How Can Learning Management Systems promote Student Success?
Learning management service (LMS) providers can build their systems to enhance student success. Built-in mechanisms that encourage accessibility, diversity, and equity help online instructors and designers make sensible design decisions.
Accessibile
Help instructors identify and fix accessibility issues with robust LMS accessibility checkers (e.g., remind course designers when a table is used to designate row and/or header columns and a table caption).
Diverse images
Offer diverse images to help students develop a sense of belonging, increase connection with material, and cultural awareness.
Ungrading Options
Provide option for instructors to choose an ungrading scheme for their courses to emphasize feedback and student learning.
Unbiased Grading
Provide option to grade anonymously to avoid bias or favoritism.
Accessible Color
Display a warning sign or disable publishing content when the color contrast is not viewable by all learners. Only accessible color options should be offered to course designers.
Page Link Validator
Indicate invalid/broken links on each page, instead of asking users to find the link checker and run for the entire course, a task many course designers fail to do.
Minimum Font Size
Increase default font size for greater readability. Research indicates 14 point, sans-serif font is more legible and leads to faster reading.
Responsive
Provide responsive course content so that students can engage fully with the course content using mobile devices. Limit menu items and the number of 'clicks' to reach content.
Browser Agnostic
Allow students to connect on any browser.
Timely Help
Offer quick, helpful assistance when needed.