Lampley, James H.

Owens, Megan E.

English

East Tennessee State University

East Tennessee State UniversityDigital Commons @ East Tennessee State UniversityETSU Faculty Works Faculty Works2015Website Study: What Information are ProspectiveGraduate Students Seeking?Megan E. OwensEast Tennessee State University, owensme1@etsu.eduJames H. LampleyEast Tennessee State University, lampley@etsu.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-worksPart of the Higher Education CommonsThis Conference Proceeding is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. Ithas been accepted for inclusion in ETSU Faculty Works by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. Formore information, please contact digilib@etsu.edu.Citation InformationOwens, Megan E.; and Lampley, James H.. 2015. Website Study: What Information are Prospective Graduate Students Seeking?.Proceedings of the Joint Meeting of the Academic Business World International Conference & International Conference on Learning andAdministration in Higher Education, Nashville, TN. 83.Website Study: What Information are Prospective Graduate StudentsSeeking?Copyright StatementThis document was published with permission from the publisher. It was originally published in theProceedings of the Joint Meeting of th Academic Business World International Conference and InternationalConference on Learning and Administration in Higher Education.This conference proceeding is available at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University: https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/3029Website Study: What Information are Prospective Graduate Students Seeking?Megan E. Owens East Tennessee State UniversityJames Lampley East Tennessee State UniversityThe purpose of this website study was to get feedback from recently admitted students to discover if the site was meeting their needs and expectations for information regarding the program and processes. Websites are often the first contact a student has with a university and, especially for those seeking a degree online, could potentially leave students with more questions than answers. After a thorough examination of the current website, an open‐ended survey was created and distributed through SurveyMonkey in an attempt to gather information regarding the content and usability of the current site. Because of the responses, changes were made to the content and layout of the website including links to provide easy access to the application, tuition information, and academic calendar. Included in this paper is background information on websites and the department, as well as the purpose, results, list of improvements, and future planned phases. As a result of this study it was anticipated that issues would be brought to light and would lead the department to make effective changes that would improve the experiences of online students that rely on internet based resources for their information.ABSTRACTPage 83

Website Study: What Information are Prospective Graduate Students Seeking?

The purpose of this website study was to get feedback from recently admitted students to discover if the site was meeting their needs and expectations for information regarding the program and processes. Websites are often the first contact a student has with a university and, especially for those seeking a degree online, could potentially leave students with more questions than answers. After a thorough examination of the current website, an open-ended survey was created and distributed through SurveyMonkey in an attempt to gather information regarding the content and usability of the current site. Because of the responses, changes were made to the content and layout of the website including links to provide easy access to the application, tuition information, and academic calendar. Included in this paper is background information on websites and the department, as well as the purpose, results, list of improvements, and future planned phases. As a result of this study it was anticipated that issues would be brought to light and would lead the department to make effective changes that would improve the experiences of online students that rely on internet based resources for their information

