WebCT: Content Guidelines

WebCT course content should be simple, clear and uncluttered. Look carefully at existing material and remove unnecessary elements when preparing for delivery via WebCT (eg. School banners/logos). Much is already included in the Brookes WebCT template in terms of navigation, icons and banner. The inbuilt navigation (ie. Action menu) is sufficient in most cases. You do not need to include "next" and "previous" buttons within individual pages. Hyperlinks should be used wisely to enhance the document without causing confusion for the reader. Less is more. Consider grouping hyperlinks on a separate content page or use the External Links page.

We have created a simple, but clean looking template in Dreamweaver which you may like to use. 

Arial should be used as the default font throughout the document. (In Dreamweaver choose the Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif combination)

Heading (H3)

Sub-heading (H4)

Body Text
Size pt 12 (Word) or -1 or 2 (Dreamweaver/FrontPage)

It's advisable to use variations in size and weight of text instead of colour to signify headings, as this facilitates accessibility by visually impaired users. You can of course use colour, but it's suggested this is in combination with a change in size/weight.

To break up text, Horizontal Rules can be effectively used. Keep them to between 25 - 75% of the page width. At 1 pixel high with no shading they are very effective: 

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Page Size

Pooled computer room machines have a screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels, and this is also the resolution commonly set up on off-the-shelf PCs.The main content area is approx. 600 pixels wide within the WebCT framework.Length of document should not exceed 3 screens when scrolling.

• Images should be included for pedagogical, not simply decorative, value.
• We suggest that images included in your content do NOT exceed 500 pixels wide, or 300 pixels high. 
• Smaller thumbnail images are best. This enables fast download times and makes for a clear page layout. We advise that illustrations within the content page should not exceed 150 x 150 pixels. Maintaining consistent dimensions throughout the content makes for a clean and functional page layout. 
• If you need to include larger images they can be made to appear in a separate browser window. (Media Workshop can advise).

150 x 150 pixels	300 x 300 pixels

Colour

Tables

• Creating columns using tables

It's advisable not to create mutliple columns of text within a page. Packages that are commonly used by visually impaired users have difficulty in interpreting text which is broken into multiple columns. 

Tables can be used to create a single column of text beside a column containing images without effecting accessibility. Indeed, this can very effective.

• Table Size

Table width should be defined relatively (ie. As a percentage of the page width) so that they wrap to a variety of screen sizes. Table height will be automatically determined by its contents.
We advise that tables should not exceed 90% of the page width.
 
• Borders

Table borders should be used sparingly, although they are useful when presentating data.

Accessibility