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Why Headings Matter?
Headings are essential for three primary reasons:
- Structure & Navigation: They provide a logical outline and hierarchy. This allows readers to scan for information quickly and enables the automatic generation of a Table of Contents.
- Accessibility: They are critical for users with visual impairments. Screen readers use heading tags (H1 through H6) to jump between sections, making navigation possible without reading the entire text.
- Responsive Design: Headings are flexible elements that automatically rescale for different screen sizes (phones, tablets, and desktops), ensuring your content remains legible on any device.
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Automated Scanning with UDOIT
The UDOIT tool scans the HTML of the following content items to identify potential issues:
Announcements
Assignments
Classic Quiz Instructions
Discussions
Pages
Syllabus & Module URLs
UDOIT specifically looks for issues with existing Page Headings (H2, H3, H4...).
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Understanding Heading Levels
Heading 1
Main Title
Use this once per page for the main document title.
Heading 2
Subsection
Major sections within the document.
Heading 3
Topic within a Subsection
Breaking down subsections further.
Heading 4
Detailed Topic
Specific details within a topic.
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Key Take Aways
summary & Key Takeaways
- Avoid "Title" or "Subtitle" styles. Instead, use Heading 1 (H1) for the title of the document or page. When exporting to PDF or other formats, "Title" and "Subtitle" styles may not be recognized by screen readers.
- Create correctly from the start. Use heading structures during the initial creation of documents rather than retroactively updating them.
- Digital Literacy. This workflow may take a little getting used to, but it will help you integrate accessibility as part of your own digital literacy across different tools.