Module Leaders have control over how their course will be structured by changing course format. Choosing the right format can help you structure and organise your course and enable students to find the information they need quickly.
Recommended format:
- Topics (core) – the best format in supporting adaptive technologies. Can be “all sections on one page” or (recommended) “one section per page”.
Other formats:
- Collapsed topics (plugin) – Most commonly used format at Brookes and accessible. Some flexibility around how these topics/sections are labelled (can be weeks or each section heading can be renamed). Easy to move content between sections. Similar to the core “Topics” format (which comes with Moodle) but allows for collapsing which can improve the interface for larger courses.

- Grid (plugin) – It displays the course sections in a grid format and can be effective with a set of consistently-designed images. The images in the grid are classed as “not accessible” but it is unlikely that the images will be used to impart any unique information. To optimise accessibility:
- Grid Format set to “Show one section per page”
- Topic/Section titles should remain visible in the grid (screen reader can’t read text in an image)
- If titles are positioned inside the box, text should have a high-contrast background colour

- One topic (plugin) – Can be effective but use of sub-topics will render the experience “not accessible”. Awkward to move content between sections in the course.

More articles:
- How should I structure my course? (coming soon)