The website i have decided to analysis is ... Darlington College - Homepage
http://www.darlington.ac.uk/
a) How is your chosen site structured.
Any website needs a basic structure to hold and organised the information and content. The three essential structures that are used to build a web site are sequences, hierarchies, and webs.
Sequences - A sequence is a logical way of ordering your information. This is simple to organise as well as simple to follow. Linear navigation is used to set a simple path to find different content on one site using links. More complex but still sequencial webpages may have more links on each linked page.
Hierarchies - The best way to orgaise a more complex web site, normally organised around a single home page, is to use hierarchies. Most users find this structure easy to use becuase it is the most common structure used. A hierarchie organised website also imposes a useful discipline on your own analytical approach to your content, because hierarchies are practical only with well-organized material.
Webs - A web organised structure has few restrictions on a pattern to hold the information and content. This structure allows the user to follow their interests in a unique 'free-flow' pattern of ideas. Web structures are often the most impractical structure for websites because they are so hard for the user to understand and predict.
With this information in mind i can see that the Darlington College website uses a logical but complex Sequenced layout. The home page to the website has captions such as 'courses and enrollment' 'apply online today' 'student support and resources' and these are hyperlinked to other pages. There is also eyecatching colours and your eye is directed from left to right - top to bottom. The user can be in-control of going straight to the chosen information by clinking on a hyperlink or brouse the website in good time - which is a positive thing.
A website like this, and may other college and university websites, where the user is being a researcher, needs to be simple but effective structure. Ive found a lot of shopping websites, such as large supermarkets that make online shopping avalible, use the same logical structures. A benefit of using a logical sequenced website is that the user, who wants to be able to explore freely but not get lost or confused, can do.
b) What is it about on a cultural level?
On a cultural level this website is helping persuade and inform young people, as well as middle aged people, to come to this college and be educated in the many different courses provided. The ideology from this website is promoting education to be the way forwards and offering chances as well as guidence for many people. Class is mainly built upon wealth and social experiences and education helps develop this. You could say that this website and many other university and college websites are guiding people into different cultures - cultures of personal choice.
c) What is the appeal for you as a user?
As a user for this website you are being a researcher. To explore this website you have a personal need and reason to find out information.
Personally i used this website, althought it has been slightly more update since, when i was looking into which college was best for me. As a user of this website i was attracted by the layout, it was easy to use and basic to follow which was helpful as well as useful. (finding the right college was hard enough without having to fight with a website too).
The home page looks youthful but practical, which is good as the site is aimed at adults as well as teenagers. Its attracting the right audeinces by the immediate look. The home page also gives the main links to other helpful pages and these are outstanding (but easy on the eye) so i didnt feel like i was searching but being guided (polietly).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree that "getting eduaction" is almost always considered something that inevitebly leads to a "better life". Not just obn this website but in society in general, so it's very much a dominant ideology. (Whether it's necessarily true is quite a different matter though, surely people can have pretty good lives without going to college or uni)
ReplyDeleteBut it's interesting to see how colleges and universities use this ideology to "sell" themselves, giving the impression yous hould enrol because "you really should".
Just thought of another thing. Do you think this website is from a trusted source. It seems a bit of a weird thing to ask about a website like this, but how does this college gain trust? How do we know we can trust them? Is the trust entirely based on the discourse of education and the educational system being something we can rely on? The "goodies", so to speak?
ReplyDeleteAlso, do you think this website enables any produsage? ot is it only a one-way communication?
thanks for the comments Frank and sorry for the late reply.
ReplyDeletethe trust issue is a really good point and i have a few answers actually. on the website there is a lot of information and these include contact details of the college so if you were unsure there is alternative contacts made avalible. and this information, an email and telephone number, is on the front page as well as having a link which takes you to a fresh page with these details and more like fax etc. ive added the link below which takes you to the main contact page.
http://www.darlington.ac.uk/?id=16&pID=1&TITLE=Contact%20Information%20And%20Maps
as well as details like contacts, i think who to contact is also important to reassure the users of this website. the college governers and the head of the college have all left small inviting comments on this website to encourage, persuade and gain trust of the potentional students. this links with what you have suggested about being able to trust the educational system which i agree a lot of people do put trust into. people see education as a positive aspect of life.
one other thing about trust within this website is people, potentional students, parents etc etc trust the media and beleive news reports etc to be true which is why i think it was a ver good idea for this college to put online all of there press realises. see the link below.
http://www.darlington.ac.uk/?id=17&pID=1&TITLE=Press%20Stories
As for our last comment about produsers and one wa communication, this website is prett much one way in the sense your on your own to find out the information you wish for however the chance to use email is avalible. there is also a facebook group you can join which obviously is one of the most popular social networks at the moment where students and parents can go and interact with each other and help each other if needed.
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=darlington+college&k=200000010
i hope that answers a few things for you!