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Web Training Course: Introduction to Web Editing Version 1.0 - September 2006 Version 1.1 - March 2007, Version 1.1.1 - May 2007 Course Rationale: The University is currently rolling out new Web publishing templates to all organisational units. The templates are only editable using our Content Management System (CMS). The CMS is a Web page online editing tool that replaces existing tools used by organisational units, (namely MS FrontPage, Macromedia Dreamweaver and WS-FTP). This tool allows users to quickly, safely and easily:

• Create new Web pages • Change textual content on their Web pages • Upload and insert images into editable areas of their Web pages • Manage their Web site’s side navigation bar • Edit Meta Tags (used by search engines for page ranking)

Aims & Objectives: To familiarise University Web administration staff with NUI Galway's Web team, services provided, Web content generation and Web publishing procedures (using the CMS). Prerequisites:

• You are a University Web administrator Course Content:

1. Introduction to Web services provided by NUI Galway 2. NUI Galway’s Web policy and Web publishing templates 3. Web content generation 4. Web publishing – Introduction to the Content Management System (CMS)

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1. Introduction to Web services provided by NUI Galway 1.1. Web Services management

• Ger Hurley – VP for Strategic Initiatives & External Affairs • Pat Dempsey – Head of Strategic Services, Computer Services

1.2. Web Services team

• Cillian Joy, Web Editor • Evan Ryder, Web Technologist • Denise Melia, Technical Specialist • Web site: http://www.nuigalway.ie/web/

1.3. Services provided

• Web site hosting • DNS hosting • Web training • Automated broken link notification system - 404 email • Tools

o HTML cleaner o IP address o Header information o Page load timer

1.4. Add-ons provided

• Labelled interactive campus map • New and recently updated pages list • Random images • Printer friendly pages • RSS reader • Search facility • Online survey framework • Online tutorial booking system

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2. NUI Galway’s Web policy and Web publishing templates 2.1. Web policy framework

University-wide policy and standards framework contain three documents. • Top level policy document • Web standards - outlining mandatory standards, covering three distinct areas

i. Organisational responsibilities ii. Layout – describes which Web publishing template is required for

which organisational unit category. iii. Content

• Web Best Practices – guidelines on other aspects of Web page content

Available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/web/documentation/

2.2. Web publishing template suite The Web publishing template suite defines which Web publishing template should be used for NUI Galway Web sites depending on their association with NUI Galway. The suite of templates operates with the University Content Management System (CMS) and once a Web site is created/converted to the CMS an appropriate template is selected.

• Standard template • Cross-Organisational template • Personal template

Standard template

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This template applies to organisational units’ Web sites that cater to a specific target audience as outlined below. The template incorporates certain flexibility allowing the sub-site to establish a slightly customised look and feel, based on the corporate template.

• University Management Offices • Faculty Offices • Administration Offices • Departments • Services Offices • Research

o Institutes o Centres o Technology Centres o Units o Others

For an example of this template view http://www.nuigalway.ie/hr/ Different style sheets and header images are loaded depending on the category of the Web site. Each style sheet is colour coded, for example “Administration & Services” is blue and “Current Students” is yellow. For details of all the colours used, view the Web page (http://www.nuigalway.ie/colours_used.html). Header images loaded are randomly selected from specific categories, again, depending on the category of Web site. The images are loaded from a central image library and broken into the following categories: Research, Future, Current, About, Admin, Faculty, All or General. This template, the Standard Template is the default template and should be used if you are unsure which template to use. Options:

• Standard – no right bar • Standard – with right bar • Standard – full width

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Cross organisational template

This template applies to discrete units of the Web site where third party involvement has been recognised, such as “www.deri.ie” or “www.remedi.ie”. The template has minimal constraints placed on the layout and presentation of pages, allowing for greater flexibility for the third party, while maintaining a technical and brand connection with the University.

The CMS can be used to edit the body area of the Web template.

Personal Template

This template applies to personal pages, such as staff and student personal pages. These pages should not contain the University logo but do require a disclaimer, to limit the University’s liability for content published on these pages.

The CMS can be used to edit the body area of the Web template.

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3. Web content generation 3.1. Web content generation guidelines

The University Web content generation guidelines encourage the creation of effective Web sites. These Web sites establish a clear identity for the University on the world wide web consistent with the University's standing as an internationally recognised, research intensive University with an excellent teaching reputation.

The guidelines encourage the development and maintenance of sites to facilitate ease of access for users moving from site to site across the University Web site. This is achieved by bringing a measure of consistency to the design, navigational methods, structure and language used.

The primary objectives of the University Web guidelines are outlined in this introduction together with examples of the types of questions managers might ask of their Web sites in the context of each objective.

General Objectives

The University seeks to ensure that Web sites published under its domain are

• Authoritative, • Secure, • Accurate, • Relevant, • Current

Authoritative

Appropriate control should be exercised over information and services published on the world wide web in order to ensure that they effectively meet the other objectives as listed above. Official Web sites must be immediately identifiable as an authoritative source of information by their adherence to consistent design measures.

• When visitors reach your site, how will they know that they are viewing official information?

• Does your site present a coherent and consistent image of your organisation? • Is your position within the University and relationship to other sections of the

University apparent? • Who is responsible for what appears on your site? • How is that responsibility exercised? • Is there adequate control over content appearing on your site? • Are excessive controls impairing the development and maintenance of your site? • Who has permission to make changes, and to what extent?

