Workshop plans development of UNE Web site

December 17, 2007

Representatives of two organisations that have established large, diverse, and innovative Web sites with an educational focus visited the University of New England earlier this month to talk to UNE staff members planning the future of the University's Web site.

Jenny Millea from education.au (a not-for-profit agency, funded by all Australian governments, providing innovative technology solutions for education and training) and Gabrielle Shaw, a Senior Research Analyst from "ABC Innovation" (a group within the ABC that develops multimedia technologies, including the ABC Web site) spoke to participants in the one-day workshop.

Those participants were 20 UNE staff members who came together to discuss the future function of the UNE Web site and the resources needed to maintain and update it. They included UNE's Web Working Group, which has managed changes to the academic areas of the Web site over the past five months and is completing a business plan for the site.

The guest speakers contributed both technical information and personal perspectives, Ms Shaw emphasising the importance of the Internet for any organisation today in "delivering information and encouraging stimulating engagement".

An important stage in updating the Web site has recently been completed. Consistent formats have been developed for staff members to provide information on subject areas, courses and units to help prospective and current students plan their study programs. These pages are two-way linked to the Academic Database, which is UNE's official source of information about units and courses.

Professor David Cottle, who chaired the Web Working Group over its five months of operation, said consistent information on new courses and many subject areas had already been posted on the Web site at http://www.une.edu.au/study. These pages are designed to include a general background to each subject, linked information on related courses and units, testimonials from previous students, audio clips of lecturers talking about their subjects, career possibilities, and contact details of staff members able to give more information.

Professor Cottle said a major aim in updating the Web site was to encourage engagement by both current and prospective students by making UNE pages more likely to be found by Web search engines, and – once found – easier to negotiate through the use of simpler, more consistent information architecture and menu systems.

A PHOTOGRAPH of UNE's Professor David Cottle with the guest speakers at the workshop - Jenny Millea (left) and Gabrielle Shaw - can be seen by clicking on the image at the top of this page.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at December 17, 2007 06:04 PM