The document analyzes four Catalan university websites using Van Dijck's analytical model and task analysis with thinking aloud. It finds that the websites have similar structures, ownerships, governance, and business models. Users had difficulties finding some information, like climate change on one site. The analysis concludes the websites need improvements to make all information more accessible with fewer clicks. Suggestions are made to enhance the user experience through virtual tours, interactive content, chat bots, online shops, and emphasizing university life.

1. Analysis of University websites
FINAL RESEARCH
Maria Aguilera, Ignasi Berruezo,
Júlia Conillera, Alba Domingo,
Helena Parellada and Carla Ros

2. Presentation of the research conclusions VAN DIJCK’S ANALYTICAL MODEL
Regarding Van Dijck’s method, the four
universities do not present great differences
among them.
Socio-economic structures
Ownership
The owners of the websites are the universities
themselves, even though the institutions are
owned and governed by different superior
institutions, as the Generalitat de Catalunya,
the Gobierno de España and the European
Commission.
Governance
All four websites are free to access in exception
of specific parts as the virtual campuses. They
all warn that their content is a property of each
university and that it can be used as long as it
is not for a commercial use. At the governance
section, the universities also recalls that they will
act under any security breach.
Business model
They have three main ways for earning money:
funds that the Gobierno de España and
Generalitat de Catalunya gives to them from
the general budget, and the money that the
universities earn by the tuition payments and
the extracurricular activities.
RESEARCH INTRODUCTION
The aim of this project is to analyse, using qualitative and quantitative methods, the webs
of four different Catalan universities.
The decision of analysing universities’ websites was taken because of the importance of
having a virtual place where all the important information can be found. On this technological
era where all companies have an online presence, we think that institutions could not be less
and that they should be prepared for the online world and for the youngest generations,
accustomed to using the internet for almost everything. That is way we have decided to
analyse their structure and content, to see if they are ready for the next generations.
To analyze these websites, we used Van Dijck’s analytical model and the Task Analysis in
conjunction with the Thinking Aloud method. Thus, in general terms, we can say that the 4
universities analyzed, UPC, UB, UAB and UOC, all under the supervision of the Generalitat de
Catalunya, show a similar structure on their website, both inside, as we have seen from the
analysis with Van Dijck’s method, and outside, as in its operation and user usage, treated in
Task Analysis and Thinking Aloud.
Techno-cultural structures
Technology
They all offer different software to their students
according to the needs of the degree. Some of
the offered software is Adobe Creative Cloud,
ATALAB, Labview and Sophos. UAB is the only
university that doesn’t sepecify its offer.
Users and usage
Four main types common on them all: current
students who are studying a degree, master or
PhD, future students who are interested in the
different universities programs, international
students who will study on one of these
universities, and professors.
Content
All the universities’ websites have the same
sections and structure, and the only thing that
changes is the information the users can read.
These common sections (even if the content
is adapted to each university) are: location
and campuses, their values, their norms and
functioning, their research projects, the degrees,
masters and PhD they offer, etc.

