Five Things That Drive Engagement for All in eLearning
By: Angela Belitskus, M.Ed., LPC
Do you use captions for videos or TV shows? When was the last time you set an alarm, just by talking into your phone? Closed captioning and speech-to-text are examples of accessible technology. At first, they were mainly for people with disabilities. Now, these tools help everyone.
Accessible design means formatting your content so anyone can use and understand it. It’s not just for people with disabilities. Online training becomes more engaging for everyone when it’s accessible. Here are five things that drive accessible eLearning design and engagement for all learners.
1. Active voice
The easiest way to transform your content is to use active voice. According to the federal plain language guidelines, active voice is when you make the subject of each sentence clear. The subject of a sentence is “who” is doing the action.
Avoid passive voice because it’s confusing. Passive voice makes it hard for the audience to know what to do.
2. Clear layout
Build a clear course layout. It helps your audience follow along easily and reduces cognitive load. Cognitive load is the amount of information people can process at one time. When they get too much data at once, it reduces what they remember. Create an organized and logical flow by using:
- A template for headers, footers, titles, and content areas
- White space to divide and group elements in a logical way
- Consistent line spacing and alignment
3. Easy navigation
Some people use assistive technology like a screen reader to convert text to speech or braille. Others cannot use a mouse. Make sure people can easily navigate every part of your course, regardless of their abilities, by:
- Setting the tab order to make sure people can logically navigate content, buttons, menus, and activities
- Ensuring your course works on various devices, including computers, tablets, and smartphones
- Avoiding inaccessible words that rely only on vision or the use of a mouse
4. Descriptive multimedia
Every element in your eLearning course tells a story. When you use visuals and media as part of your storytelling, remember to describe these elements so everyone can understand.
- Use alternative (alt) text to describe how an image relates to your content
- Add closed captions (CC text) to your videos to describe the spoken dialogue and important sounds
- Provide a transcript of any audio content, which includes dialogue and a description of the important visual elements
5. High color contrast
Color contrast is how text appears against the background. High color contrast means that a document’s text color is different from its background color. Proper color contrast is not just helpful for people with visual impairments. It makes it easier for everyone to navigate their course.
- A simple way to ensure your course has high color contrast is to use dark text, such as black, on a very light background, such as white
- Use the WebAIM Contrast Checker tool to check foreground and background color
When you use these five techniques, you’re creating an engaging eLearning experience for everyone. For more accessibility tips, review the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.
Rainmakers Strategic Solutions
Rainmakers Strategic Solutions LLC (Rainmakers) is a certified 8(a), economically disadvantaged woman-owned small consulting firm, founded in 2008 to provide expertise and highly practical solutions in support of the government and commercial sectors. Rainmakers’ principals are respected professionals with demonstrated success for clients facing evolving requirements and constituent needs. We develop, implement, and improve programs by applying insightful methodologies and delivering innovative results that address and simplify complex issues, streamline processes, and reduce costs. We have a genuine focus on achieving and maintaining an impeccable business relationship with our customers and supporting them in their efforts to improve processes. Client satisfaction is our most valuable asset and exceeding our customers’ expectations is our primary goal. For more information about our key cornerstones—excellence, passion, and knowledge—visit www.rainmakerssolutions.com, call (443) 348-8067, or connect with us on our social media channels:
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Accessibility & Accessible Information Statement
Rainmakers is committed to providing accessible information for all visitors. We strive to adhere to the globally recognized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 level AA. Our commitment includes designing our website to be compatible with various assistive technologies, providing keyboard navigation, using alternative text for significant images, using clear and concise language, maintaining a consistent structure and organization, and welcoming user feedback. While we continually review and improve our website’s accessibility, we appreciate your understanding that it’s an ongoing endeavor. If you have any accessibility-related concerns or questions, please reach out to our accessibility team at info@rainmakerssolutions.com.