Accessible Moodle (implementation guide)

The course is clearly structured and not overloaded.

What is meant by this?

The structuring of a Moodle course is crucial to ensure that learners can easily understand and access the course content. The learning materials, activities and information are arranged in such a way that they are easy for students to understand and access. There is a clear hierarchy and outline to help students understand and navigate the course.

Overloading should be avoided; instead, the content should be provided in appropriate portions to prevent students from being overwhelmed. This enables better processing and absorption of the learning material as well as effective engagement with the course content.

Why is it important?

A clear course structure facilitates navigation and orientation for all students, regardless of their individual needs. Students with visual impairments, cognitive impairments or learning difficulties are particularly dependent on a well-organized course environment. They need clear instructions and a clear structure to effectively grasp the course content and focus on learning.

In addition, avoiding overload helps to reduce the cognitive load on students. Too much information or too many tasks at once can be overwhelming, especially for students with attention problems or learning difficulties. A well-structured and non-cluttered environment allows students to better process the learning material and focus on the tasks, which ultimately improves their learning performance.

How can I implement/check it?

Here are some steps and recommendations to make the structure in Moodle effective:

1. Divide your course into clearly defined modules or lessons. Each module should cover a specific topic or learning section. This makes it easier for students to find their way around and access the relevant content.
2. If a module contains extensive information, you should use subpages to better organize the content. For example, you can have a main page for each module that provides an introduction and overview, and then create subpages for specific topics within the module.
3. Use clear and meaningful titles for modules and subpages. The titles should reflect the content or topic well so that students know what to expect.
4. Organize your course so that the modules or lessons are arranged in a logical order. Students should be able to progress from one module to the next without getting lost.
5. On the main page of the course, you can create an overview that informs students about what to expect in the course. This can include a list of modules or lessons with short descriptions and links to the individual sections.
6. Use Moodle's navigation functions to enable students to easily switch between modules and subpages. For example, use the menu block element to make the structure of the course visible.
7. Add clear instructions and expectations to each module or activity so students know what they are supposed to do.
8. Review your course structure regularly and ask students for feedback. Adjust the structure accordingly to ensure that it is effective and meets the learning objectives.