Date of Award

2008-05-01

Degree Name

EdD Doctor of Education

Dissertation Committee

Marcie J. Bober, PhD; Fred J. Galloway, EdD; Carla Mathison, PhD

Keywords

case study, educational marketplace, engaged consumer-users, K-8 school district, parents & parenting, school administrators, school websites, website development

Abstract

Schools -- like their corporate counterparts -- recognize the many advantages that the Internet affords. Today's schools vie for students, and thus use the web to market their services and showcase their management team (administrators, teachers, staff) and academic accomplishments. In a sense, then, web sites are the public face of education; those that are well-designed and multi-featured can enhance a district's public image and create the perception of excellence and competence. This case study explores how one suburban, K-8 school district approaches web site development, specifically, the process by which decisions about design, development, and maintenance are made (and by whom); the ways in which they engage those who explore them--with a particular focus on parents; and, how well the sites adhere to generally recognized design attributes. Data were gathered through interviews with school administrators, document review, web site analysis, parent surveys, and parent focus groups. Results offer information to policymakers, administrators, and site designers regarding principles of web design unique to parents as educational consumers. Principles emerging from the case study can lead to additional research not only in the field of education, but, also, in the fields of web design and marketing.

Document Type

Dissertation: Open Access

Department

Education

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