Life @ Otis : Faculty Life

Style Guide


  

 

Below are best practices in presenting course content digitally.

For O-Space ePortfolios - top 10 tips

COLOR   Color is a great way to add visual interest, but try to use more dark/vivid colors when it comes to text. Bright colored backgrounds can make it hard to read - stick with more neutral/pale colors.
     
EMBED MEDIA   Embed videos directly into the ePortfolio whenever possible.
It is irritating to have to constantly navigate back and forth.
     
LINKS   When including web links, set the link to open in a new window or tab.Common web practice as makes it easier to navigate back and not lose the original page you were on.
     
SCHEDULE   When listing assignments, it is nice to have it broken down by week with details explaining the coursework in addition to providing an overview snapshot, a grid with assignment names and due dates.
     
TEXT   It is hard reading a lot of text on a screen. Try breaking up content with headers, short paragraphs. Avoid scroll fatigue, the endless page of text, as it is intimidating and off-putting.
     
HELP   Helps students know where to go if they run into trouble or what to do if they have questions bu including a help section or technical support area. It isn't enough to list the assignment - explain how it is to be accomplished if technology is involved.
     
LABELS   Have all sections/pages labeled clearly.
     
ORGANIZE     Keep content together to avoid needlessly having to bounce around to different sections and areas within your ePortfolio to complete a single task.
     
EMPHASIS   Emphasize what is important (like due dates) using font, size, style or color.
     
USABLE  

Your students’ experiences are important to consider – is it complicated to navigate? Stay consistent. Chunk information into 5-9 groups, any more may overload the visitor’s short term memory on a single ePortfolio page. If something is important, make sure the visitor can get to it in a minimal number of clicks — a best practice is three clicks or less.


Web Guides

Alignment   Online Style
Design + Delivery Principals   Structuring Your Prose
Legibility   Typography