Adding an image or a document

Two different things, with two different purposes: an image is part of the lesson, and a document is something the reader takes away.

An image

1. Add an Image block in the lesson editor.
2. Upload the picture, or choose one already on the site.
3. Add a caption if it needs one.
4. Write the alt text — see below.

Alt text is not the caption

The caption is shown to everybody. The alt text is read aloud to somebody using a screen reader, and shown if the image fails to load.

Describe what the image shows that matters here, not what the file is. “A map of Paul’s first journey, from Antioch through Cyprus to Galatia” is useful; “map.jpg” and “image of a map” are not. If the picture is decoration and carries no information, leave the alt text empty — that tells a screen reader to skip it, which is better than making somebody listen to a description of nothing.

A document

A lesson can carry a file for the reader to download — a worksheet, a reading, a transcript. It appears with the lesson rather than inside the text, so it is in the same place on every lesson that has one.

A file attached to a lesson is not protected by the course. Anybody who has the file’s address can download it whether or not they are enrolled. Do not attach anything you would mind being passed on.

Keeping files a sensible size

A 30MB scan is a slow page for everybody and an unusable one on a phone. Export images at the size they will be shown and PDFs at screen resolution rather than print.