Educator WebsitesFriend or Foe?

Presented byJeff Gullion

Instructor, Information TechnologyDes Moines Area Community CollegeIBEA Conference October 15, 2005

The Good The Bad The Ugly

• The Good– What you like and what most people like

about websites

• The Bad– What you dislike and what most people dislike

about websites

• The Ugly– Oh my gosh! Somebody really paid money

for that?

What do you like about websites?

“The Good”

What do you dislike about

websites?

“The Bad”

The Ugly

• Learn from the worst!– http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com– Books– Articles– Web sites

Website Design Guidelines

• Websites are about communication

• Websites are about content!

• Depends upon how you intend to use it.

• Efficiency and Usefulness are the key!– Usability– User Friendly– Useful Content

Website Design Guidelines

• Design is about personal preferences

• What one person doesn’t like the next one will.– You can’t please them all, just try not to

irritate most of them!

• Style your site for how YOU will use it

• Experience is your best bet! Use and do what you like!

Content Suggestions

• Syllabus• Assignments• Reading suggestions• Class related materials• Time sensitive material• Resource Links

– Related material or websites– Other instructor websites– Other courses or related courses– Other schools

‘Cool’ Tools

• Instant Messaging or IM • Blogs• Message Boards• Polls

– Class related– Humor– Current events http://www.aol.com

• Quizzes– Daily comprehension checks Practice questions

‘Cool’ Bells & Whistles

• Videos– Mouse?– Keep them small and limited– Give your visitor a choice!

• Audios– Are they relevant and small?– http://jeffglover.com/ss/sucky02.php– Give your visitor a choice!!

Do’s and Don’ts

• Match the Content to your class/course!

• Use it!

• Use it in your class!

• Use it yourself!

Do’s and Don’ts

• Don’t ignore it and hope it goes away!

• Don’t make fun of it.

• Don’t make it bigger than you can keep updated

• Don’t make it something you can’t use.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Have a purpose and a goal for your website

• Be able to discuss what it will do – for you as an instructor– for your students– for your class or course

Most Annoying Issues

• Msspellings and Typose• Too wide for standard monitor “horizontal

scroll”• Poor legibility

– Hard to read font– Poor contrast between font and background

• Busy Background – http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/9448/b

ack.htm

Most Annoying Issues

• Home page without content– http://www.angelfire.com/rebellion/babb/– Home page / Splash Page

• Advertising – Ads– Pop Ups– Pop Unders

• Broken Links

Most Annoying Issues

• If the page isn’t finished don’t display it!!!– http://www.cs.utah.edu/~gk/atwork/

– Do you really want to tell people you haven’t done this yet? Oh, my house isn’t clean yet!

– Google 154 million pages with “under construction”

Most Annoying Issues

• Any blinking icons!

• Hit counters– Bad for small sites “Doesn’t anybody come

here”– Too easy to ‘set’

• Distractions from your website’s purpose!

Print Media vs. Web Media

• Print media is different from Web Media• Text presentation on a web page

– is broken up by headings – is shaped into lots of punchy, single idea paragraphs – puts key phrases in bold face – bullets key points – avoids jargon and rhetoric – is straightforward, and – is short.

• Paper – Eye’s focus on upper left corner• Monitor – Eye’s focus on center of screen

Best Practices – Summary

• Know what your website will do for you!

• Know what you are willing to do for your website

• Make the content useful to you and your students

• Keep it simple and focused

• Grow it as your usage grows

Best Practices – Summary

• Learn the tools as you need or want them

• Use the website!

• Believe in what it will do for your and your students!

• Have fun!

• Go to class! Learn new things from your students! Use the Internet where appropriate.

Educator WebsitesYour Friend!

Presented byJeff Gullion

Instructor, Information TechnologyDes Moines Area Community CollegeIBEA Conference October 15, 2005

jhgullion@dmacc.edu