Evaluating Existing Content
What should you keep, edit or delete?
Now that you understand your department Web site’s goals and target audience, take an inventory of material you have to work with. As stated above, the content contributor has three major tasks:
- Writing new material;
- Editing copy from a subject matter expert; and
- Updating existing content.
Keeping in mind the goals for your site, look at your existing site and make a preliminary list of the information you'll keep, edit and delete. Then, after you have completed the other writing modules, return to this section & see if there are additional pieces of writing you'd like to edit. The chart below evaluates the content of the EdTech Center site, which is currently under revision.
| Keep as is | Edit | Delete |
|---|---|---|
| Demos & Workshops – it’s clear & up-to-date Most of the home page except – How do I? feature Web Development & CICD nav bar & Awards Congrats graphic |
Grants page – Currently funded grants are way out of date Inspiration – featured projects are five years old – either update or think about getting rid of that category Same with Portfolio – maybe these two should be folded together In the “Who We Are” maybe think about adding internal links in the text – it’s kind of long CICD may not be readily understood by most visitors – think about having it be its own category with a phrase describing it. When you click on the Teaching Support page, make each of the headings in bold clickable. |
Awards congrats – it’s nearly a year old. The “How do I” button – I think it should all come under FAQs |
New Ideas:
- Under inspirations, have a form so people can add the url of inspirations they’ve found & why they like them
- To tricks of the trade, add what we’ve learned about Google.
- Should we use the space with the awards congrats for another recent EdTech initiative?
- Should something about some of the newest technologies appear on the homepage? (Podcasts, Digital Stories, Blogs & Wikis???)
Exercise
Section 1, Worksheet #4Evaluating Existing Content
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