Keep it structured
Originally, I was going to include structure in ‘Keep it clear’ but the two together were getting a little out of hand, especially when thinking of the scroll of doom, and structure is a point worth making all on its own. So much so that I decided to tackle it first.
It is actually good practice for online content. Showing the shape of the content, the topics, the order etc, sets expectations and helps in managing time.
The ‘Keep it…’ titling I have used thus far for example is my way of noting what I consider the fundamentals of education regardless of the medium being used. You could, for the most part, read ‘lecture’ or ‘teaching’ instead of ‘writing’ throughout the ‘Keep it…’ sections and the points would still be valid. The order of the ‘Keep it…’ points is debatable as, theoretically, they should be done at the same time. How you handle that is up to you.
I’m sure, at some point I will create a post purely to signpost to the different sections and this is something to think about for your teaching content. Having a page or a menu that lays out the structure, especially if it takes your audience to the section they are looking for through links, enables another method of navigation and gives an overview of the content through the headings.
The two main components of structure for me are narrative and headings but I’ll start with headings.
While paragraphs and fonts give shape to your text, headings organise those shapes, signposting where certain information can be found and, where subheadings are used, how different pieces of information relate to one another.
Enlarging text and/or making text bold does not a heading make, though that will serve the visual purpose of a heading. When I refer to headings, I am talking about a specific formatting tool that not only creates a visual cue but also an auditory cue and keyboard shortcuts when using a screen reader. In word this is done with the styles, in PDFs it is done with tagging, and with web pages it is done with code though in all honesty you are likely not going to be coding it yourself.
I won’t bore you here with how to create headings in the different formats but if you aren’t sure, I’d recommend looking at the Microsoft support on how to add a heading. This method works on any application in the office suite and headings also enable both the automatic contents pages and navigation if you select navigation from the review menu ribbon. One thing to note if you’re using office 365 is that the browser version often has the latest features much, much quicker than the desktop version. If there is a particular feature you want to try but can’t find it on the application, do try signing into the browser version to see if you can find it there.
If you are more interested in creating headings in PDFs, I’d recommend looking at the Adobe help on reading order tools though it is also worth noting that, when opening a PDF from a web page, the accessibility of that PDF is entirely dependent on the browser your audience is using and its level of integration with Adobe. So in theory, you could have the most accessible PDF ever created but if your audience uses a browser that isn’t particularly supportive of Adobe features, the document may be rendered inaccessible.
Google docs is also surprisingly good for accessibility features like headings though your institution may discourage or outright ban the use of Google docs because of GDPR concerns. If you can and do use Google docs, I’d recommend looking at the Google help for adding a title, heading, or table of contents in a document.
Your headings, and the order of those headings will be determined in large part by your narrative. Narrative in this sense is at it’s most basic in that it takes your audience from point A, where they know very little about your topic, to point B, where they can demonstrate good knowledge of your topic.
You are the subject expert so you know how to build knowledge in your topic and the best order to do that in. That is what I’m referring to when I say narrative here. Make sure you advertise the links between the pieces of content and then do it some more. However well you think you have signposted what your audience needs to know, or however obvious you think the the links between the pieces of content are, advertise it more and in multiple ways.
Once you have that basic narrative, it is possible to start thinking about the more exciting forms of narrative. Could you tell a story and weave your content into it? Or hang your ‘dryer’ pieces of content onto an interesting story? Would a character make your content more engaging?
Case studies are also a part of narrative. They can be used to span the entirety of a course, relating different pieces of content off of specific points in the case study or as stand alone pieces to illustrate a point or for your audience to apply their understanding in a task. Don’t get lost in creating a pretty narrative though no matter how tempting it is, if you haven’t included the basics of what your audience needs to know. Get the core knowledge done and organised first. If you run out of time writing, you can add interest and case studies through the synchronous learning. If you run out of time half way through a story that is only somewhat related to the content, the synchronous sessions are going to be much more arduous.
Hopefully what I have said here is clear but let’s recap in a list, I love a list and they’re a good structural element too.
Headings
- Organise your text
- Can be used in a page or menu to give an overview of your content
- Provide a method of navigation to screen reader users
- Be wary of using headings as an excuse to make pages too long. No-one enjoys the scroll of doom.
Narrative
- Creates logic and builds knowledge
- Can add interest
- Can be used to exemplify points
- Signpost, signpost, signpost
- Be wary of getting lost in the narrative before the core knowledge is finished.
