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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Staff should commence updating old links on the following sites and resources:

• AskQUT
• QUT Virtual
• QUT Blackboard
• Department intranets
• Printed publications, letters, student communication

Any site that isn’t in scope for the project (sites in scope are still subject to the content freeze).

This will further improve the online experience for students and will also improve administrative procedures and communications in the long-term.

Please remember that information on the Student Gateway is for current students only – it will not contain information for prospective students. If you are looking for prospective student information, visit www.qut.edu.au.

Thanks very much for your help and support. As always, we’d love your feedback – you can comment on the blog, email the team through web-services@qut.edu.au or use the online feedback form.

• Information session video

Now that the Student Gateway is live, we would love to hear what you think, so please use our feedback form or email web-services@qut.edu.au.

It is necessary to move the launch date back due to the following:

• The amount of effort and time required to get the Student Gateway live.
• The need to provide adequate time for all faculties to quality assure the new site.
• Finalising the Student Gateway has given us a much clearer sense of the amount of time needed for thorough quality assurance and testing.

We will be in contact will site owners shortly to begin final preparation for launch.

Thank you for all your assistance to date!

www.student.qut.edu.au

The Gateway is the now the default homepage for all student labs and widespread communication is occurring on digital signage, internal messaging and during O-week to promote its release. Information sessions have also been held on both campuses for service staff and an ‘all student’ email from the Registrar will sent for the start of semester.

Redirects are now in place for the following sites:

• Student services
• International student services
• Student support services
• Arrivals
• Exchanges
• Orientation
• TILS service catalogue

Redirects ware also be in place for some sections of sites:

• Faculty student zones
• Research Students Centre

Editing access

Access for editors will open on Monday 25^th of July. If you would like to request changes to your content in this time, then please use our feedback form or email web-services@qut.edu.au.

Please be aware that we will still be working through minor teething issues and edits in the coming week.

Thank you for all your support and hard work getting this site live! We look forward to hearing your feedback.

Student Gateway

• User acceptance testing – Wed 6 – Fri 8  July
• Launch - Thur 14 July

Corporate site

• User acceptance testing – TBA (week of 18 – 22 July)
• Corporate site – Thur 28 July

I will advise on the Staff Gateway launch one we are closer to finalising the Corporate Site. Ideally it will also go live on the 28th, but I will advise closer to the date.