With the release of new functionality to support rich, powerful web applications to pages and sites across EdWeb we are moving to a new phase of what we can deliver to enhance student experience.

EdWeb has always been able to utilise the power of web applications through the implementation of JavaScript but with this update we have made it much easier for site owners and page editors to be able to add this functionality to their sites. We’ve created a new role of Script User as it can be a technical and complex job. Scripts have a lot of power and so we need to manage this in a controlled way to protect the site and the website infrastructure.

EdWeb deployment update May 2017

Supporting students in new interactive ways

This new flexibility will allow script users to enable rich functionality such as live chat and email marketing tools such as DotMailer. The benefits of live chat are many faceted. It can offer up a very high quality experience for site users. It enables a very fast response to questions and allows dialogue to be carried out that is very close to the experience of a face to face meeting. However the cost savings are big because there is no need to make appointments and all the overhead that this creates. Interactions can be quick and to the point, and staff who monitor and manage chats are often able to attend to more than one person at the same time. It makes the process very efficient and the experience very satisfying. This is what today’s students need and expect from a world class university and if this is the first contact that a prospective student has with the University then this can start the journey to becoming a student in an extremely positive way.

It will also allow us to implement tools such as the FindAPhD widget helping prospective Postgraduate Research students to find potential supervisors, review current opportunities and view examples of PhD thesis titles. Something that many people around the University are trying to improve and make easier for students to do.

Data driven improvements to the University website

It will also allow more data driven improvements to site management and construction as well as content creation through the ability to add software that can carry out user testing, A/B testing, heat maps and other sophisticated testing methods.We’ll be releasing this services to our web publishing community over the coming months.

We realise that sometimes testing can take time and the interpretation of these results can need complex analysis from staff with both the experience and expertise to carry this out. If you need user testing or are exploring ways to improve you content we can help you with this process through our usability testing service. Our usability testing service will help you improve and refine your website, software or service to better deliver what your customers need and help you do better business.

Learn more about the Usability Testing Service

How these EdWeb developments came about

With many thanks to both Communications and Marketing and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for gathering requirements, submitting a Request for Change (RFC) to the Change Advisory Board (CAB), and for sponsoring this work.

Any member of staff can submit a ‘Request for Change’ the Change Advisory Board. We are just in the process of reviewing how the submission process works to make it even easier for staff to make these requests.

In a blog post Stratos Filalithis, Head (Acting) University Website Programme, introduces the concept of change and how you can be involved in the evolution of EdWeb. Change is an integral and necessary part of the modern philosophy of development and service management, while managing it requires planning, effort and processes. Enter the EdWeb Technical Change Advisory board (CAB).

Who can change EdWeb? You!

How to keep up to date with what’s happening in EdWeb

We post to this blog at the point of every deployment. The posts are tagged so that you can see the complete history of deployments and check back periodically to see what’s new. It’s one of the best and easiest ways to keep up to date.

Complete history of EdWeb deployments

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