What Students Want

Who Are We?
MJ Ray
Former Student Union Webmaster
tsw Founding Editor
Andrew Savory
Former Student Union Webmaster
Former University Webmaster
Luminas

Why We're Here
Some time in Higher Education
6 years working on SU sites
4 years working on tsw
5 years work on HEI sites
Now semi-detached

WebsitesThatSuck.com
Are university sites really that bad?
No!
Yes...
Well, maybe.
Lots of useful information
But is it "What Students Want"?

What HE Sites Try to Do
Marketing (prospectus etc.)
Course information
Timetables
Reading lists
Results and grades
Enrolments
Term dates
Event information

What Students Want
Prospectus
Course information
Timetables
Reading lists
Results and grades
Enrolments
Term dates
Event information

Why Aren't They Happy?
"I just want it to work."
"It's always out of date."
"I still haven't found what I'm looking for."
Actually: "I want it structured to find what I want without searching through links and pages."

Why Aren't They Happy?
"It has to look nice for students thinking of coming here."
"I want links to the Student Union social stuff."
"I don't trust it."
(too much marketing material to draw students in?)

How to Improve?
Structure and Organisation
Separate student material
Types of content
Mostly right, but some missing
Quality
Timeliness

How to Improve?
Simplicity and elegance vs. "Wow!"
Accessibility
Work with Student Unions to gain credibility

Remember the Audience
Paying customers now?
Legal requirements
Teaching Quality Assessment

Summary...
Much done right
Still strive to improve
Listen to the audience
Ask "what students want"!

Top Ten Tips for Tip-top Sites
1) Provide the basics first
2) Update the information
3) Segregate the information
4) Maintain consistency
5) Use Student Unions to complement your content
6) Get institutional buy-in to providing services
7, 8, 9, 10) Ask them what they want!