Panorama FAQs
Panorama is a Moodle-integrated tool to support both faculty and students.
For faculty, it provides accessibility indicators — smiley or frowny face icons — that rank the accessibility of course content.
For students, it provides a menu of alternative formats, such as podcasts, e-reader files, and immersive readers, for course documents without requiring instructor intervention.
Panorama is among the resources being made available to support faculty and staff in their efforts to meet federal and state accessibility mandates by April 24.
The Instructional Support Team recently provided an as part of our 10-Minute Tech Talk programming and opened the floor to discussion afterward.
Below are some of the questions and concerns the team has heard from faculty encountering this new tool, along with answers and guidance.
Questions & Answers about Panorama
Q: Can I use Panorama for documents outside of Moodle?
A: Yes. Through the Reports tab in each Moodle course, you can navigate to "Panorama" to find your course dashboard. Included there is a "DocHub" that acts as a storage space where you can upload and fix documents before using them elsewhere.
Q: What should I do with inaccessible PDFs that I didn’t create?
A: If you do not own the copyright (e.g., a journal article or textbook scan), you should not try to fix it yourself. Instead, contact the publisher and request an accessible version.
Q: Why does Panorama still show an issue after I use the Microsoft Accessibility Assistant?
A: The Microsoft tool is helpful for basic checks, but Panorama uses a higher standard () required by federal mandates. Consequently, Panorama may flag issues that Microsoft's built-in checker missed.
Q: I fixed my document, but the frowny face won't go away. Why?
A: One common reason is the file format. Panorama requires modern, accessible file types. For example, a Word document must be saved as a .docx rather than the older .doc format to be recognized as fixed.
Q: Can students see the "frowny face" accessibility scores?
A: No. Students only see a generic accessibility icon (a blue Vitruvian man) which gives them access to alternative formats. They do not see the faculty-facing accessibility rankings or indicators.
Q: Does Panorama fix my documents automatically?
While Panorama doesn't automatically change your original files without your input, it does offer a "Remediation Engine." For certain common issues, like missing alternative text for images or incorrect font contrast, you can apply fixes directly within the Panorama interface. Once you approve the changes, Panorama generates a new, accessible version of the file to replace the old one in Moodle.
Q: Can I see the accessibility of my entire course at once?
A: Yes. In your Moodle course, you can access the "Panorama Course Report" under "Reports" and then "Panorama." This dashboard gives you an overview of your course's accessibility, showing you which documents need the most work and providing a list of issues across all files in one place.
Q: What happens if I have a document that cannot be made accessible?
A: If a document is truly impossible to remediate (such as a very old, poor-quality scan), the best practice is to provide an alternative. Panorama helps here by offering students "Alternative Formats" automatically, but faculty are encouraged to find a modern digital version of the text whenever possible.
Q: Will Panorama check my Moodle "Labels" or "Pages"?
A: Yes. Panorama doesn't just check uploaded files like Word and PDF; it also scans HTML content created directly within Moodle, such as "Pages," "Labels," and "Book" chapters. You will see an accessibility icon for these items just as you do for uploaded files.
Q: How does Panorama help students who don't have a disability?
A: Panorama follows the "Universal Design for Learning" (UDL) philosophy. For example, a student commuting on a bus might use the "Audio Podcast" format to listen to a lecture reading, or a student with a slow internet connection might download the "Plain Text" version of a heavy PowerPoint. These tools help everyone, regardless of their physical abilities.
Q: Who do I contact if I'm stuck and can't get a document to "Green"?
A: The Office of Distance Learning Instructional Support Team is the primary point of contact to support faculty with Panorama. Email us at distancelearning@louisiana.edu or attend one of our weekly for hands-on assistance.
