Web Redevelopment Project

As the Web Redevelopment Project is now over, we won’t be updating this blog anymore.

Thanks very much for your input, support and patience throughout the project. We really appreciate your help in creating something that we can be truly proud of.

Since launching the new corporate site and Student gateway, we’ve been continually working on improvements – based largely on your feedback and suggestions – and we’re still working with faculties and other groups to move their content into the new sites.

If you have any requests or questions, please send them to web-services@qut.edu.au.

Note: The Web Services team are kindly letting me use a spot on their project blog so I can keep in touch about the work I’m doing with Learning and Teaching Unit, and the opportunities to be involved. Thanks, Web team!

Get involved and do our card sorting activity

When you think about Learning and Teaching resources, how do you ‘box’ or categorise them?

Tell me in this online card sort.

The online card sort lets you put similar resources together (in a box) and then give the category (box) a name.

By participating in this card sort, you’ll help to build a picture about how we use and relate to these resources. Your input helps us to build better online experiences for everyone.

Some people even said it was fun.

Which project is this?

I’m working with Learning and Teaching Unit to look at the usability of the their web content, and to assist the unit in implementing QUT’s Web Strategy.

This also fits in with Learning and Teaching Unit’s REFRAME project, the new course design and assessment guidelines, and other projects that better support people in their day to day work.

I’m finalising my discovery phase at the moment where I’m aiming to identify:

• what information and resources are being used
  • can users find resources if they know the name of the resource
  • can users find a resource if they don’t know the name
• if terms and jargon are barriers to, or supporters of, engagement
• top tasks (supported by statistical analysis)
• how users find and access information and resources
• if there are differences in user needs between ‘types’ of staff.

I’ve held 9 focus groups where we wrote user stories, and I’ve also been facilitating usability evaluations on the existing content.

I’ve also looked at a lot of statistics and been able to identify some trends there, including most popular search terms.

Combining this research with this online card sort and consultation with our learning and teaching community will ensure we understand how people currently relate to this web content.

Questions?

As always, if you have any queries, I am just an email or phone call away, or drop into my new digs in U block.

A big thank you to everyone who has helped us review the new corporate site.

Since launching the site on 29th August, we have received a large amount of feedback. Due to the volume of feedback, we may not be able to complete your request immediately. We check each message to ensure we prioritise anything that:

• is non-compliant with acts and standards
• is critically broken
• puts QUT’s reputation at risk.

We publish most edits you make through the CMS the same day we receive them.

For other requests, we aim to address them within 5 business days of your submission. Sometimes, it can take us longer if it’s a complex request. We appreciate your patience as we work through the backlog.

On Monday morning, Web Services will be launching the new QUT website at www.qut.edu.au. This site is now focused on providing information for future students, staff, research and industry partners, and alumni.

We expect the site to be live before 9:00am Monday.

The following information should help you respond to website-related queries:

Access to current student web information

Students will need to use the Student Gateway to access their information (www.student.qut.edu.au). This includes quicklinks to QUT Virtual, QUT Blackboard, and other student applications and sites. There will be no quicklinks on the new corporate home page to these resources.

Access to current staff web information

Staff will need to use the Staff Gateway to access their information. The Staff Gateway home page has links out to existing QUT websites for staff including FRP, HR and other staff-centric websites. The search box on the Staff Gateway will search all QUT websites, plus staff directory and staff profiles. It is available now at www.intranet.qut.edu.au.

Searching on the new corporate site will not return results that are specific to current staff or current students. For example, HR information for current staff will not be searchable from www.qut.edu.au.

Redirects

We are implementing a large number of redirects to handle the transition. Some redirects can’t be actioned until after the site launches. We will be rolling these out during Monday. If clients are experiencing issues with redirects after Monday, please let us know through ITSM, AskQUT, or web-services@qut.edu.au.

Search results

Search results on the main QUT website will point to the CMS URL for the day, until the first search re-index is completed. This is unavoidable, and will result in some users seeing the site under the ‘cms.qut.edu.au/corpsite’ URL. This is harmless as this URL will still function correctly, but may be confusing for some users.

Caching issues

Users who have recently visited the current QUT website may not see the change immediately, or may have some issues with display. They’ll need to clear their cache (e.g. CTRL + F5 on a PC). This should only occur during the first day of launch, if at all.

Thank you for your support and assistance as we transition to the new website.

Many of the issues raised in user acceptance testing for the new site (UAT) relate to course information held in Studyfinder that is editable by faculty Studyfinder administrators.

The Web Services team has made the changes requested in UAT, however, after the site goes live on Monday, please direct requests to amend course information to the relevant Studyfinder administrator.

Studyfinder administrators

• BEE – Edward Buckridge
• Business – Zoe McGovern and Elisa Fina
• CI – Lisa Davies
• Education – Jo Wakefield (Yvette Higgins after the 8th of September)
• Health – Janine Duczmal
• Law – Alison Imber and Catherine Mackenzie
• Scitech – Jennifer Grossi

What course information can be amended by Studyfinder administrators?

Study area page e.g. http://cms.qut.edu.au/corpsite/study/study-areas/engineering-courses:

• Campus
• Attendance
• Start month

Overview tab:

• Attendance
• Duration
• Start month
• Delivery

Units tab: Everything

Entry requirements tab:

• Assumed knowledge and subject prerequisites
• Additional entry requirements (if applicable)

Costs and scholarships tab: Additional costs (if applicable)

Anything they can’t change?

The following changes need to be directed to Web Services at web-services@qut.edu.au.

Study area page e.g. http://cms.qut.edu.au/corpsite/study/study-areas/engineering-courses:

• Shortened course title

Overview tab:

• Careers
• Contact details (The Studyfinder working group decided to use SBS admissions as the default contact for all undergraduate courses, and faculty offices for all postgraduate courses. Discipline and course coordinators are no longer promoted as course contacts.)
• ‘You may also be interested in’ courses

Details tab: Everything (this content comes straight from the latest prospectus)

Apply panel

Enquire panel