Content Analysis – Teachers’ Desktop and TwinSpaceSommarøy, NorwayFriday 14th and Saturday 15th June 2013

Overview

1. Overview – aims of this session

2. Work of the task force on Public portal

3. Three R’s applied to the Teachers’ Desktop and TwinSpace

4. Blue-sky thinking – brainstorming session

OVERVIEW – AIMS OF THIS SESSION

Update

Existing tools review

Envisioning the future eTwinning Desktop

WORK OF THE TASK FORCE ON PUBLIC PORTAL

Analysis of recommendationsJanuary 2013

Content Review taskforce

Background timeframe to Activity2012

September: New Portal LaunchedOctober: Content review task force agreed at Management meetingOctober-November: Task force reviewing Portal contentDecember: Revised content launched

2013January: Analysis of Content review

NSSs involved

9 NSSs were involved in content review:

Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany,Hungary, Latvia, Spain, Switzerland and the UK

2 NSSs reviewed one section only 1 NSS had 2 reviewers, who shared the overallreview of content

Some points to consider

1. New release of Portal effected December 2012, addressing ‘weaker’ pages and with more audio-visual content

2. Not everyone reviewed every section, reviewers had the option of leaving questions blank

Reporting Segment

The Analysis was divided into four main segments:

Reflection (on the current portal)Recommendations (for future changes)Reference (to best practice on NSS portals)Overall layout (Is everything where it should be?)

Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?

Four main audiences were identified:

New usersExisting/experienced usersEveryonePress

Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?

This is an important consideration because:

It influences the portal design and the content we put there

It echoes discussions at the design stage regarding whether or not the Public portal should address an existing audience or newcomers only

Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?

Findings of the Content Analysis Task Force

The Discover section is aimed at mixed audiences:

What is eTwinning? and How to get Involved for NewcomersTools for experienced users (although it was felt that Tools should be placed elsewhere)Support Services and Publications for all users.

Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?

Findings of the Content Analysis Task Force

The Connect section is also aimed at mixed audiences:

Join the eTwinning community for NewcomersBrowse peoples, schools and projects for all users.

Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?

Findings of the Content Analysis Task Force

It was felt that the Collaborate section (Gallery, Kits, Modules and Pupil’s Corner) is mostly for experienced users

It was felt that the Progress section (Workshops, Awards, Learning Events, Training and Groups) is also mostly for experienced users

Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?

Findings of the Content Analysis Task Force

It was felt that the Keep up-to-date section (News, Press corner, Interviews and Friends of eTwinning) is for all users and also for Press

It was felt that the Get Support section (Help, Contact, Guidelines, Glossary and FAQs) is mostly for experienced users

Reflection: Who is our Key Audience?

Reflections and recommendations

We need to understand who our Key Audience for the portal is – there is a surprising amount of content for more experienced users, even though our Analytics show that they tend to bypass the portal and go straight into the Desktop

I would recommend further analysis with end-user validation

Reflection: How effective is the content?

NSS reviewers were asked to look at each page on the portal and categorise its effectiveness using the following standards:

Very effectiveEffectiveIneffective

Reflection: How effective is the content?

It was felt that the Discover section was generallyeffective or very effective

There were comments regarding the Tools section – ie. that it didn’t address eTwinning tools (this has since been rectified) and that it might not be in the right section

There were comments regarding the Support Services which seems to be duplicated under Get Support (this has since been rectified)

Reflection: How effective is the content?

It was felt that the Connect section was generallyeffective or very effective

It was also felt that the Collaborate section wasgenerally effective or very effective

It was felt that the Get Support section was generally effective or very effective

Reflection: How effective is the content?

It was felt that the Keep up-to-date section wasgenerally effective or very effective, with the exception

of the Interviews page, which was considered to be ineffective.

This page has subsequently been relaunched as People Say - it now contains much more interactive content and can be found in the Discover section

Reflection: How effective is the content?

The main concern around content effectiveness was in

relation to the Progress section.

Whilst the Learning Events, Awards and Groups pages were considered to be effective, the European Workshops, and Training pages were considered to be ineffective

Reflection: How relevant is the content?

NSS reviewers were asked to look at each page on the portal and decide whether or not they thought it was relevant to the end user. They were given three possible replies:

RelevantNot relevantDon’t know/not sure

Reflection: How relevant is the content?

It was generally felt that all sections are relevant to the end-user. Some individual issues were highlighted as follows:

The Support Services page under Discover is a duplication of the same page under Get SupportThere may be some confusion/conflict between information on the European workshops page and information on the national portalsThe Guidelines section should be split up into smaller segments (this has already been rectified)

Reflection: How relevant is the content?

