Ramping Up Accessibility in Course Organization

Here are additional ways to increase accessibility in your teaching.  When you’re ready to go beyond Accessible Teaching Basics, consider implementing one or two Ramping Up practices that suit your context. Aim for progress, not perfection. 

"Courses where information, modules, videos, lessons, and other learning sources are very organized are the courses I usually do better in. An organized online workspace makes it easier to plan for deadlines, assignments and lectures." (Student Quote from Zaza, 2025)

• Provide a weekly schedule in table format that shows how the course is organized. This visual overview of the course can help students stay on track.
  • To create an accessible table for the course schedule: Use Waterloo’s Outline tool. 
• Use LEARN tools for their intended purpose. For example, house lecture materials in content modules rather than in the announcements or the discussion forums. Clear navigation helps students focus their time and effort on learning materials, rather than finding materials. 
• Label LEARN modules with informative titles that describe the contents of the module so that students can quickly locate what they are looking for in the course. For example, if a module page includes instructions for an assignment, label the module “Assignment 1 Instructions,” rather than just “Assignment” or “Instructions.”  

• Be explicit about how you’ve organized your course. Instructors vary in how they organize their courses. Knowing how the course is organized can reduce unnecessary effort, so students can focus on learning.

To Go Further

• Highlight exceptions to assessment due dates. For example, if most assignments or quizzes occur on a Monday, and the due date moves because of a holiday, highlight the exception so that the revised due date is evident to students.