On the future development of AU web portals for students
Since the autumn 2013, a taskforce has been examining user experiences at studerende.au.dk, and analysing the results.
The purpose of the analysis has been to `come up with suggestions for an objective that should act as a guideline for the structuring of the front page of the AU website, as well as for the global navigation at studerende.au.dk, and at the individual study portals´ (quoted from the purpose description of the project).
The recommendations of the working group can be summarised as follows:
- To simplify the structure of study portals, and to make sure that the students can find everything they need, via their own study portal
- To standardise structures and concepts across the study portals
- To ensure that the responsibility for a positive user experience rests upon an editor-in-chief, who, together with a cross-disciplinary editorial team, is responsible for carrying out the recommendations (and has the authority to do so), and who is also responsible for ensuring the continued operation of the study portals.
Linking a user panel to the working group, in order to ensure that any work performed on the study portal will be taking the needs of the users into consideration, now and in the future.
The recommendations have been further elaborated upon in a report, and the working group has accepted the recommendations as its guidelines for any future work on the portals.
The working group becomes a temporary editorial group
The working group, which until now has been working on the project students.au.dk, has now been transformed into a temporary editorial team for the portal, until an editor-in-chief is employed or appointed. The members of the user panel will be appointed, once a new editor in chief has been found, and a permanent editorial team has been established.
The project has now been concluded, and will be put into operation. The working group has received authorisation to start implementing the recommendations stated in the report.
Click here to read the report and the recommendations (in Danish).
Tasks of the editorial team
The editorial team consists of members from all main areas. Its primary function will be knowledge sharing (developing common terminologies, working procedures, etc.), and carrying out some of the minor structural tasks pointed out in the report. Furthermore, the group will attempt to break down the recommendations of the report, into concrete tasks, and then prioritise those.
Its first task will be to the structure of the individual platforms focuses upon the information most frequently asked for by the users, and that any irrelevant information is eliminated. Then, the structure is to be standardised, focusing upon problem solving.
The editorial team will be meeting once a month, starting June 23rd, 2014.
Contact person: Pernille Thorsen