Designing Web sites to cater for diverse user needs

[Ross Kelso]

Gentlefolk,

An apology to all regarding the following "rogue" posting which certainly
happened without the knowledge of CIRCIT.  Although the Web references are
over two years out of date, you can be assured that CIRCIT is very much
"alive and kicking" although now part of RMIT University.  
Please visit our new Home Page at: www.circit.rmit.edu.au to gain a measure
of most of our more recent activities.

One key event however not yet posted is our Policy Forum 98 to be held in
November on the topic: "Linking the Design and Development of Information
and Communication Services to Effective Use".  Access our Contacts list on
the Home Page for further information about any project or potential activity.

Regards

Ross Kelso
Senior Research Fellow
CIRCIT at RMIT
===============================
>X-Authentication-Warning: boomer.anu.edu.au: majordom set sender to
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>X-Sender: emaclean@juliet.stfx.ca
>Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 22:05:14 -0400
>To: link@www.anu.edu.au, teloz-talk@latrobe.vut.edu.au,
>        edu.au@circit1.circit.vut.edu.au, Info-Quality-L@postbox.anu.edu.au,
>        pubsec@das.gov.au, cirg-l@nla.gov.au
>From: Elaine MacLean <emaclean@juliet.stfx.ca>
>Subject: Designing Web sites to cater for diverse user needs
>Sender: owner-link@www.anu.edu.au
>
>
>
>        Apologies for any cross-posting.
>
>The Centre for International Research on Communication and 
>Information Technologies (CIRCIT), Melbourne, has been 
>commissioned by the Office of Training and Further Education 
>(OTFE) to undertake research as part of the redevelopment of 
>the content and categories for vocational education and 
>training (VET) information on EdNA (Education Network 
>Australia).  (The interim EdNA directory can be viewed at 
>http://www.edna.edu.au)
>
>Central to the proposed redesign will be the incorporation of 
>a multi-user perspective, one that will allow people and 
>organisations wishing to consult the directory to quickly 
>locate material appropriate to their specific needs (eg. 
>prospective student needing course pre-requisite/enrolment 
>information, small business owner interested in providing 
>training for their employees, teachers wanting to locate 
>professional development or educational resources on-line).
>
>CIRCIT has already undertaken a substantial Web and literature 
>review in this area - an interim report is available at  
>http://teloz.latrobe.edu.au/circit/vetedna.html 
>
>We are keen to learn of other examples of Web-based 
>directories that effectively allow people to locate and 
>retrieve information relevant to their often highly specific 
>needs. 
>
>We invite list members to nominate what they consider to be 
>effective examples of Web directory structures that are 
>designed to cater to the information needs of a diverse 
>audience. Web sites do not have to be education-specific - 
>they can be drawn from other government agencies, the private 
>sector, or community organisations.
>
>We are also interested in suggestions on:
>
>* relevant research not already included in our literature 
>  review (http://teloz.latrobe.edu.au/circit/attach6.html); 
>  and
>  
>* organisations with experience in conducting prototyping and 
>  user testing of Web sites, particularly in relation to a 
>  site's ability to meet the information needs of a range of 
>  users.
>  
>Respondents can post their replies to the list, or they can 
>contact me directly should they choose to do so.  Results will 
>be summarised and placed on the CIRCIT Web site and notified 
>on this list.
>
>Thanking you in anticipation,
>Kevin Patrick
>Researcher, CIRCIT
>=========================================================
>Kevin Patrick, Researcher 
>CIRCIT, 14/300 Flinders Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
>Tel: 03-9248-1184   Fax: 03-9248-1170
>Email: kpatrick@circit.vut.edu.au
>CIRCIT Home Page: http://teloz.latrobe.edu.au/circit
>=========================================================
>Kevin Patrick, Researcher 
>CIRCIT, 14/300 Flinders Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
>Tel: 03-9248-1184   Fax: 03-9248-1170
>Email: kpatrick@circit.vut.edu.au
>CIRCIT Home Page: http://teloz.latrobe.edu.au/circit
>
>