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Typography and learning design

Guide to Using Headings Effectively

Headings play a crucial role in structuring content, making it more readable, accessible, and professional. This guide provides comprehensive instructions on the use of headings, including their importance, hierarchical order, and formatting conventions.

Why Use Headings?

Headings break the content into sections, slow reading, and help the reader track how ideas are connected. They refresh the eyes and improve readability, especially in online courses where readers scan for information.

Key Benefits:

  • Organisational Clarity: Helps in structuring content clearly.
  • Readability: Enhances the ease of reading and comprehension.
  • Navigation: Assists readers in finding specific information quickly.
  • Logical Flow: Ensures the content builds gradually and logically.

Tips:

  • Use plenty of headings for online courses.
  • Before drafting, give sections meaningful titles, break them into subsections, and identify all different pages.
  • Check the logical flow by reading headings only at the end of the draft process.

How Many Heading Levels are Available in iQualify?

iQualify supports two heading levels plus the Title style. If another level is required, use bold text.

Available Levels:

  • Title Style
  • Heading 1
  • Heading 2

If additional levels are needed:

  • Use bold text for subheadings beyond Heading 2.

Importance of Using Headings in Order

Maintaining a logical and hierarchical order of headings is essential for several reasons:

  1. Readability and Structure:

    • Organisational Clarity: Provides a clear structure, making it easier for readers to follow.
    • Logical Flow: Ensures a logical progression of ideas.

  2. Accessibility:

    • Screen Readers: Assistive technologies rely on the hierarchical structure of headings for navigation.
    • Search Engines: Improve SEO by helping search engines understand the structure.

  3. Consistency and Professionalism:

    • Uniform Appearance: Maintains a professional and uniform layout.
    • User Expectation: Meets reader expectations for content structure.

  4. Editing and Maintenance:

    • Ease of Updates: Simplifies editing and updating content.

Best Practices for Using Headings

  • Use Sequential Order: Start with Heading 1 for the main title, followed by Heading 2 for major sections, Heading 3 for subsections, and so on.
  • Avoid Skipping Levels: Do not skip heading levels (e.g., jumping from Heading 1 to Heading 3). Ensure each level follows sequentially.
  • Be Consistent: Maintain consistent heading styles and formatting throughout the document or course.
  • Use Descriptive Titles: Ensure each heading clearly describes the content that follows.

Writing and Formatting Headings

Guidelines:

  • Write headings that describe what follows. Use short and lively phrases.
  • Use Word’s heading levels in Styles when drafting content.
  • Create headings using the Styles pane in Word.

Formatting Rules:

  • Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only.
  • Do not use full stops in headings.
  • Do not introduce acronyms in headings.
  • Do not number headings.

Multi-Part Headings:

  • For headings with multiple parts, the first subheading follows a colon, in sentence case.

  • The next subheading follows an en dash (not a hyphen), also in sentence case.

    Example:

    less
    Open Polytechnic: Distance education – A learner’s story

Additional Considerations

  1. Examples and Visuals: Include visual examples of correctly formatted headings within iQualify.
  2. Detailed Case Studies: Provide case studies or real-life examples of well-structured courses.
  3. Interactive Elements: Use interactive elements like quizzes or checklists for self-assessment on heading usage.
  4. Accessibility Considerations: Ensure headings are accessible, including tips for screen reader compatibility.

Conclusion

Using headings effectively is crucial for creating well-structured, accessible, and professional content. By following the guidelines and best practices outlined in this guide, learning designers can enhance the readability and organisation of their materials, making them more engaging and easier to navigate for all learners.

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