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LiteracyLink: Lessons Learned

By Jennifer Elmore

LiteracyLink: Background

• 5-year Star Schools initiative, funded by U.S. Department of Education
• Partners - NCAL, KET & PBS
• Primary goal: to develop multimedia resources for adult education instructors & learners

NCAL's Role

• Develop online resource for adult learners that complements KET videos & workbooks
• Workplace Essential Skills
• GED
• Develop online resource for adult educators
• LitTeacher online classes
• PeerLit
• Practice Guides
• Videoconferences

LiteracyLink: Development Challenges

• Multimedia - coordinating partners' efforts across video, online & print
• Flexibility of web is positive & negative
• Changes can be made (unlike KET's video products & workbooks)
• Changes *must* be made (evolving web requires constant upkeep)
• Restricted technological capacity of many adult education programs (pressing the envelope without pressing it too far) - developing alternatives for low-end use

LiteracyLink: Development Challenges - Continued

• Diverse audience (teachers & learners) - parallel construction of website
• Range of technology experience among users - developing a system that will appeal to a range of users & won't alienate people
• Striking a balance between structure & flexibility
• Striking a balance between community & autonomy/privacy
• Creating opportunities for meaningful interactivity
• Developing a collection of useful learning tools that will complement/enhance the LiteracyLink content

LiteracyLink: Development Challenges - Continued

• Desire to develop a "language" of graphics - that reinforce but do not control meaning within the system
• Limited staff on project
• Basic logistics - coordinating production components (programmer, system designer, graphic designers, video consultants, text authors, experts/contributors, testers)

Development Tips - Grounding Questions

• 1. Who is your audience? What are their needs? Strengths? Limitations?
• 2. How would you describe your web project in three sentences or less?
• 3. Why are you pursuing this particular project over others? Why is it important?
• 4. How will it address users' needs, reinforce their strengths and work with their limitations?

Practical Development Steps

1. Create Site Map - A Visual Representation

• Include all site pages
• Identify connections between pages
• Clearly present/identify content on each page
• Identify number of website pages -- so you (or programmer) can build shell

Practical Development Steps - Continued

2. Draw Individual Pages

• Sketch out what you want individual pages to look like (completely)
• Keep these drawings organized according to your site map "headings"
• Draw/draft specific images for individual pages

Practical Development Steps - Continued

3. Identify Special Features

• Create a list of special features that your pages will need -- bulletin boards, online chatting functions, video clips, etc.
• Determine the creation order of these special features

Practical Development Steps - Continued

4. Keep Running List of Images Needed

• Identify images (page by page) to be created
• Identify "site-wide" icons, buttons and headers -- like "Back," "Help" and "Exit" buttons
• Keep this list organized according to site map "headings"
• If you hire outside consultants to create graphics, keep an itemized list of what you need -- try to send consultants requests "in bulk." (This itemized list will also come in handy if you or colleagues are charged with locating or developing graphics.)
• In either case, describe in explicit detail what you want each image to look like -- be sure to mention color/dimensions and explain how you plan to have images work together on a page.
• Try to develop a reasonable timeline for acquiring these graphics. If you are working with consultants, be sure you discuss turn-around time as well as fees.

Practical Development Steps - Continued

5. Keep Running Prioritized To-Do List For Programmer

• Have weekly or biweekly meetings with programmer and identify priority tasks
• Keep list where programmer can refer to it easily -- on the wall/on a calendar
• Assess progress on itemized list regularly and shift focus as needed

Practical Development Steps - Continued

6. Develop Your Text

• Create a list of all the text needed (for the different pages)
• Remember your design -- be sure that your text will fit into/complement the space that you've allotted
• Save all page text in "plain text" format for conversion into valid html
• Come up with a naming system that lets everyone know where these "plain text" files fall in the site map
• For every page of text you write, you should at least consider creating complementary "Help" text
• Remember to write text that will describe images and video -- for users with older browsers and to ensure Bobby compliance

Practical Development Steps - Continued

7. Testing

• Be specific about what you need tested -- content/functionality
• Allow 1-2 weeks for extensive testing of new site
• Ask testers to print out all pages that they test and mark "problem spots" on those handouts
• Be sure to build "fix-it" time into your design schedule

Practical Development Steps - Continued

8. Upkeep

• Create a master list of areas within the site that require ongoing attention
• Divide upkeep into different areas and delegate responsibility
• Develop a basic maintenance schedule and plan regular updates (once a month, once every two months, etc.)

Practical Development Tips - Continued

Wrap-Up

• Revisit grounding questions regularly
• Maintain a working schedule
• Post your work in a public arena
• Strive for simplicity
• Try to remain consistent - carry a few themes through the website
• Delegate/collaborate & let contributors know how their work will be used
• Test/conduct focus groups
• Don't forget upkeep!