Clarity in Organization

Regardless of the platform you are using for remote learning, make sure sound design practices are employed. Below are some easy tips for course design:

  1. Use folders in Seesaw Links to an external site., clear title headings by unit or date in Google Classroom Links to an external site., and modules in Canvas to allow students to easily locate assignments and turn in work.
  2. Use clear and consistent naming patterns for assignments and assessments. 
  3. Keep your home page clean. Avoid distracting and irrelevant content. Images should reinforce content.
  4. Have a place where students can find answers to questions you are answering often. An FAQ page is helpful. 
  5. Use simple directions and word choices. Define words or link definitions of words that students might stumble over.
  6. Use best practices for accessibility:
    • Use Headers and Paragraph settings so that screen readers can appropriately read content.
    • Avoid bright colors (yellow, bright blue); opt for black, dark red, dark gray for text.
    • Use closed captioning for videos.  You can also use apps like Otter.ai Links to an external site. to generate transcripts from your audio. (Otter.ai offers 600 minutes of transcription free per month.)
    • Provide description of photos underneath the image (in Canvas you can do this when up upload/insert Links to an external site. an image in the "alt text" box).
    • Provide multimodal instruction and directions. Use audio and/or video, as well as images with text.
    • Check written materials for screen reader accessibility with tools like WebAIM Links to an external site..
    • Plan for asynchronous learning. Do not "grade" students on their ability to participate in live sessions. 
    • Some of your students may not be able to watch a livestream, whether it’s due to timing, internet access, or the ability to focus on a lesson via a videoconference. And some students have trouble processing information when it’s presented only in auditory form. If you’re delivering live instruction via video, record it for students to review or access later. You can upload the video to a space like Google  for linking or embedding, or send it to your students via email.

 

Resources

1. Good vs. poor page design example Links to an external site.

2. Canvas Page Templates (includes module organization) Links to an external site.

3. Sample Course (Coming Soon)

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