ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½

1. A Homepage is included with clear links to key content

To meet this standard, all the following items are included:

• Short introductory welcome message from the Module Lead/s
• Keep the homepage lightweight (avoid long text blocks or resource overload)
• Clear links to the key sections of the course:
  • Course Overview
  • Learning Modules
  • Student Support
• College branding applied using approved tile, banner and quick links imagery from the branding portal and asset library

2. Key items are reachable within two clicks from the homepage

To meet this standard, all of the following are accessible within two clicks:

• Teaching team contacts (and education office if not using Programme course)
• Timetable / Celcat calendar link
• Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
• Assessment information and submission portals
• Reading lists (Leganto link)
• Module handbook and/or Programme information (if not using a Programme Course) 

3. Course navigation is clear and consistent. Unused menu items are hidden

To meet this standard, all of the following items are in place:

• A clear course menu structure is in place  
• Navigation links are presented in a consistent order across the programme of study, department and faculty
• Unused or unnecessary navigation links are hidden from student course navigation (e.g. Files, Pages, Quizzes) 

4. Course structure uses the Modules feature, organised by weeks, themes or topics

To meet this standard, all of the following items are included:

• Content is organised into clearly labelled canvas headings (week, theme or topic)
• Course structure follows a logical order; content is populated consistently across each unit to ensure a consistent student experience
• Each unit contains a brief introduction and wrap-up to contextualise the content for ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ 

Optional

• Completion tracking is switched on for core learning activities
• Module timetable is available as a downloadable .ics calendar feed
• Key events/activities are added to the Canvas calendar where feasible

Why aim for this?  An .ics feed lets ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ add the timetable directly to Outlook, Google or Apple Calendar. Completion tracking gives ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ visibility of their own progress and provides staff with engagement evidence. 

5. Important course information is presented upfront

To meet this standard, all of the following items are included:

• Module Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
• Contact information for staff including availability, office hours, communication preferences, response times, profile picture and link to staff imperial profile  
• Information on how the module will be assessed and how assignments align with learning outcomes
• Information on assessment deadlines and format (e.g. exam, coursework, presentation)
• Lecture and seminar timetable with room locations — or clear instructions to find it on Celcat
• Information on where to get help and support 

6. A communication strategy is set out and made clear to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½

To meet this standard, all of the following items are in place:

• Set out a communication strategy: which channels are for what purpose (announcements, email, discussion forums)
• Expected reply timescales are stated  
• Set out how to book office hours (in-person/online)  
• Information on how last-minute changes (e.g. room moves) will reach them

7. Student support services are signposted in a consistent location

To meet this standard, links to all of the following are provided (can be housed at programme level to avoid duplication):

Tutoring and pastoral support / personal tutor contacts Wellbeing services

• Library
• Disability Advisory Service
• Tech helpdesk (Imperial ICT) 

Optional

• Provide asynchronous peer spaces (moderated forums or groups) to build community.
• Include netiquette/community guidelines to sustain positive interaction. 

Why aim for this? Peer spaces help build community, especially in larger cohorts, those in part-time work and juggling other life events. Netiquette guidelines set expectations for respectful conduct before peer assessment or group work activities begin.  

8. Key learning content is populated within the course

• To meet this standard, all of the following items are included:
• Lecture slides / notes ideally available before face-to-face sessions
• Panopto recordings folder link (note: this must be added manually to the placeholder each year)
• Leganto reading list with mandatory and wider reading clearly distinguished
• Information on how learning activities align with module learning outcomes
• Multimedia content (e.g. scorm) is embedded in Canvas pages rather than linked out to external resources
• PowerPoint slides are shared in original .pptx format where available, rather than PDF, to preserve transitions, animations and embedded videos
• Copyright law is followed; readings are shared via Leganto

9. Instructions are provided for all interactive tools and content

To meet this standard, all of the following items are in place:

