educator websites friend or foe? presented by jeff gullion instructor, information technology des...

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