Wright State University Library website critique and usability analysis

Wright State University Website Review and Critique

Website Critique

The website is an increasingly valuable medium to foster an institution of higher education's mission and, thereby, must be critiqued with rigorous standards to effectively serve the learning community. Benedict (1996) encourages student affairs professionals to embrace the personal responsibility to develop technology competencies, as he advocates technology will constitute a core competency in the 21st century (Benedict, 1996). In this regard, the following paragraphs will provide a critique of the current Wright State University Library website. To present a coherent layout, this critique will follow the current format of the website with a review of each page that warrants improvement.

Home Page

This page is a key opportunity to engage the user in the site information, as this will most likely be the first page seen. Whitney (2002) asserts that the goal of every website is to increase the probability of engagement with the user. As it is currently, this page invites students to become interactive with the website (Whitney, 2002). Although the links to the other pages are available, the page explicitly asks the student to explore further. In the libraries news section, the included news events do not affect the students at directly, and are thereby, irrelevant to this website page.

The schedule for upcoming events is confusing though current. First, the fact that the library's website highlights the meals and the activities taking place during the events is misplaced since they do not fall into the category of library event. Rather, it is a routine piece of schedule information that would be best served in another context. This page was retrieved on February 26, 2013 and from the website, the events are not organized in a systematic manner; this is evidence for the lack of website maintenance (Neilsen, 2003). Frequently updated information is an inexpensive way to enhance the content of the website and if the user knows that new items will be included on the website regularly, this will increase the probability that they will return. Additionally, colors used need to be understandable when printed or viewed without the color (Cavanaugh & Cavanaugh, 2003). However, various elements of this website, when printed disappear or are difficult to discern and applies to the entire website.

Mission and Program

The link to this page is right and gives the user the required information. The information presented only includes the mission as well as the program information. The information presented following the first paragraph is supposed to guide the user on the libraries' closure, website content as well as available student resources.

Library Resources

The University Libraries, consisting of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library and the Fordham Health Sciences Library, are linked through the OhioLINK system and Internet to holdings of other major academic libraries in Ohio and to a wide range of databases for electronic research. The Department of Archives and Special Collections includes an African-American collection, as well as sections on the Wright brothers and early aviation history, local history, children's literature, and university history. In line with this, the university's electronic resources include more than 200 research databases, 8,000 electronic journals, and 22,000 e-books. This wide range of resources makes the search easier for e-learning materials. This makes it easier for students to search for books either alphabetically or by typing the author's name.

Critique Summary

The current website tends to render the student a passive viewer of the sparse material, rather than inviting them to be engaged participants. The Wright State University library website has many elements that need to be addressed to become an interactive and engaging proponent of the institution's mission. Therefore, there are several recommendations given essential for the reformation of the website to be fully efficient in tackling students' interactivity and accessibility of the e-learning resources.

Recommendations

It is important that the website entirely focuses on learning material for the students' by providing convenient access to information that links students to college resources thus promoting their development. Therefore, the site should target development of the whole person by providing opportunities that address the Social, Physical, Intellectual, Career, Emotional, and Spiritual (SPICES) aspects of student life. Despite students being the primary targeted audience, the site can serve as a resource for the campus community by providing information on the developmental tasks of students and the services available to address those tasks.

How website technology is coordinated in an institution is of prime concern. Collaborative opportunities are necessary to achieve coordinated information in development of web-based support services (Barratt, 2001). In line with this, student affairs professionals must provide leadership to help institutions respond to the changing needs of students. Inclusion of departments, divisions, and students as stakeholders in website development ensures consistency of college mission.

In order to implement online student services, ongoing evaluation of web-based support services, technical support, staff proficiency, and technological training are necessary to support all activities within the organization, increase effectiveness and productivity, and improve delivery service while providing flexibility for future change.

Student affairs-based websites do serve as a form of marketing. The focus of a student-centered website is to ensure that each student's first connection with the institution meets the quality, accuracy, and responsiveness expectations of today's students; the institution's customers. Student affairs websites can provide opportunity for a student to feel connected to the institution and its resources after they begin classes.