eCourse Consistency Examples

Last updated: 5/23/2025

The following are a few of the various ways in which consistency can be implemented in eCourses to the benefit of learners:

  • (Relatively) Consistent slide layouts and visual designs
    • It needn't be that every slide in a course looks exactly the same or uses the same exact slide template, but some design consistency will benefit learners and mitigate the potential for confusion, anxiety, frustration, etc., especially for users who have certain cognitive disabilities
    • In particular, try to ensure that certain components present in every slide, especially interactive components like buttons for toggling manual play/autoplay or jumping to instructions, have a consistent location, so learners always know where to find them
  • Consistent reading order/focus order across all slides: this provides screen reader users with a more predictable and understandable experience, and may also provide secondary navigation benefits
  • Consistent button design and "visual language"
    • Consistency in the appearance of buttons — same shape, same button color, same text/icon color, same outline, same shadow effects, etc. — helps learners visually identify buttons
    • Similarly, using the same link text color for all links helps learners visually identify links; though, it may be appropriate to have two link text colors, used consistently throughout an eCourse: one for light backgrounds and one for dark backgrounds
  • Consistent word/verb choice in instructions and alt text: this helps learners, especially screen reader users and learners who have cognitive disabilities, know what behavior to expect
    • For example, using the same verb phrase in the alt text of any button that opens a pop-up layer — like, "Open layer title pop-up" — and the same (but different) verb phrase in the alt text of any button that directs users to a different slide — like, "Jump to slide title slide"
    • To extend the pop-up layer example: if you use "Open layer title pop-up" for the button that opens a layer, using parallel/consistent language for the button that closes the layer, like "Close layer title pop-up," could also help ensure screen reader user understanding
  • Slide title and name consistency: ensuring that the same title/name is used in all references to a slide will help users identify, differentiate and navigate to individual slides
  • Consistent keyboard shortcuts across all eCourses: that way, learners don't have to memorize a new set of keyboard shortcuts for every eCourse