 | Until 2020 “Course format” choice was left to individuals. As part of the pandemic response the Eden Centre contacted departments to introduce quick measures to create a semblance of consistency. The collapsed topics format was chosen as the quickest format choice, but it does not create appealing or navigable courses, and it is not entirely accessible. Eden.Digital recommend the grid format, and in 2022 we will be pushing forward a programme of changing all Moodle courses to that format. |
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The grid format is accessible and lends itself to clear, decluttered design; avoids scrolling; makes navigation on small handheld devices easier.
The collapsed topics format is less visually appealing, but lends itself to linear and chronological structure. However, it is not as accessible as the grid format and we will endeavour to phase this out in 2022. Accessibility and Universal Design are key watchwords by which we will judge a course to be acceptably formatted.
Departments can contact eden.digital@lse.ac.uk to arrange a meeting to discuss and develop programme-wide templates based on the Moodle for Learning Baseline Principles.
Grid Format | Collapsed Topics Format |
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Grid Format is an attractive and compact arrangement and allows students to navigate to sections quickly, which is a particular boon when using a mobile phone or tablet. The grid format supports keyboard and screen reader navigation. However, within the course settings Show all sections on one page is enabled, each topic (box) will display as a pop-up keyboard tab key or a screen reader navigation will remain attached to the main section. This can be resolved by using the setting Show one section per page. Enrol in our asynchronous self-paced Moodle Basics Course Grid Format. | Collapsed topics format suits those who like their moodle course to be structured linearly and following the patterns of term weeks. However, while Collapsed topics format can be accessed using a screen reader, they can't be opened using a keyboard. Additionally, users using either the keyboard or screenreader can't use the Open all/Close all links. |