USABILITY OF UNIVERSITY WEBSITES FROM STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE - A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Abstract. Internet provides a realm of resources with abundant information about anything for anyone to learn from. With massive increase in the number of Internet users, the educational websites have become an indispensible tool for public relations. The young generation of today uses Internet and social media so extensively that every educational organization is having its online presence felt, not only to attract a wider audience of prospective students but also to cater to the in-house students’ needs and efficient working of the organization. In this post Covid era, students rely heavily on the Internet to get access to a magnitude of services that are provided by educational websites. The primary goal for effectiveness of a website is achieved by presenting relevant information efficiently. Websites have the potential to provide better communication between the society and educational institutions. Although web based public services play a crucial role in supporting the organization’s success, but still there are many difficulties to use it effectively. The need for this research is to assess how well Universities connect with their stakeholders via the web channel in this digital world. This study is a maiden attempt to assess the usability issues of Punjabi University, Patiala web portal from the students’ perspective. The scope of this study is the University, affiliated colleges and its students. The content analysis is done in terms of services provided by the university to affiliated college students. The objective of this study is to identify website usability problems and contribute towards improving its content which would enable the university to better utilize the potential of its web portal.