• Your students will not know what the resource or activity is for and why they should open it.
• It will make it difficult for them to find the individual item they are searching for.

Use action names. For example: “Download the assignment notes”, “Join the discussion in the data forum” and “Submit your research proposal”.
Keep resource/activity names unambiguous and short.

• If you have a number of resources and activities that belong together consider indenting. This allows students to see at a glance which items are related.
• Use a folder resource when you have multiple files that need to be grouped together. This avoids cluttering up your course section with a long list of files.

Don’t fill your module homepage with a block of text.

• Dense blocks of text intimidate the reader and create a poor first impression.
• It is also difficult to read for students with low vision, dyslexia, autism or other reading disabilities.

Don’t use uninformative links or headings i.e. Click here. 

• Use a simple, readable font and font size.
• Use simple sentences and bullets to break text.
• Align text to the left.
• Keep paragraphs short.
• Use the page resource to create links to further information.
• Using the Page resource will allow you to place detailed information on a web page and create a link that can be visited separately.
• Write descriptive headings and links i.e. Campus map.

• Do not use animated or flashing text. This is distracting and difficult to read.
• Avoid using italics.  Italic text can be challenging to read on the screen.
• Do not overuse bold text. This should be used sparingly for emphasis.
• Do not underline text. Underlining should be reserved for hyperlinks.
• Do not write in capitals. This will be difficult to read for students with visual impairments or reading disabilities.
• Do not add background colour to text. This will clash with the theme and will be difficult to read, particularly for students with visual impairments.
• Avoid using colour as the sole means to convey information or meaning.

• Clear headings will help draw the student’s attention to important information.
• Use headings and sub-headings to break up content.
• Use bulleted lists can make your points stand out and break up information into retainable chunks. Ensure that these lists are short (5-10 items).

• Do not use low-quality images
• Do not use excessively large images
• Do not use flashing graphics.
• Do not use images with high colour contrast.

A low-quality image will appear pixelated and unclear. Ugly scroll-bars will be generated to allow the student to view an overlarge image.

Images that flash or that have a high colour contrast will be distracting and will not be accessible to students with visual impairments.

• Do be aware of copyright and ensure you have agreed rights with the image copyright holder, the image has a suitable fair use or Creative Commons
  (http://www.creativecommons.org.uk/) licence, or you or the university own the rights.
• Use images and diagrams to support text. This is useful for students that have reading or cognitive disabilities.
• Include alternative text to every image for accessibility. The alternative text should be a concise description of the information conveyed by the image. This is also crucial for screen readers.

• Use links to multiple videos. Using links for multiple videos will improve page load times and appearance. It will also give your student the choice of when to view each video.
• Provide captions or transcripts for videos. Not only will this be helpful for students with hearing disabilities, but it will also be useful for students with cognitive impairments or for students with English not being their first language.