Integrating Technology

Enhancing Your Course

Using Library Resources

Condor Accounts

Training

Planning a Web Site

Identify Your Audience(s)

Who will be visiting your web page (or web site)? Here are some questions to consider:

Do your visitors have high-speed Internet access or are they using modems?

If visitors are using modems, minimize download times. Use graphics, audio and video very conservatively. Include background colors, gif files and clip art (they're smaller) to perk up the site.

Do you want to encourage interactivity with your visitors?

Have a 'mailto:' link so visitors can send you e-mail. Include a survey (QuickData); provide hotlinks to your favorite web sites; use a PowerPoint show to display your current research; include photographs from the latest research trip or community activity.

What 'persona' do you want the site to project?

Bright colors, or subdued? Background graphics? Professional appearance? Are you emphasizing content over appearance? Include humor? Pictures of the family pet?

How will visitors navigate your web site?

If it's a small site, you can just have a list of links on the index page (the entry page). With a larger, more extensive, site use a frames format.

Organize Your Site (or Web Page)

Create a quick sketch of what you want the site to look like - where will content, pictures, and hotlinks will be located - will save time in the long run. If you're designing a web site, how will individual pages will be linked? Can a visitor get from one second or third level page to another without first going back to the index page?

What can a web site do for me, my teaching, and my research?

There are different audiences and various goals for a Website. Here are some examples:

Your Home Page - A homepage can serve as a connection between the various segments of your academic and personal life: Include links to course pages and research resources for students, links to professional organizations and research locations, online access to your curriculum vitae, updates on your pets and snapshots of your vacation.

Your Course Web Page - Use a course Web page to augment your class, increase communication, answer questions, and provide research resources for your students. Consider using Blackboard for your course web sites.

Student Web-based Assignments - Have students organize information for online deliver by assigning a Web-based project using their student.depaul.edu accounts or the Blackboard homepages.

Your Department, Institute or Organization Online - To request a departmental web site use the request form at: http://is.depaul.edu/resources/forms/departmental_website.asp. You might also consider using the services of University Publications to help create your departmental web site.

See Next:
Designing
This page will help you get started in creating web pages. It includes links to web design resources, tools and online training.
Condor Accounts
This page explains how to set up your site on the DePaul Condor server. Condor is available for faculty/staff to house personal and departmental web sites.

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