East Tennessee State UniversityDigital Commons @ East Tennessee State UniversityETSU Faculty Works Faculty WorksFall 2015Website Study: What Information are ProspectiveGraduate Students Seeking?James H. LampleyEast Tennessee State University, lampley@etsu.eduMegan E. OwensEast Tennessee State University, owensme1@etsu.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-worksPart of the Educational Administration and Supervision CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in ETSU Faculty Works by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For moreinformation, please contact digilib@etsu.edu.Citation InformationLampley, James H.; and Owens, Megan E.. 2015. Website Study: What Information are Prospective Graduate Students Seeking?.Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education. Vol.11(2). 55-59.Website Study: What Information are Prospective Graduate StudentsSeeking?Copyright Statement© 2015 JW Press. This document was published with permission by the publisher. It was originally publishedin Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education.This article is available at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University: https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2992Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education 55INTRODUCTIONAlmost all major universities allow potential students, undergraduate and graduate, to gather information about the university, learn about departments and majors, apply to the university, start the financial aid process and then when admitted they can register for classes and pay tuition and fees online. The department that was the focus of this study has a totally online component for the Ed.D. degree in certain concentrations. The totally online component was launched in 2012. However, the department has been using online delivery for some courses since 2006. Start-ing in 2012 all classes and all administrative functions from application and screening interview to dissertation defense can be accomplished online. RELATED LITERATUREWhile the function of a website may seem obvious, a dif-ferent design and functionality needs to be in place for degrees that are offered through online delivery. Websites today are considered an essential part of doing business in higher education and have come a long way since the early 1990s when very few prospective students had a per-sonal computer. According to a 2007 study, 98% of the 27,826 respondents reported owning at least two tech-nological devices, and the mean amount of time spent on these devices for all respondents was 18 hours per week (Caruso & Salaway, 2008). In 2013, it was reported by Marketingcharts.com that an average 18 to 34 year-old col-lege student owned about 7 technology devices. In 2015 with seemingly constant technological contact, websites are often the first contact a potential student has with a college or university. Websites must now have marketing components while simultaneously acting as a primary hub for information. The design of the website should be effi-cient and student centered so that students have a positive experience. There is great potential for students to have a negative reaction if their experience with a college website Website Study:  What Information are Prospective Graduate Students Seeking?James H. Lampley, Ed.D.Associate Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis  Clemmer College of Education East Tennessee State University Johnson City, Tennessee 37614 Megan E. OwensDoctoral Fellow - Educational Leadership Clemmer College of Education East Tennessee State University Johnson City, Tennessee 37614 ABSTRACTThe purpose of this website study was to get feedback from recently admitted students to discover if the site was meeting their needs and expectations for information regarding the program and processes.  Websites are often the first contact a student has with a university and, especially for those seeking a degree online, could potentially leave students with more questions than answers.  After a thorough examination of the current website, an open-ended survey was created and distributed through SurveyMonkey in an attempt to gather information regarding the content and usability of the current site. Because of the responses, changes were made to the content and layout of the website including links to provide easy ac-cess to the application, tuition information, and academic calendar. Included in this paper is background information on websites and the department, as well as the purpose, results, list of improvements, and future planned phases. As a result of this study it was anticipated that issues would be brought to light and would lead the department to make effective changes that would improve the experiences of online students that rely on internet based resources for their information. James H. Lampley & Megan E. Owens Website Study: What Information are Prospective Graduate Students Seeking?56 Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education 57Fall 2015 (Volume 11 Issue 2)is filled with inaccurate or disjointed information that is difficult to navigate (Shea, 2005; Shorr, 2014).PURPOSEThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the existing web-site for a graduate degree department at a regional, 4-year public university that housed four totally online M.Ed. and Ed.D. programs. The study was conducted in three phases. The first phase of the study was to document what information was currently on the website. The second phase of the study was a survey of Ed.D. students that had recently entered the program. This open-ended survey was designed to discover what information students wanted to obtain as of result of an interest in the program. The third phase of the study was to use the information gained