Website Critique
Introduction
URL
The website can be accessed through the URL http://www.unitec.ac.nz/. The URL structure has been kept as simple as possible as opposed to an overly complex one. In addition, the URL is constructed logically using readable words instead of long characters involving numbers. There are also no underscores in the URL, which effectively avoids the potential of bringing up several URLs pointing to similar or identical content on the site. This helps to avoid consumption of more bandwidth than necessary and the inability to entirely index all the content on the site (MacDonald, 2011). Such a URL is more appealing to users.
Owner
The owner of the website is Unitec, New Zeeland’s largest institute of technology. Unitec offers a variety of short courses, certificate, diploma and degree programs in business, arts, as well as technical subjects. Unitec has three campuses in Auckland and several delivery sites in New Zeeland, China, and the Pacific. The name ‘Unitec’ was adopted in 1994. The institute is a certified member or the International Association of Universities but has been denied university status by the government of New Zeeland. The institute qualifies itself as an institute of technology highly focused on real world education that produces work-ready graduates of top-notch professional and vocational skills.
Purpose and Target audience
The website is aimed to provide the public with important information about Unitec Institute of Technology. It is targeted at learners from broad range of educational backgrounds as well as age groups. The website’s target audience thus ranges from school leavers, international students, professions seeking to further their careers, people training for careers in industry as well as trades, graduates seeking postgraduate qualifications, second-chance together with adult students looking to undertake tertiary education, and persons seeking a change of career.
Content/ Services
The website shows that Unitec Institute of Technology deals in three major educational majors: Vocational Education and Training, Undergraduate Studies, and Postgraduate Studies.
The website carries information on services offered by the institute. They include: Applied Technology
• Architecture and Landscape Architecture
• Built Environment
• Business
• Communication
• Community Development
• Computing and Information Technology
• Design
• Education
• Foundation Studies
• Health Science
• Language Studies
• Maori Studies
• Natural Sciences
• Performing and Screen Arts
• Sport, and
• Central Services (including Student Services).
In general, Unitec offers 77 certificate and diploma programmes, 19 bachelor degree programs, 17 graduate and postgraduate certificates and diplomas, 14 masters degrees, and 2 doctorate degrees. The institute is able to tailor the graduated degree programs to fit even the busiest schedule, with provision to take either face-to-face classes of online studies. The student is allowed to study at their own pace, finding relevant support at every stage by the dedicated programme staff.
The figure shows the site map of the institution.
Reference:
MacDonald, M. (2011). Creating a website. Beijing: O’Reilly.
