Course Design
The best online courses provide these at the beginning of each unit.
What are learning objectives?
These are short, weekly prompts to get students talking and sharing ideas.
What are discussion questions or forums?
Instructors use this LMS feature to send messages to the entire class.
What are announcements?
This type of analysis includes detailed descriptions of performance levels.
What is a rubric?
These text alternatives describe images for screen readers.
What are alt text or image descriptions?
This tool in your LMS helps guide students through course content in a logical way.
What is a course module?
This synchronous tool builds community and offers real-time interaction.
What is a Zoom or live video session
What are office hours policy?
This form of feedback is delivered by peers, not the instructor.
What is peer review?
Videos must include this to support learners who are deaf or hard of hearing.
What are captions?
This type of content allows students to interact with course material in meaningful ways.
What is active or interactive content?
These short, interactive tools (like polls or quizzes) are used to check understanding during lessons.
What are formative assessments?
This communication style involves prompt, respectful, and supportive responses to students.
What is provided response time?
These low-stakes assignments help prepare students for major assessments.
What are practice quizzes or scaffolded assignments?
Color should not be the only means to convey information due to this condition.
What is color blindness?
This planning tool outlines course objectives, assessments, and instructional materials.
Syllabus
These regular, short videos or announcements from the instructor help keep students connected.
What are weekly updates or video messages?
These tools allow for real-time online meetings between instructors and students.
What is video conferencing?
It should be timely, specific, and actionable.
What is effective feedback?
PDFs, Word docs, and presentations must be checked for this to ensure screen reader access.
What is document accessibility or formatting for screen readers?
This type of learning path allows students to proceed at their own pace.
What is asynchronous learning?
This concept involves connecting course content to students’ interests and goals.
What is relevance or real-world application?
This strategy promotes clear expectations and reduces confusion by keeping all course communication in one consistent location.
What is centralized communication (e.g., using only the LMS inbox for communication)?
This feature, found in most Learning Management Systems, scans for accessibility issues and offers suggestions to improve content.
What is an accessibility checker or accessibility tool?
This federal law requires equal access to electronic information for students with disabilities.
What is Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act?