3. As for the task analysis, the most used way to
achieve them was firstly accessing to the different
web pages from the main university website, so
they used hyperlinked access and secondly they
used the search engine in order to accomplish
all the tasks.
As for the gender equality we observed that
the majority of users were looking for a purple
(feminist movement color) section.
In reference to the climate change task, a lot of
users found it difficult to discover, finding the
worst cases in UB, as three out of four users gave
up the search, claiming that this section didn’t
exist.
Regarding the universities’ values and the
subjects, any user found it difficult, in fact was
one of the tasks that all the users from all the
universities quicker achieved.
As for the international agreements and
internship program users had more difficulties
basically for one main reason: users thought that
they would find both of these informations in
the specific section of computing engineering,
while it was actually for all degrees.
Regarding university life almost all users had
problems. All of them agreed that university
life is as important as the other sections and
therefore it should all be more accessible and
easier to find.
In this graph we can see the average of clicks needed to complete every asked
task. It also shows the total amount of clicks for every university.
UAB and UPC websites needed the most clicks. UB appears as “the easiest” website
to go through, but we have to take in consideration that some users were not
able to find sections such as Climate Change, Student Union for the UB and the
accomodation section in UOC.
FINAL CONCLUSIONS
Users were calmed until they had difficulties
trying to find the information of each task. That
means that users were nervous when they didn’t
find the information right away and they had to
spend more time searching all the information
that was required.
We also can affirm that no matter whether the
users were students of the selected universities
or not, they spent more or less the same time
and needed similar clicks in order to accomplish
all the tasks. Nevertheless, we can see that older
people need more time and clicks that young
people in order to achieve all the tasks.
To finish these usability analysis’ conclusion,
we can say that all these university websites
need improvements because all the users had
difficulties in some tasks in order to achieve
them; none of the users found every information
quickly and without any problem.
To conclude the whole project, just mention that
after this deep analysis we cannot determine
which website is better, as for the information
you can find in each one is basically the same
with some small variations, and as through the
task analysis and thinking aloud we have verified
that each one has some very strong points bus
then they also have some improveable parts.
We can say that an ideal university website
would be the one with complete information
about every topic related to the institution and
the one which would make all the information
accessible with 3 to 6 clicks.
TASK ANALYSIS AND THINKING ALOUD
Task analysis - Clicks needed
“ “I’m feeling
stupid, why
can’t I find it?”
“This is sh*t,
I can’t find it”
“My common
sense tells me
that it should
be here”
“Oh, I saw
them before
while I was
looking for
another thing”
“Oh thanks
for this lousy
service”
“Umm.. I don’t
know…”
“I give up, I
can’t find it”
“I’m
desperate!”
“I didn’t even
know this
really existed” “

4. Proposal Proposition
Virtual tours
A virtual tour of the university, its campuses and
faculties could be very helpful for all those future
students who cannot attend the open days in-
person. The virtual tours can also be carried out
around the student residences. To facilitate the
access to the university facilities through the
website can be a very favourable point in case a
student is not sure about its decision.
Interactive content
An interactive content allows the user to
familiarize more easily with the website and,
along with this, it facilitates the search of
information and, consequently, a subsequent
memorization of where everything is. Moreover,
adding photos, videos and different elements
make websites more atractive and appealing to
users.
Support chat bot
Being able to ask questions while searching in
the university’s website can be a great assistance
for those who don’t know how to find a certain
type of information. This way, it can help the user
not to get into a state of nerves or frustration
and not to migrate to other search engines
outside the main website of the university, such
as Google’s search engine.
Merchandising online shop
It would be interesting and a special way to
differentiate the website of a university, to
offer to the next students who enroll in the
faculty and, in general, all those members of
the institution, an online store where they can
get merchandising of the university as a brand.
For example, to sell some T-shirts with the logo,
folders, badges, etc., and thus, foster a sense
of unity among all those who are a part of the
institution and make it possible to function.
Logo, style, corporate colours
Any website, in order to distinguish itself from
others should have its own corporate colours
that identify it. As we have seen before, people
are highly influenced by colours, along with
the design style. That gives character to the
institution and allows everyone to recognize
the institutions whenever they see its corporate
image.
Virtual Campus
The most clever way to use the new technologies
on the teaching field. Great for communication
between students and professors.
Information about the institution
The transparency of an institution is fundamental
as people give great importance to values, what
they stand for, etc.
Degrees and masters’ information
It is essential to have at the very first sight, what
degrees, masters and PhD it offers, the tuition
fees, study plans, future careers...
Different languages
In this global world, it is a must to offer the
content in more than one language as many
people as possible can understand what the
universities offer.
News section
About students, professors and the university
itself, so they feel involved and a part of the
community.
University life
Extracurricular activities are an important part
of the university period, so sports, discussion
groups, student parties... should be highlighted
Agenda
A clear and simple virtual agenda where all
the university events are noted (graduations,
workshops, conferences...).
Information about the offered services
Library, study rooms, recording rooms, labs...
users should be able to find all the information
related to these services.
Mobility and internships
To learn outside the university is also very
important for students. Agreements, regulations,
scholarships and facilities should be clearly
detailed.
Alumni
To make the relationship with students remain
after they graduate, it’s good to have a section
with special services and advantages for them.
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5. Maria Aguilera, Ignasi Berruezo,
Júlia Conillera, Alba Domingo,
Helena Parellada and Carla Ros