulleted lists, etc.
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General Suggestions
Avoid using tables, but if you do need to display data tables:
Follow the guidelines for creating an accessible table (See Standard 26).
Write a narrative description of the table, and include a link to a downloadable version of the table.
Listen to how your table appears in a screen reader. Download a free version of JAWS to understand how course content is accessible to the visually impaired student using this tool.
Example
Example of a table that is not set up well to be read by a screen reader:
Layout Tables, and Data Tables
If you code tables properly, someone using a screen reader will also be able to scan through the table and understand it.
Tables Concepts Tutorial
This tutorial shows you how to apply appropriate structural markup to tables.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is developed through the W3C process in cooperation with individuals and organizations around the world, with a goal of proving a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally.
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A sans-serif font with a standard size of at least 12 pt is used.
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Researchers rely on eye gaze tracking as an analysis tool to determine readability. In eye gaze tracking, a camera is focused on the reader’s eyes, tracks where they are looking, and maps the points to how the reader moves through the page. Eye gaze tracking has shown that font size and type face (serif vs. sans-serif) do factor into readability results (Beymer et al, 2008).
Although learners can adjust their screen resolution and font sizes within their browsers, following this guideline will help to ensure readability.
OSCQR has been developed by a community of online practitioners interested in quality course design. There are numerous opportunities for community members to offer suggestions, donate resources, and help with future development.
Online course content that flashes or blinks can cause seizures for some learners, and should be purposefully avoided. This includes images as well as text. In addition to possibly causing seizures, flashing and blinking text can distract from and disrupt learning.
The Web Accessibility Guidelines published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) clearly state that if content is unsafe if it flashes more than three times per second. In keeping with accessibility guidelines, and for consideration of all learners, do not include any flashing or blinking text.
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General Suggestions
To create highlights or catch attention, use headings, or display fonts.
If something is critical for learners to grasp, or stop and think about, use graphical elements, such as a stop sign, or question mark.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is developed through the W3C process in cooperation with individuals and organizations around the world, with a goal of proving a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally.
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Text is formatted with titles, headings, and other styles to enhance readability and improve the structure of the document.
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Titles and headings play an important role in catching the interest of the reader, and guiding their progress through information (Lazareva, 2006). By using titles and headings, instructors can effectively guide learners through an online course, while setting expectations on what to expect along the way.
Readability, in this context, refers to how words and blocks of text appear on a page, and how learners are able to scan from one item to the next. Titles and headings can indicate priority and provide direction within the visual framework of a page or set of pages in an online course. This helps to structure the document and help learners establish a flow through course content.
Hierarchy is a key element of readability. Titles and headings establish visual hierarchy, and enhance the learner experience creating a pattern or sequence through the learning content. This will help learners find their way and visually guide their progress through the course.
References:
Lazareva, E. A. (2006). The headline complex of a text – a means of organizing and optimizing perception. Proceedings of the Ural State University, 40, 158-166.
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General Suggestions
Establish a consistent use of the heading styles built into the LMS for module headings, learning asset headings, and subheadings.
Keep your titles and headings short, and contextualize them with subheadings or an introductory paragraph.
Step back from your screen and squint your eyes to see if there’s a pattern that emerges on the page (there should be). This will let you know where you may need to add more visual cues and headings.
Create an outline and establish a hierarchy for every course page, considering what is most important, least important, etc.
Read through the first few words of every title or heading to be sure that they stand on their own and provide enough guidance for learners to scan through and know where they need to pick up reading again.
OSCQR has been developed by a community of online practitioners interested in quality course design. There are numerous opportunities for community members to offer suggestions, donate resources, and help with future development.
Course is free of grammatical and spelling errors.
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The instructor is considered the expert in the classroom, and course materials should reflect that expertise — including spelling and grammar. The online course can be considered a learning asset in and of itself, and should be presented with professionalism and integrity.
Errors in grammar and spelling can cause some learners to question the quality of the course or program. It is common to glance over writing errors, but it is important to check for grammatical and spelling errors before sharing it with learners.
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General Suggestions
When writing course materials, step away for a while and return to reread the materials with a fresh look. This will enable you to notice errors that you may have missed.
Write course materials in a word processing application that has spelling and grammar checks built in, then copy that material into the LMS.
Turn on spell checking functionality within your browser.
Consider establishing a peer review group of other faculty and course developers to check grammar and spelling in your course.
If you are teaching a new course, create an avenue for learners to let you know if they find any grammatical or spelling errors. Give them explicit instructions on how to let you know, and acknowledge their observations.
This blog post from the Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching from Grand Canyon University explores how grammar still matters in both the academic and professional realm.
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OSCQR has been developed by a community of online practitioners interested in quality course design. There are numerous opportunities for community members to offer suggestions, donate resources, and help with future development.
A logical, consistent, and uncluttered layout is established. The course is easy to navigate (consistent color scheme and icon layout, related content organized together, self-evident titles).