in phase two to redesign the department website to include information that prospective students needed to make an informed decision about applying to the program. RESEARCH METHODOLOGYThe sample for this study was doctoral students in the most recent cohorts admitted to our Ed.D. programs. The motivation for this research was the realization that the department did not know how well we were meeting the needs of prospective students. A survey was created in SurveyMonkey and distributed to online cohorts of newly admitted Ed.D. students. We received 53 responses. Ques-tions were developed based on information noted during the first phase of the study to discover what information prospective students were looking for when visiting the department website, and determining if those needs were being met. Each question on the survey gave the students options to choose and a space to fill in their more specific needs or concerns. The following five questions are exam-ples of the type of questions that were asked:1. How many times did you visit the Department website before deciding the program was the right fit for you?2. Based on what you found on the website, what influenced your decision to apply to ELPA?3. What information/resources were you looking for on the Department website?4. After visits to the website, what information did you find most helpful?5.  What additional features do you suggest to im-prove the website to meet your current needs and needs of future applicants?FINDINGSData were collected over a two-semester span from the initial distribution. Of the 53 doctoral students that responded over 59% reported that they visited the de-partment website five or more times before deciding the program was the right fit for their needs. Almost all of re-spondents were influenced to apply to the program based on the program being offered fully online (93%). The reputation of the program (60%), the marketability of the degree (70%), a description of the classes (70%), and con-versations held with ELPA staff (62%) were all indicated on the survey by a majority of the participants as being important information about the program. Clear guide-lines (30%), tuition assistance information (34%), quali-fications of the faculty (42%), and location of University (36%) were indicated less often but were selected by some respondents. Table 1 displays the frequencies and percent of students selecting the choices in question 2.Table 1 Frequencies and Percentages for  Question 2 (Influences on Application)  ResponsesWhat influenced your decision to  apply to this program?N %Program totally onlineReputation of the programMarketability of the degreeDescription of the classesConversations held with ELPA staffClear guidelinesTuition assistance informationQualifications of the facultyLocation of ETSU49/5330/5337/5337/5331/5316/5318/5322/5319/53936070706230344136According to respondents, admission requirements (98%) and course information (96%) were the most sought after information on the department website. The cost of the program (79%) and information on the program expec-tations and requirements (70%) were also important. In-ternship and residency requirements and faculty resumes were indicated as being important to more than 50% of the respondents. Table 2 displays the frequencies and per-cent of students selecting the choices in question 3.Table 2 Information Sought by  Prospective StudentsWhat information  were you looking for on the website? N/Total %Cost of the programCourse informationRequirements for admissionExpectations and program requirementsInternship informationResidency informationFaculty resumes and accomplishments42/5351/5352/5337/53 29/5327/5327/5379969870 555151When asked about what information was most helpful after visiting the department website, respondents indi-cated that program information (100%), requirements for admission (100%), information about faculty and staff (83%), and a link to the School of Graduate Studies (74%) were indicated most often as being helpful. Information on internship sites and residency was rated as helpful to 51% of the respondents. Table 3 displays the frequencies and percent of students selecting the choices in question 4.Table 3 Website Information  That Was Most HelpfulWhat information was  most helpful on the website?N %Information about programsRequirements for admissionA link to the School of Graduate StudiesInformation about faculty and staffResidency and internship informationQualifying exam information53/5353/5339/5344/5327/5320/5310010074835138The participants in the study were asked to indicate what additional elements would be helpful in their decision about applying to the program. Easier access to applica-tion deadlines (100%), and YouTube introduction videos (100%) were most often indicated as important. Informa-tion about graduation rates (79%), an Apply Now direct link to the online applications (81%), and a link to our tuition calculator (70%) were also indicated as desired elements for the website. A complete list is presented in Table 4.Table 4  Additional FeaturesWhat additional features  do you suggest for the department website?N %*Easier access to deadlinesYouTube introduction videoChat areaVideos of expectationsExamples of appropriate internship sitesTime management Better organization of materialsStatistics on graduation ratesTuition calculatorApply now button41/5341/5328/5335/5327/53 14/538/5342/5337/5343/53100100536651 2615797081*Total percent does not equal 100% because respondents could select multiple items Table 5 displays the types of requests for additional infor-mation beyond what is on the website. The numbers here seem to indicate that most questions are addressed with the information that is available. Table 5 Request for Additional InformationDid you send emails for