• Instructions or practice activities are provided for interactive content: quizzes, polls, discussion prompts
• Guidance is provided for blended modalities: short videos, interactive slides, readings
• Tool-specific guidance is provided for any specialist software used in the module, e.g.
  • Jupyter Notebook or other analysis software
  • Mentimeter or other interactive tools

10. Instructions are provided for group activity

To meet this standard, all of the following items are in place:

• Guidance is provided for how to carry out group tasks, case studies, or collaborative activities  
• There is a group activity that is low stakes / formative if deliberately using group activity summatively

Optional

• A brief purpose statement accompanies each resource or activity (e.g. 'This prepares you for ILO 2 and the Week 3 seminar')
• The relevant ILO(s) are identified for each item
• Self-paced online content (interactive slides, short videos, pre-reading quizzes) is used to free face-to-face time for active learning 
   

Why aim for this? Labelling with ILOs helps ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ prioritise their time and understand the connection between teaching content and assessment. Self-paced pre-session content is associated with deeper engagement during face-to-face sessions (flipped classroom). 

11. Assessment information is published for every assessment in a consistent format

To meet this standard, every assessment must include all of the following:

• Publish assessment briefs early: task, criteria/rubric, deadlines, weighting, formatting/referencing.
• Information on how to use online submission portals (Turnitin/Canvas Assignment)
• State grade and feedback timelines and format (e.g., within X working days, via Canvas gradebook).
• Link to academic integrity expectations and institutional policy.
• An AI policy and use statement — specific to this module, not generic — is included for every assessment 

 12. Assignments set up in Canvas follow the correct settings and regulations

To meet this standard, all of the following items are in place:

• Grade release policy is set to manual  
• Assignment groups are set up – at a minimum one formative and one summative, and are appropriately weighted and naming conventions are used
• Due, 'Available from' and 'Until' dates are correctly set, with consideration of extensions, exceptional circumstances and late submissions
• Online submission portals are used: Turnitin/ Canvas Assignment  
• All grades and feedback are returned through the Canvas gradebook
• An Academic Integrity acknowledgement (required read per ICL policy) is included in every module

Optional

• Peer assessment via Turnitin PeerMark  
• Self-assessment checklists provided
• Feedback modes include one alternative to written comments: audio feedback, group debrief, or feed-forward reflection form
• Structured reflective practice prompts included (e.g. post-assessment reflection / feed-forward form) 
   

13. Compliance with legislation for all developed resources

To meet this standard, all of the following items are in place:

• Ensure materials meet digital accessibility standards (headings, alt text, descriptive links, contrast, readable fonts). See the cheat sheet as a reminder 
• Use copyright-cleared readings (via Leganto reading list systems)  
• Student data is handled in line with GDPR / data protection requirements

Optional

• Canvas Accessibility Checker run on all pages before publishing  
• Ally, used to review module-level accessibility score and address low-scoring content

Why aim for this?  Ally automatically generates alternative format downloads for ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ (audio, ePub, tagged PDF) with no extra effort from staff. Multiple formats reflect Universal Design for Learning principles and benefit all ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, not only those with a registered disability. 

14. Student feedback is gathered during the module and headline actions are shared back

To meet this standard, all of the following items are in place:

• A mid-module feedback survey is run for example, a survey (e.g. Canvas-native survey/ MS Forms / Padlet / Qualtrics)
• Headline actions from feedback are communicated back to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½

Optional 

• Online engagement and completion data are reviewed for Canvas, Panopto and other ed tech platforms at the end of each module run
• Findings inform year-on-year decisions about content — e.g. repositioning, replacing or removing under-used resources 
  An annual accessibility review is conducted, ideally involving ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ who use assistive technology

Why aim for this? Analytics turn anecdotal impressions into evidence. If a pre-reading is consistently skipped, it may need to be repositioned, shortened, or replaced with a short video. Involving assistive technology users surfaces issues that automated checkers miss.