Reflections and recommendations

To investigate areas of synergy and/or conflict with the national portals (eg. information about European workshops) and propose and more streamlined approach

Recommendations

A more detailed report on recommendations can be seen in the Content Review analysis spreadsheet, however, I have tried to capture some of the main recommendations in the following slides.

Recommendations – 5 main priorities

1. Make the pages less ‘text-heavy’2. Provide more explanation on some of the pages (eg.

Browse people, schools and projects)3. Some pages are a little bit out-of-date and should be

updated more regularly4. Some pages are unattractive (eg. with dark heavy

lines and small or irrelevant images)5. Some pages should be made more visible on the top

level

Recommendations – other suggestions

- Some pages could do with a better layout - Some pages are in the wrong place - Information is duplicated - Rename some sections (eg. Get Inspired instead of Collaborate)- Logos should look more professional- An Advanced search option on Projects Gallery, Kits and Modules- Add a publishing date to news items- Provide more language support, eg. on Guidelines- Improve download links, as they sometimes don’t work, especially on the

Press section- Don’t use too much jargon, eg. using eTwinning specific terminology in the

Discover section- Implement Technical improvements eg. not having to retype search words

Reference

The task force was asked to reflect on synergies between the main eTwinning portal and their national portals

They were also asked to provide some best practice examples – a more detailed report of this is available on the spreadsheet, however, the following slides show two examples of best practice from National portals

Reference – Best practice Example 1 Section:

Discover/Get Support – Support Services

Example from France

Using a more visualinteractive map, ratherthan a long list of NSSs

Reference – Best practice Example 2 Section:

Connect/Browse people, schools and projects

Example from Latvia

Using a more detailedinteractive map whichlists all projects bylocation

Reference

Reflections and recommendations

That the task force should continue to explore synergies and best practice between the main portal and the national portals

Overall layout: Are things where they should be?

It was generally agreed that most pages are where they should be – some recommendations were made as follows:Move the Tools page to CollaborateMove Join the eTwinning community to DiscoverMove Friends of eTwinning to Get SupportIncorporate the Glossary within Guidelines, ie. not on a separate page

Overall layout: Are things where they should be?

Reflections and recommendations

That the CSS considers task force recommendations, but also considers carrying out further end-user validation

THREE R’S APPLIED TO THE TEACHERS’ DESKTOP AND TWINSPACE

Activity 1 - Reconstruct

Desktop

1. Homepage2. Profile3. Projects4. Find eTwinners5. Teachers Rooms6. Resources7. Helpdesk

TwinSpace

1. Homepage2. Project Activities3. Blog, Chat, Guidelines4. Teachers5. Pupils

Structure of the current eTwinning Desktop and TwinSpace

Teacher’s Desktop - HOMEPAGE

CSS News NSS News

Mailbox

Notifications Learning Events/Groups

Quick Poll

Teachers’ Rooms

Teacher’s Desktop - PROFILE

My Photo (Gallery)

About me My eTwinning Life

My contacts

eTwinning and me: My JournalMy projects

My resources

My teachers rooms

Teacher’s Desktop - PROJECTS

Search Create

Project information – Open/Closed/Pending Actions

Teacher’s Desktop – FIND ETWINNERS

Quick Search Your messages

Find eTwinners Search tool Forums

Teacher’s Desktop – TEACHERS ROOMS

Topic cloud - Search My Rooms

Teachers Rooms Search tool

Featured

Popular

Teacher’s Desktop – RESOURCES

Latest uploaded resources

Search tool – Upload - Manage Featured external

resources

Teacher’s Desktop – HELPDESK

Helpdesk Forum

Room information – links to guidance

Chat Room

TwinSpace- HOMEPAGE

Mailbox New to TwinSpace?

Calendar

Latest ActionsMember

Management

Members

Link to TwinSpace public pages

TwinSpace – PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Activities Welcome message

Manage activities

Manage activities – Create/Reorder/Publish/Delete

TWINSPACE – BLOG, CHAT, GUIDELINES

Search Blog Add Blog entry

Chat Guidelines

TwinSpace – TEACHERS

Welcome message

Forum File Archive

TwinSpace – PUPILS

Welcome message

ForumFile Archive

THREE R’S APPLIED TO THE TEACHERS’ DESKTOP

Activity 2 – Reflection/Discussion

1 – What is the purpose of each section?

2 – Does the section work?

3 – How could the section work better?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

THREE R’S APPLIED TO THE TEACHERS’ DESKTOP

Activity 3 – Record your ideas

1 – Does the section work? Write Y or N

2 – How could the section work better?Comments on pieces of paper

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

BLUE-SKY THINKING – BRAINSTORMING SESSION

WireframesEvolution or Revolution?

Paper-based

Computer-based