Content Analysis – Teachers’ Desktop and TwinSpaceSommarøy, Norway
Friday 14th and Saturday 15th June 2013
Overview
1. Overview – aims of this session
2. Work of the task force on Public portal
3. Three R’s applied to the Teachers’ Desktop and TwinSpace
4. Blue-sky thinking – brainstorming session
OVERVIEW – AIMS OF THIS SESSION
Update
Existing tools review
Envisioning the future eTwinning Desktop
WORK OF THE TASK FORCE ON PUBLIC PORTAL
Analysis of recommendations
January 2013
Content Review taskforce
Background timeframe to Activity
2012
September: New Portal Launched
October: Content review task force agreed at Management meeting
October-November: Task force reviewing Portal content
December: Revised content launched
2013
January: Analysis of Content review
NSSs involved
9 NSSs were involved in content review:
Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany,
Hungary, Latvia, Spain, Switzerland and the UK
2 NSSs reviewed one section only
1 NSS had 2 reviewers, who shared the overall
review of content
Some points to consider
1. New release of Portal effected December 2012, addressing ‘weaker’ pages and with more audio-visual content
2. Not everyone reviewed every section, reviewers had the option of leaving questions blank
Reporting Segment
The Analysis was divided into four main segments:
Reflection (on the current portal)
Recommendations (for future changes)
Reference (to best practice on NSS portals)
Overall layout (Is everything where it should be?)
Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?
Four main audiences were identified:
New users
Existing/experienced users
Everyone
Press
Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?
This is an important consideration because:
It influences the portal design and the content we put there
It echoes discussions at the design stage regarding whether or not the Public portal should address an existing audience or newcomers only
Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?
Findings of the Content Analysis Task Force
The Discover section is aimed at mixed audiences:
What is eTwinning? and How to get Involved for Newcomers
Tools for experienced users (although it was felt that Tools should be placed elsewhere)
Support Services and Publications for all users.
Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?
Findings of the Content Analysis Task Force
The Connect section is also aimed at mixed audiences:
Join the eTwinning community for Newcomers
Browse peoples, schools and projects for all users.
Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?
Findings of the Content Analysis Task Force
It was felt that the Collaborate section (Gallery, Kits, Modules and Pupil’s Corner) is mostly for experienced users
It was felt that the Progress section (Workshops, Awards, Learning Events, Training and Groups) is also mostly for experienced users
Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?
Findings of the Content Analysis Task Force
It was felt that the Keep up-to-date section (News, Press corner, Interviews and Friends of eTwinning) is for all users and also for Press
It was felt that the Get Support section (Help, Contact, Guidelines, Glossary and FAQs) is mostly for experienced users
Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?
Reflections and recommendations
We need to understand who our Key Audience for the portal is – there is a surprising amount of content for more experienced users, even though our Analytics show that they tend to bypass the portal and go straight into the Desktop
I would recommend further analysis with end-user validation
Reflection: How effective is the content?
NSS reviewers were asked to look at each page on the portal and categorise its effectiveness using the following standards:
Very effective
Effective
Ineffective
Reflection: How effective is the content?
It was felt that the Discover section was generally
effective or very effective
There were comments regarding the Tools section – ie. that it didn’t address eTwinning tools (this has since been rectified) and that it might not be in the right section
There were comments regarding the Support Services which seems to be duplicated under Get Support (this has since been rectified)
Reflection: How effective is the content?
It was felt that the Connect section was generally
effective or very effective
It was also felt that the Collaborate section was
generally effective or very effective
It was felt that the Get Support section was generally effective or very effective
Reflection: How effective is the content?
It was felt that the Keep up-to-date section was
generally effective or very effective, with the exception of the Interviews page, which was considered to be ineffective.
This page has subsequently been relaunched as People Say - it now contains much more interactive content and can be found in the Discover section
Reflection: How effective is the content?
The main concern around content effectiveness was in
relation to the Progress section.
Whilst the Learning Events, Awards and Groups pages were considered to be effective, the European Workshops, and Training pages were considered to be ineffective
Reflection: How relevant is the content?
NSS reviewers were asked to look at each page on the portal and decide whether or not they thought it was relevant to the end user. They were given three possible replies:
Relevant
Not relevant
Don’t know/not sure
Reflection: How relevant is the content?
It was generally felt that all sections are relevant to the end-user. Some individual issues were highlighted as follows:
The Support Services page under Discover is a duplication of the same page under Get Support
There may be some confusion/conflict between information on the European workshops page and information on the national portals
The Guidelines section should be split up into smaller segments (this has already been rectified)
Reflection: How relevant is the content?
