Data Analysis
The results demonstrate that while there are encouraging signs of middle school website development, there are also some disheartening aspects that we feel should be addressed. First, it was evident that virtually every middle school website that was studied followed basic design principles as espoused by Williams & Tollet (2000) and Lynch & Horton (2004). While no two sites followed the same color, font, or image pattern, the vast majority conformed to these basic principles. As a result of following these principles, middle schools were able to represent themselves to the world in an organized, logistical fashion, instead of simply haphazardly posting information online. The research indicates that slightly over three-quarters (76%) of middle school websites contained school calendars. By including these characteristics, the websites acted as information systems for site visitors. The websites also served as an interface between the school, parents, and the community, as advocated by McKenzie (1997).
The study indicates that there are also some areas of concern. Most striking to us was the fact that less than a third (30%) of the middle school websites illustrated student work. This was a source of disillusionment, since research has supported student publication on the Internet as a method of motivating students (Dixon & Black, 1996; Routman, 1991) and for increasing their achievement level (Riley & Roberts, 2000; Schofield & Davidson, 2002). The research indicates that a minority of schools are taking advantage of the potential added value of students posting their work online. In their 1998 work, Snyder, Lippincott, & Bower, offer high praise for students’ web publication. Snyder, Lippincott, & Bower argue that it provides a unique forum in which students may espouse their knowledge about a certain topic. If a school website does not have this capacity, it is not possible for students to publish on the Net unless they have access to and the know-how to post to their own server.
The fact that so few middle school websites had contact information for teachers (28%), and even less had teacher course/personal sites (18%), was also disappointing. Websites can affect how a teacher makes course materials such as syllabi and assignments available to students and at the same time help to organize material for students. These features of a online classroom environment decrease the chances of students losing work, as course information can be found with one click of a mouse as opposed to disparate paper locations (Maddux, 1999). A February 2004 survey found that “nearly 75%” of homes in the United States had Internet access, a course website offers an individualized communication channel between teachers and parents that can include student assignments and performance (Nielsen/NetRatings, 2004).
In terms of accessibility,
not one of the websites that were examined gave any indication that
it had been Bobby-approved. Bobby is a free online service that examines
whether individual web pages meet “existing accessibility guidelines”
set forth by the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Access Initiative
(Watchfire Corporation, 2002). Since Bobby-approval is a worldwide indicator
of a website’s “commitment to inclusion” for those
with disabilities, it was somewhat disappointing that not one site had
met (or indicated that they met) these guidelines, as an overarching
goal of public schools is to provide and foster knowledge from diverse
populations (Watchfire Corporation, 2002).
In terms of performance, given the preponderance of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as well as state standards in today’s school environment, it was surprising that less than a third of the websites that were surveyed (28%) showed accountability information. In an era when 56 percent of Americans polled felt that firing teachers was warranted “in schools that fail to show progress towards meeting standards,” we anticipated that there would be more of an emphasis on this important facet of schooling in the United States today (Keller & Bichelmeyer, 2004, p. 21). Since advisories (National Middle School Association, 1996) and individualized instruction (Rose, 1999) are important for middle school students, we were also disheartened to find that just over a quarter of middle school websites surveyed (26%) included conference/advising information. It is clear that while this may be taking place within the middle schools themselves, it is not reported on the majority of websites. The end-result being that the school website is not necessarily fulfilling its promise as both a communication tool and source of data as described by McKenzie (1997).
While we were impressed with the design features of nearly every middle school website, there were other features such as illustration of student work, accessibility, and testing information that we felt needed to be improved. If one of the primary missions of middle schools is to cultivate a personal, caring environment as Wiles & Bondi (2001) and the National Middle School Association (1996) suggest, we found it perplexing that these characteristics were found with such little frequency. In order for schools to take the “next step” in terms of their web presence, there is a need to go beyond merely providing general information about the school, to providing a resource for parents to find information about their child’s teachers, information such as the syllabus, schedule, and homework for the course(s) their children are taking, and their children’s performance in the course(s).
Implications
As a result of the findings of this study, we have developed a series of suggestions for developing a middle school website. These include developing a shared agenda; planning the site prior to development; designing the site cognizant of future change; following general web design rules; focusing on the benefits of school websites; and considering the site as a potential gateway for teachers.
Develop a Shared Agenda
When developing a middle school website, it is important to consider the audience of the site. For example, an audience for a middle school site might include parents; pupils; government; prospective students; local investors and community; and school staff. As a result, it is important to provide information that addresses these stakeholders. There are a number of ways to accomplish this goal. First, the intended audience should collaborate on the development of the site. While this not only provides all parties with a sense of “ownership” in the project, it also allows all potential audience voices to be heard in the planning, design, and development of the middle school website.
Another way to accomplish this goal is by tailoring individual webpages within the site to specific audience groups. For example, on a middle school website, there could be a link to a site for parents or a site for students or other stakeholders in the educational process. Considering all potential audience members in the middle school website’s development allows for a shared product in which the goals of multiple voices are addressed.
Plan the site prior to design and development
It is also important to plan the site prior to its design and development. One method of accomplishing this is through storyboarding. Storyboarding allows for all stakeholders to examine the site design, structure, and content prior to the design and development of the site. This allows for feedback from multiple potential users to be provided prior to the actual construction of the site begins.
Design the site cognizant of future change/editing
The dynamics of schools are constantly changing. Examples of this are evident in such issues as changes in the student body, faculty and staff, test scores dates, and courses taught. As a result, the information conveyed in a middle school website will also change. Therefore, it is essential to plan, design, and to develop a middle school site cognizant of the idea of change. Planning and allowing for expansion are critical to the success and maintenance of a middle school website.
Follow general web design rules
The majority of websites examined followed the general principles of design. While many of them did not contain the newest, most modern design, they were adequate and served the schools’ needs. Following these general design features are important to 1) attract visitors to your site, 2) keep visitors at your site, 3) make it easy to find information at your site, and 4) address accessibility issues. It is important to address these two general areas: C-R-A-P and keep it simple.
C-R-A-P
Contrast, repetition, alignment,
and proximity are the four major web design principles (Williams &
Tollett, 2000). Contrast refers to the difference between the site’s
background and foreground elements. When designing a site, there should
be a significant difference between the two. For example, it would be
poor design to use a light yellow font color on a white background.
Repetition refers to repeating elements throughout a website. Any elements
that can be used multiple times in a site should be repeated when possible.
For example, the background color of a site should not change from page
to page. Issues such as font style, font colors, overall layout, and
navigation structure, should be repeated throughout a website. Alignment
refers to the manner in which text and other elements are placed on
a webpage. It is best to use a single alignment structure throughout
a site. Usually, a centered alignment is safe and provides a sense of
balance. Finally, proximity refers to the distance web elements are
located from each other. The closer items on a webpage are, the more
connected they seem. Placing items further away from each other creates
a sense of disconnectivity. When developing a website, it is important
to place related items near one another.
