MJ Ray | ||
Former Student Union Webmaster | ||
tsw Founding Editor | ||
Andrew Savory | ||
Former Student Union Webmaster | ||
Former University Webmaster | ||
Luminas |
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 |
Are university sites really that bad? | ||
No! | ||
Yes... | ||
Well, maybe. | ||
Lots of useful information | ||
But is it "What Students Want"? |
Marketing (prospectus etc.) | ||
Course information | ||
Timetables | ||
Reading lists | ||
Results and grades | ||
Enrolments | ||
Term dates | ||
Event information |
Prospectus | ||
Course information | ||
Timetables | ||
Reading lists | ||
Results and grades | ||
Enrolments | ||
Term dates | ||
Event information |
"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"It's always out of date."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." |
"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?) |
Structure and Organisation | ||
Separate student material | ||
Types of content | ||
Mostly right, but some missing | ||
Quality | ||
Timeliness |
Simplicity and elegance vs. "Wow!" | |
Accessibility | |
Work with Student Unions to gain credibility |
Paying customers now? | |
Legal requirements | |
Teaching Quality Assessment |
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! |