Reflections and recommendations
To investigate areas of synergy and/or conflict with the national portals (eg. information about European workshops) and propose and more streamlined approach
Recommendations
A more detailed report on recommendations can be seen in the Content Review analysis spreadsheet, however, I have tried to capture some of the main recommendations in the following slides.
Recommendations – 5 main priorities
1. Make the pages less ‘text-heavy’
2. Provide more explanation on some of the pages (eg. Browse people, schools and projects)
3. Some pages are a little bit out-of-date and should be updated more regularly
4. Some pages are unattractive (eg. with dark heavy lines and small or irrelevant images)
5. Some pages should be made more visible on the top level
Recommendations – other suggestions
- Some pages could do with a better layout - Some pages are in the wrong place - Information is duplicated - Rename some sections (eg. Get Inspired instead of Collaborate)- Logos should look more professional- An Advanced search option on Projects Gallery, Kits and Modules- Add a publishing date to news items- Provide more language support, eg. on Guidelines- Improve download links, as they sometimes don’t work, especially on the
Press section- Don’t use too much jargon, eg. using eTwinning specific terminology in the
Discover section- Implement Technical improvements eg. not having to retype search words
Reference
The task force was asked to reflect on synergies between the main eTwinning portal and their national portals
They were also asked to provide some best practice examples – a more detailed report of this is available on the spreadsheet, however, the following slides show two examples of best practice from National portals
Reference – Best practice Example 1
Section:
Discover/Get Support – Support Services
Example from France
Using a more visual
interactive map, rather
than a long list of NSSs
Reference – Best practice Example 2
Section:
Connect/Browse people, schools and projects
Example from Latvia
Using a more detailed
interactive map which
lists all projects by
location
Reference
Reflections and recommendations
That the task force should continue to explore synergies and best practice between the main portal and the national portals
Overall layout: Are things where they should be?
It was generally agreed that most pages are where they should be – some recommendations were made as follows:
Move the Tools page to Collaborate
Move Join the eTwinning community to Discover
Move Friends of eTwinning to Get Support
Incorporate the Glossary within Guidelines, ie. not on a separate page
Overall layout: Are things where they should be?
Reflections and recommendations
That the CSS considers task force recommendations, but also considers carrying out further end-user validation
THREE R’S APPLIED TO THE TEACHERS’ DESKTOP AND TWINSPACE
Activity 1 - Reconstruct
Desktop
1. Homepage2. Profile3. Projects4. Find eTwinners5. Teachers Rooms6. Resources7. Helpdesk
TwinSpace
1. Homepage2. Project Activities3. Blog, Chat, Guidelines4. Teachers5. Pupils
Structure of the current eTwinning Desktop and TwinSpace
Teacher’s Desktop - HOMEPAGE
CSS News NSS News
Mailbox
Notifications Learning Events/Groups
Quick Poll
Teachers’ Rooms
Teacher’s Desktop - PROFILE
My Photo (Gallery)
About me My eTwinning Life
My contacts
eTwinning and me: My JournalMy projects
My resources
My teachers rooms
Teacher’s Desktop - PROJECTS
Search Create
Project information – Open/Closed/Pending Actions
Teacher’s Desktop – FIND ETWINNERS
Quick Search Your messages
Find eTwinners Search tool Forums
Teacher’s Desktop – TEACHERS ROOMS
Topic cloud - Search My Rooms
Teachers Rooms Search tool
Featured
Popular
Teacher’s Desktop – RESOURCES
Latest uploaded resources
Search tool – Upload - Manage Featured external
resources
Teacher’s Desktop – HELPDESK
Helpdesk Forum
Room information – links to guidance
Chat Room
TwinSpace- HOMEPAGE
Mailbox New to TwinSpace?
Calendar
Latest ActionsMember
Management
Members
Link to TwinSpace public pages
TwinSpace – PROJECT ACTIVITIES
Activities Welcome message
Manage activities
Manage activities – Create/Reorder/Publish/Delete
TWINSPACE – BLOG, CHAT, GUIDELINES
Search Blog Add Blog entry
Chat Guidelines
TwinSpace – TEACHERS
Welcome message
Forum File Archive
TwinSpace – PUPILS
Welcome message
ForumFile Archive
THREE R’S APPLIED TO THE TEACHERS’ DESKTOP
Activity 2 – Reflection/Discussion
1 – What is the purpose of each section?
2 – Does the section work?
3 – How could the section work better?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
THREE R’S APPLIED TO THE TEACHERS’ DESKTOP
Activity 3 – Record your ideas
1 – Does the section work? Write Y or N
2 – How could the section work better?Comments on pieces of paper
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
BLUE-SKY THINKING – BRAINSTORMING SESSION
WireframesEvolution or Revolution?
Paper-based
Computer-based