information in addition to what you were looking for on the website?N %Information about the application processInformation about registration after acceptanceClarification about residencyClarification regarding internshipsDepartmental deadlines for milestonesTuition reimbursement paperwork29/53 29/53 20/5317/5320/539/5355 55 38323817Respondents were asked to rate the website in three ar-eas: Ease of Navigation, Organization of the Website, and Content of the Website. A rating of 3 was the most fa-James H. Lampley & Megan E. Owens Website Study: What Information are Prospective Graduate Students Seeking?58 Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education 59Fall 2015 (Volume 11 Issue 2)vorable and a rating of 1 was the least favorable. Figures 1, 2, and 3 display the results of these ratings. For Ease of Navigation, 77.3% of the responses tended to be favor-able, either a 2 or 3. When rating the Organization of the Website, the majority of the responses (60.4%) were in the mid-range. The responses for the Content of the Website was very favorable with over 86% indicating a positive rat-ing. Table 6 displays the number of respondents for each of the three areas. Table 6 Rating of WebsiteRating the  Department WebsiteN1 2 3Ease of navigationOrganization of the websiteContent included on the website 12/53  10/53   7/5312/5332/53 12/5329/5311/53 34/53ImprovementsBased on the results from our survey it is evident that we are providing online students with a great deal of impor-tant information. However, some potential students are still left feeling disconnected from campus and have un-answered questions. Suggestions from the survey were used to make adjustments and additions to the website in an effort to better meet the needs of our online cohorts. As previously reported, students cited the need for easier access to deadlines and requirements, better organization of materials, cost information, and clearer information re-garding application and registration. On the Admission page an “Apply Now” button was added, a link to a tuition calculator, a link to the financial aid department, and a link to the academic calendar. In addition, all informa-tion was streamlined to improve readability. Other changes included updating faculty resumes, con-densing information on the homepage for easier readabil-ity and the use of “snippets” to give the page a modern feel. It is important to note that the web content manage-ment system used at participating university does limit certain changes such as color scheme, placement of items, and headers which are specified by the university. Specific pages that held program details were refreshed to clarify expectations, and links were provided to ease access to certain campus resources such as the Dissertation Boot-camp and the Graduate Student Success Specialist. Pages that house information about areas of concentration were also updated to clarify information, give more detailed information on expectations, access to the application process, and clarification about online delivery and online cohorts. Future PhasesThe department has made numerous improvements to the website. However, there are future phases for the study and for the site currently being put into action. The de-partment is also currently planning to create YouTube welcome videos and other videos explaining expectations and requirements for the programs. Another area that is being studied is a chat area where students can ask ques-tions and get answers through the website or on our social medial sites. Graduation rates and job placement infor-mation is another area the department is currently col-lecting data from the university. This information will be published on the website for prospective students to use in their decision to apply to the program.CONCLUSIONAs a result of the website study, the information provided on the site has been updated to better meet the needs of prospective and current students. The changes that have been made thus far and the changes intended for the fu-ture are set in place to ensure that our online students have access to the same resources and feel the same sense of community as our traditional on-ground students. Web-sites are proving to be one of the most important resources for students, and this survey enabled the department to determine how useful of a resource we have been provid-ing to prospective students in their search for information regarding programs and degrees. REFERENCESCaruso, J. B. & Salaway, G. (2008). The ECAR study of undergraduate students and information technol-ogy. Retrieved January 12, 2015 from: http://web.ccsu.edu/uploaded/websites/ITC/frontpagelinks/ECAR2008_RoadMap.pdfCollege Students Own an Average of 7 Tech Devices (2013). Marketingcharts.com. Retrieved April 1, 2015 from: http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/college-students-own-an-average-of-7-tech-devic-es-30430/Dahlstrom, E., Walker, J. D., & Dzuiban, C. (2013). The ECAR study of undergraduate students and infor-mation technology. Retrieved January 30, 2015 from: http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/ecar-study-undergraduate-students-and-information-tech-nology-2013Shea, P. A. (2005, Winter). Serving students online: En-hancing their learning experience. In New Directions for Student Services. 2005(112): New York, NY: Wiley. doi: 10.1002/ss.181Shorr, B. (2014). What is the purpose of your website? Re-trieved January 15, 2015 from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2013/07/17/what-is-the-pur-pose-of-your-website/

Website Study:  What Information are Prospective Graduate Students Seeking?

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Website Study: What Information are Prospective Graduate Students Seeking?

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