Goals

The University of Hawaii Library and Information Science Program WebTeam identified an unmet, ongoing need among students who wanted to learn HTML and web publishing skills. Students had little or no experience with publishing information online and found many of the online tutorials and how-to books too technical for them. They wanted a framework that could help them translate technical concepts in a more clear, understandable way.

Solution

HTML hands-on workshops

The single purpose of hosting HTML workshops was to introduce students to basic web page creation, UNIX administration, web accessibility guidelines, and a general overview of information architecture.

Workshops took the form of weekly modules, breaking concepts into sizeable chunks. Pre- and post-surveys were designed to capture performance and qualitative data from participants such as evaluation of teaching style, workshop content, workshop length, and overall student progress and confidence levels.

These iterative surveys would be used for improving the next generation of workshops and also serve as a successful blueprint for future workshop lecturers. Workshops were held once a week for six weeks, two hours per workshop.

Fig 1. The existing site's architecture and navigation system needed to be redesigned and scaled for future content expansion and archival.		Fig 2. New site provides remote access to HTML tutorials and resources, allowing students on the outer islands to access content from virtually anywhere and at anytime.

Results

Students have remote, 24-hour access to HTML workshop content and online resources specifically tailored to their interests and in a language and tone that they can understand easily. In addition, students were investing in their future by creating an e-portfolio, showcasing their HTML skills as well as their online projects and academic achievements to potential employers.

Context and motivation

Students were instructed on how to create his or her own e-portfolio containing four primary sections: curriculum vitae, class/internship projects, coursework, and contact information.

The e-portfolio was a great project for students because it contained all of the fundamental elements they needed to learn HTML and to publish content online.

The e-portfolios also motivated students because they were designing a site that was not only beneficial to their careers both academically and professionally but enabled them to continue to refine their HTML skills over time, throughout their academic career.

Accommodating a virtual community of users

To meet the needs of students located on university campuses on four Hawaiian Islands, HTML workshops were published to the Web, allowing access to workshop content from virtually anywhere and at anytime.

In addition to online resources, students could also learn more about joining the Support Group for Information Architecture and subscribe to its electronic mailing list, offering free technical support for troublesome HTML documents.

Site branding

A new branding and identity system was designed for the site, reflecting the the value and identity of the University of Hawaii Library and Information Science Program. The branding and identity system also helped the library and information science faculty market the program to prospective students.

Community building

On the site's home page, students could learn more about subscribing to the Support Group of Information Architecture's mailing list, allowing them to gain access to valuable technical support via e-mail by SGIA members. By integrating the SGIA community with the library and information science community, students could openly collaborate, meet new people, and equally important, maintain a bridge between their field of study and other diverse disciplines.

More Case Studies:
Support Group for Information Architecture
Sinclair Library