Activity Challenge: Accessible Moodle Links

Description 

You made it to Challenge No. 2!

In this 20-minute activity, you will learn how to create accessible links and why it is important when creating inclusivity in your Moodle courses. Creating accessible links is essential to making online content accessible for everyone, including those with disabilities. By the end of this activity, you will learn some great tips and be able to create accessible links in your Moodle courses that are usable by everyone.

To get started

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Inclusive Learning with Links 

There are guidelines that can assist you when you make your links accessible.

Screen Readers - When students use a screen reader, they navigate the content in different ways. For example, students can reach links in your content without moving through the surrounding content, skipping, and going directly to the links by using the [TAB] key. That is why each link should be accessible via keyboard navigation. Meaning, the links you include need to make sense so the student knows what the link is for.

* Note that regardless of whether or not a screen reader is being used, these guidelines still matter. When you use descriptive text, the student will have an easier time understanding why the link exists.

Moodle Toolbar

There are three linking functions in the Moodle toolbar. The Link functions are found between the number list and image icons in the Moodle toolbar. From left to right:

1. Link - Depicted as an icon looking like a chain. When highlighting text or an image, this function brings up a "Create Link" text box where you can enter the URL you wish to link to and choose whether clicking the link opens a new window or populates the current window.
2. UnLink - Depicted as an icon with a broken chain. This function allows you to take an existing link and disable it by highlighting the link and clicking the UnLink button.
3. Prevent Auto Link - Depicted as an exclamation point. This function allows you to remove any auto linking that can happen within your Moodle content when referencing other activities and resources.

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Activity

This activity will walk you through how to 

To get started, navigate to LCC's Moodle website and log in. Then navigate to a course you have edit privileges, to do the following exercise.

Creating a Link with Text or an Image

1. Navigate to the activity or resource where you want to create an accessible link and open the edit settings.
   
2. Review your content and choose the text (or image) that you want to use as your link.
3. Using the information above, determine if the text you want to use as the link description meets accessibility guidelines. 
   1. If the text does not  meet accessibility standards, rewrite the description using the examples mentioned above. Then move to step 4.
   2. If the text does meet accessibility standards, then highlight it and go to step 4.
4. Click on the "Link" icon in the text editor.



5. In the "URL" field, enter the web address of the page you want to link to. You can also choose whether you want the link to open in a new window by checking the box underneath the URL text box.
   1. NOTE: It is not considered accessible if your links opens in a new window. So it is recommended to not check that box.
      
6. Click "Create Link" to connect the URL with the text on the page.
7. Check that the link is working correctly by clicking on it and verifying that it takes you to the intended page.

Submission

To enter the Accessibility raffle with this challenge:

1. Take a screenshot of the area in your course where you applied this exercise.
2. Click the submit button below and upload it.
3. Write a few sentences explaining what you choose to do. Work with an image or a line of text. 
4. Submit your work.

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Reflection

After completing this activity, take a few minutes to reflect on the importance of creating accessible links in online content. How can this small step make a big difference in ensuring that your Moodle course is accessible for all users, regardless of their abilities? How can you apply this knowledge to other aspects of your online teaching and content creation?

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Bonus!

Did you know that Moodle creates automatic links?


True story!

If you have Moodle activities and resources in your course like an assignment, page, Moodle book, or quiz, you can link directly to that resource. How? By using exact names.

A Scenario - Referencing an Assignment

1. You create an assignment. Let's say you name it "A3: Contrasting Colors".
2. Now you want to explain or reference that assignment in your weekly overview for that week.
3. While in edit mode in Moodle, navigate to your assignment and click the edit pencil next to the assignment on the main Moodle course page.
   
   
4. The label will be highlighted. 
   
   
5. Copy the label to ensure you have the exact name of your assignment. Then press the return key on your keyboard to get out of the edit window.
   
6. Then go to your Moodle Page where your overview is and paste your label where you want that link to be.
7. Once you save and display your Moodle Page, you will see that your assignment title has a link.
8. This allows the student to click and be directly taken to the assignment.

Pretty cool huh?

Disabling an Overabundance of Links

A Scenario - Referencing the Syllabus

Let's say that you reference your syllabus several times in a document. Therefore, each time you type the word "Syllabus" an automatic link is added. What if you only want the link to happen once, the first time you mention Syllabus and not the rest? Here is how you disable.

1. Navigate to the link you want to disable. 
2. Highlight that link.
3. Go to the Moodle toolbar and click the "Prevent Auto Link" button.
4. That specific word will not create a link. 
5. Apply this to any auto link created to disable it.