Ally Scores 23′: How are we doing?
This academic year, the Digital Learning team set an ambitious challenge. Achieving 90% average score for accessibility using Ally on Moodle for LCC. Ally, is a plug in tool which rates and highlights accessibility issues on uploaded documents and Moodle pages content.
The scores are collated by Programme area. Monthly figures and an overall average figure can be obtained and tracked from the data. We started tracking the data last April and used that to help set the challenge target. The Ally score is consistently changing as new material is added, therefore the figure can go up and down in a short space of time. April 22 compared with April 23 shows a trajectory of improvement.
LCC Overall
Overall score for April 23 is 87%. However, during April the figure did reach as high as 92%. This has been an increase of 6.2% from 80.8% in April 2022. Focus has been on improving the accessibility content of learning materials for block 2 units sites. We hope to see good practice continue into the next academic year so that we can push this figure higher.
By School
Screen school has all their programme areas above 90% with and average score of 92.5%. Great work from everyone involved in working towards achieving this impressive score.
Design school has the challenge of a large number of images having contrast issues. This is to be expected in the area. More work needs to be done in mapping out good practice, yet keeping the educational value of images with contrast issues. Design School average is 76.7%.
Media School over all have improved since April 22 with an average score of 86%. Photography have improved the most with an increase of 13.5% which brings the score above the 90% target.
International and Progression have also had a large increase. They came from 52% low in April 22 and made the largest improvement to just below target at 89%.
| Programme Areas | April 22 | April 23 |
| BDI | 76% | 68.5% (-8.5%) |
| GDC | 60% | 76.5% (+16.5%) |
| IDVC | 87% | 85% (-2%) |
| Communication and Media | 79% | 83.5% (+4.5%) |
| Journalism and Publishing | 85% | 84.1% (-0/9%) |
| Photography | 74% | 90.4% (+16.4% |
| FTV | 73% | 95% (+22%) |
| MIDA | 87% | 92.2% (+5.2%) |
| SAM | 63% | 90.4% (+27.4%) |
| International and Progression | 52% | 89% (+37%) |
Low scoring courses
Ally rates pages using a RAG system. Red sites are below 37%, Amber sites are below 67% and Green are 68% and above. Next year we would like all courses to be above 68% and have a green rating. Screen School currently have no low scoring courses. The Digital Learning team will be working with programme areas to improve those course rated Amber or Red, in some cases by intervening directly on sites and materials. Some of this work will happen before the roll over for next academic year and some after it.
Top Issues
As a result of the work we have carried out during this academic year addressing the original ‘Top Issues’, these now shifted (see new list below). Colour contrast is now the top issue at LCC. This can be divided up into two areas; photography or graphic work that have contrast issues or presentations that use the wrong combination of colours, e.g.: yellow text on a non-contrasting background.
- Colour contrast – This could be with images but also within presentations.
- Document missing a title – PDF
- Document does not have language setting – PDF, PPT and Word
- Alternative text – In documents, PDF, PPT and Word
- Document is missing a heading – Word, PPT and Word
Support and Guidance
We have a wide range of accessibility training material on the teaching and learning hub including for PDF and PPT which gives guidance on alternative text and formatting word documents. You can book dedicated time with one colleague from the Digital Learning team to go through your Moodle page just with you. Just e-mail the team at lccdigitallearning@lcc.arts.ac.uk to book your time.