Abstract:
Access to, and management of, University information, services and resources is key to providing a quality student experience at the University of Abertay. The University Portal provides one of the key interfaces for accessing this information and the vision for the University portal is to be the University Online. The Portal should provide logical, clear routes to these services and information resources. Users must be able to find relevant information and perform transactions without prior knowledge of University structures; information discovery must be intuitive and pertinent to the user.
The University of Abertay’s Information Strategy aimed to link plans for Web Services (the portal) and Information Management to provide a coherent and holistic approach to Portal development. The Information Strategy was written in the context of, and with reference to, wider University strategies. It was realised that successful linkage of the two plans and greater partnership between the teams could bring significant benefits to the quality of the user experience on the University Portal and enhance information retrieval. This would in turn aid in achieving the strategic aims of the University and further the University’s Quality Enhancement agenda.
This session will examine the development plans, the related projects – University Portal and Information Architecture, where we have been, current work and the road ahead.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the session participants will be able to:
- Identify the areas where Information Architecture and Web Management work best together.
- Identify the benefits that this approach brought to the user.
- Appreciate the value that Information Architecture and Web Management can bring to institutional strategies and objectives.