Academic Course Content
Academic course content includes everything students engage with as part of a class: Canvas pages and modules, assignments and quizzes, uploaded documents and slides, embedded videos, and learning activities hosted in other tools. While Canvas is UC’s primary learning management system, many courses—especially online programs and micro‑credentials—also use external tools, publisher platforms, and media.
Accessible course content ensures that all students can navigate, understand, and participate in your course from day one. It also reduces last‑minute scrambling when accommodations are needed and creates a better learning experience for everyone.
Focus Areas for Course Content
Course content often combines several formats—web pages, documents, media, and data. These Core Concepts are especially important when you design or update your course.
Titles & Headings: Use meaningful page titles, module names, and headings within pages so students can quickly tell what each item is about and where they are in the course. In Canvas and other platforms, heading levels should reflect a clear structure (for example, page title, main sections, and subsections) so students using screen readers can navigate efficiently.
Alt Text: Provide alt text for images, diagrams, screenshots, and icons that convey important information in your course pages, assignments, and quizzes. For purely decorative images, mark them as decorative or omit alt text so screen readers skip them. For complex visuals like concept maps or process diagrams, consider brief alt text plus a more detailed explanation in nearby text.
Hyperlinks: Use descriptive link text for readings, videos, external tools, and assignments so students know what they are clicking on without needing to read the surrounding sentence. Avoid bare URLs and generic phrases like “click here” or “link.” Clear link text is especially important once course content is copied, moved, or reused in new contexts.
Color Contrast: Ensure that text in course pages, headings, banners, and buttons has enough contrast against its background so students can read it on different screens and in different lighting. Do not rely on color alone to indicate status or correctness (for example, “items in red are wrong”); always pair color with text labels or icons.
Navigation & Order: Organize modules and pages in a logical sequence that matches how you expect students to work through the course. Within pages, make sure headings, instructions, content, and activities appear in a sensible order. Students using screen readers or keyboard navigation should encounter content in the same meaningful sequence as sighted students.
Copy Formatting: Keep course text concise, well structured, and easy to scan. Break long blocks of text into shorter paragraphs, use lists for steps and requirements, and avoid overusing bold, italics, or all caps. Clean up copied text from syllabi, publisher sites, or previous courses so fonts, spacing, and formatting are consistent.
Captions & Transcripts: Provide accurate captions for lecture recordings, narrated slides, and key video content, and make transcripts available for audio‑only materials such as podcasts or recorded discussions. This supports students who are deaf or hard of hearing, English‑language learners, and anyone who prefers reading or reviewing content at their own pace.
Technical: Use your LMS’s built‑in tools for headings, lists, quizzes, and links rather than pasting heavily formatted content or custom HTML. When you add external tools, publisher content, or custom activities, consider whether they work with screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive technologies.
Tools to Know
Canvas is UC’s primary learning management system for organizing course content, activities, and assessments. Using Canvas pages, modules, and assignments with built‑in heading styles, lists, and link tools helps preserve structure and navigation for all students. Canvas also offers features such as the Rich Content Editor and an accessibility checker that can identify common issues within pages and assignments.
Ally is integrated into Canvas to help you improve the accessibility of course files. It provides indicators for how accessible uploaded documents are and offers guidance and alternative formats to support students who need content in different forms. Ally’s feedback can help you prioritize which files to fix and show you step‑by‑step changes to make.
Kaltura is UC’s enterprise media platform for hosting and managing video and audio used in courses. It supports captions, transcripts, and playback controls that work across devices. Using Kaltura instead of ad hoc video hosting makes it easier to caption and manage your media in a consistent, accessible way.
Many instructors also rely on Microsoft 365 tools—such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel—for course documents and presentations. These tools include Accessibility Checkers and built‑in features for headings, lists, and alt text. Starting with accessible files in Microsoft 365 makes it easier to upload, share, or convert content for use in Canvas or other learning environments.
As online programs and micro‑credentials expand, new tools and platforms may be introduced. Whenever you adopt a new tool, check its accessibility documentation, look for clear support for screen readers and keyboard navigation, and consider how well it integrates with UC’s existing systems.
Sample Use Cases
Use a descriptive page title and start with a brief overview of what the page covers. Break content into sections with headings, such as “Objectives,” “Readings,” and “Activities,” and use short paragraphs and lists for steps or requirements. Avoid embedding long documents as images; instead, provide accessible documents or present key information directly on the page. If you include media, note where captions or transcripts are available.
Keep the structure of weekly modules consistent so students know what to expect. For example, each module might begin with an overview, followed by readings, media, activities, and assessments in the same order each week. Use meaningful titles for each item and avoid duplicating names like “Lecture” or “Assignment” without context. Make sure the items are published in the sequence you intend, and confirm that students can move through the module using only the keyboard.
Before you upload a file such as a syllabus, article, or slide deck, make sure it is accessible in its original format: headings are styled correctly, images have alt text, lists and tables use built‑in tools, and link text is descriptive. Run the Accessibility Checker if the tool offers one (for example, in Word or PowerPoint) and address any errors or warnings. Once the file is in Canvas, review any feedback from Ally to see whether further improvements are needed.
For required course videos—especially lectures and key instructional content—provide accurate captions and, when possible, transcripts. If you record new videos in Kaltura, review and edit machine captions for accuracy, or request professional captioning when needed, particularly for students with accommodations. Clearly indicate which videos have captions and where students can find transcripts or written versions of important information.
When you add interactive tools, simulations, or publisher content to your course, review the vendor’s accessibility information and test basic functions with a keyboard and, if feasible, a screen reader. Consider whether students can navigate, complete tasks, and receive feedback without relying solely on a mouse or visual cues. If a tool has accessibility limitations, plan alternate ways for students to meet the same learning objectives and consult with your accessibility or instructional design contacts before making it a required part of the course.