Enhancing Navigation & Accessibility: iframe Removal in itslearning
As part of our efforts to make itslearning more accessible and user-friendly we are making making a technical change to itslearning where we remove ‘iframes’ from the where teachers and students spend most of their time. make of the platform, and will continue to remove them this year. iframe (short for "inline frame") are a type of HTML element used to embed one webpage within another. While they can be useful for separating content, iframes can also create barriers to accessibility.
Why are we Removing iframes?
iframes make showing 3rd party content much more simple, but present some challenges:
Screen reader compatibility: Assistive technologies, such as screen readers, often struggle to clearly communicate iframe content, making navigation difficult for visually impaired users.
Challenging keyboard navigation: Moving in and out of iframes can be difficult for users relying on keyboards, leading to frustration or missed content.
Mobile and responsive Design: iframes don’t always adapt well to different screen sizes or zoom levels, affecting usability on mobile devices and for users with visual impairments.
Confusing context: Without proper labels, iframes can make it unclear to users what content they are interacting with, causing confusion.
What does this update mean for you and what are the benefits?
By removing iframes, we are simplifying the structure of itslearning and ensuring a smoother, more accessible experience for all users. This change is part of our mission to provide a platform where everyone can learn effectively and efficiently.
Better pages titles - when you bookmark itslearning you will get a unique link with a descriptive title.
A more accessible user experience – Enhancements that improve usability for all users.
Better navigation – A more consistent “back button” experience for smoother workflows.
The only noticeably side-effect teachers and students will see if when you scroll down a page the top menu will scroll too.
[diagram]
From Course pages: This screen recording shows that you can scroll freely up and down without the top menu staying visible as you scroll.
What will happen?
We are removing iframes across itslearning section by section. This means you will see benefits in some areas before others. We have already remove iframes from the administration area and the course cards pages. Between spring and autumn 2025 we will all remove them from:
Projects/Groups (the student’s course area)
Course > Options > Settings (pages beneath ‘Manage course settings’).
Course > Options (optional course items such as links).
Course > Reports (pages beneath 'Reports’ in top menu).
Course > Participants (pages beneath 'Participants’ in top menu).
Course > Plans (pages beneath 'Plans’ in top menu).
Course > Resources (pages beneath 'Resources’ in top menu).
Courses > Overview (the home page of the course showing announcements, etc.).
You can continue to use itslearning as normal as we are not changing navigation or workflow as part of these improvements. Thank you for your understanding as we continue to improve itslearning for all.