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Secure

Appropriate security precautions should be taken to protect the information from interference and inappropriate access. Computer Services are responsible for the security of the system.

• Is information intended only for restricted use secured from public access?

Accurate

Information made available should accurately reflect University policies and positions. Organisational units should avoid disseminating or duplicating information for which they are not the primary source.

• What checks are in place to ensure the accuracy of information available on your site?

• Are you duplicating information that might be more accurately and reliably obtained elsewhere?

• Have you checked spelling on your Web site?

Relevant

Information made available should address the particular needs of potential clients and users of the Web site. Information should be presented in a user-focused fashion.

• Will Web visitors discern a clear purpose for your Web site? • Does your site present an organisational viewpoint or structure that will prove

cryptic and un-navigable to users outside of your organisation? • Have you identified key categories of clients and users visiting your Web site? • Does your site present user-focused information addressing the particular needs of

each user group? • Does the information provided on your site reflect its position within the

University and its relationship to other sections of the University?

Current

Appropriate procedures and technologies should be employed to ensure that the information made available is always up to date.

• Are visitors to your Web site being confronted by out of date information and broken links?

• What policies, procedures and technologies are in place to ensure that your Web site offers only current information?

• How frequently is each page on your Web site reviewed and updated?

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3.2. Organising information

Without a solid and logical organisational structure, your Web site will not function well even if your basic content is accurate, current, relevant, attractive, and well written. It is accepted that most people can hold only about four to seven discrete chunks of information in short-term memory. The way people seek, use, and reference information also suggests that smaller, discrete sections of information are more functional and easier to handle than long, undifferentiated sections or Web pages.

There are five basic steps in organising your information:

1. Divide your content into logical sections 2. Order these sections according to importance 3. Use this order/structure to define navigation – thereby creating a sitemap 4. Build a Web site (file structure) that is closely based on your sitemap 5. Analyse and review success of the Web site’s navigation from a functional and

user perspective

A sitemap is a collection of hyperlinks that reflects the structure of your Web site, based on the importance you placed on each section. This sitemap is the basis of your Web site’s navigation.

When you have created a sitemap you can begin generating content for your Web site. The sitemap should be your starting and your reference point throughout the process of creating and maintaining your Web site.

From the sitemap, you generate the file structure, which is the logical arrangement of files and directories on the Web server.

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Example: Sitemap

• Home • Services

o Hosting o Training

• Help o Support

Telephone Email Web

o FAQs • Staff • Contact

File Structure

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Exercise: A local fitness club have been in operation for a number of years. They have many loyal members who participate in the club’s many activities. Recently, they introduced several new classes and timetables and want to publicise this to both existing and potential members. Traditionally they would have distributed brochures and flyers; however, this is no longer cost effective. Therefore, the club has decided to use a Web site to inform everyone. In addition, the fitness club would like to provide general information about themselves, their history, and founding members etc on the Web site. In particular the fitness club would like to highlight the new classes and changes to the timetable in each of these areas on the Web site:

• Gym • Pool • Tennis • Fit zone

Finally, they would also like to include information on prices for all activities/courses and contact information. As a Web administrator you are asked to generate a suitable sitemap and file structure for the club based on the information they have available. Sitemap: File structure:

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4. Introduction to the Content Management System (CMS) 4.1. Introduction to the CMS The CMS is a Web page online editing tool that replaces existing tools used by organisational units, (namely MS FrontPage, Macromedia Dreamweaver and WS-FTP). This tool allows users to quickly, safely and easily:

o Create new Web pages o Change textual content on their Web pages o Upload and insert images into editable areas of their Web pages o Manage their Web site’s side navigation bar. o Edit Meta Tags (used by search engines for page ranking)

The URL for the CMS is: http://www.nuigalway.ie/cms/ 4.2. Data Flow

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4.3. Explaining the Interface

4.3.1. Login Login using the URL http://www.nuigalway.ie/cms/ and your username and password for the Web server (aspen).

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4.3.2 File Structure After you login, the following Web page will be displayed. We call this page the “File Structure page” as it displays a list of the files & folders that make up your Web site.

1: Enter URL of Web site you wish to edit and then select “Show Editable Pages” 2: Latest CMS News 3: General activity of University CMS users 4: Auto logout display timer 5: Web site File Structure

• index.html – this is your home page and only Web page to start with • /documents/ - documents folder which stores all your documents which are

not HTML i.e. PDF, Word, Excel, Power point. • /template/ - template folder the contents of which are used by the CMS as the

template when creating new Web pages. Functions

• “New File Here” • “New Sub-Folder Here”

To edit a Web page you must click on the HTML file to open the Web page in Edit mode.

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4.3.2 Editable areas After you click on a HTML (.html) file you will be brought to edit mode.

Each Web page is divided into distinct areas to assist when editing and managing your Web site content. Editable Areas: 1: “Breadcrumb” Trail / Locator 2: Page “Body Area” for general text and images 3: Web page “Footer”

Press edit button to enter into edit mode for any editable area 4: Navigation 5: Control Panel Note: Each one of your Web pages uses the same navigation and footer areas. Therefore you can update these from any Web page and if you make a change in one Web page it will be reflected in each Web page.

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4.3.3 Control panel, buttons & menus Control Panel

Buttons

- Edit button

- Design view of content in main body area

- HTML view of content in main body area

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Editable Area menus