Electronic Exhibit Rooms

There are several benefits to creating Web-based exhibit rooms. First, electronic exhibit rooms allow BOE members to review documents and other exhibits before arriving on site. This gives BOE members more time to learn about an institution and increases the BOE’s familiarity with the unit’s organization. While BOE members are not required to read the entire Web site, they are expected to spend a few hours reviewing the site and any exhibits that you make available.

In addition to supporting BOE work before coming to campus, Web-based exhibit rooms also facilitate the work of the BOE once they arrive on campus. A well organized Web site enables the BOE to access information expeditiously. This will enable BOE members to spend more time reviewing the quality of the exhibits presented and less time determining what exhibits exist.

Many institutions find Web-based exhibits beneficial for internal communication and organization. In addition to taking the mystery out of the accreditation process, electronic exhibit rooms support and facilitate the continuous updating of information that is important to your unit. Web-based exhibit rooms also serve as a common and accessible repository for that information. In many instances, faculty or designated staff collect and report candidate assessment data, update resumes and course syllabi, and review and examine program offerings via the Web. Further, because of the shared and public nature of the Web site, some institutions find that it increases accountability and allows faculty to see the results of their work. Some institutions plan to use edited versions of their exhibit rooms as recruitment tools for candidates and faculty members.

See Also: Electronic Exhibit Room FAQs

Organizing a Web-Based Exhibit Room

First, it is necessary to develop a plan for the design and development of the electronic exhibit room. Institutions often name a committee or subcommittee of the NCATE committee to develop this plan. They then develop a map of the site, outlining the design and creating a master document list. The plan also specifies a system for collecting and indexing the documents, including who is responsible for collection and due dates. In addition, the plan should identify a “labeling strategy” which includes categories and names of button labels and links. Institutions find it best to use NCATE terminology as much as possible. Your plan should also begin to identify the format for documents. Most institutions find HTML useful, because it can be viewed across computing platforms, requires only browser software to view the pages, and supports additional file types and formats. Please note that NCATE suggests the development of a plan to facilitate the building of a Web-based exhibit room; such plans are neither required nor evaluated.

Second, it is important to have a Web page designated for the NCATE visit. This page should orient the BOE members to the exhibits that are on-line. It is important that BOE members have a central location where they can learn which exhibits are available on-line and how the exhibits have been organized. It is completely acceptable to include links on this page to all on-line exhibits, regardless of where they are housed. Some institutions prefer an outline with text-based hyperlinks; others choose to use icons. Clarity is much more important than form.

Third, it is vital that exhibits be organized around the standards and the elements of the standards. The conceptual framework is often presented as a separate document. The institutional report is often presented as an HTML document with a table of contents and links to relevant documents and other evidence. All exhibits should be organizationally connected to a standard and an element. This is important because it will help the BOE team understand which exhibits are presented to address which standards and elements. It is the institution’s responsibility to make connections between evidence and standards. The BOE judges the quality of the evidence presented.

In some instances, one exhibit may address more than one element or be related to more than one standard. Creating links to the exhibit in more than one place is the best way to address this situation. It is also important to ensure that links take the user to the intended documents. Double check links to ensure that they are accurate, especially if you move or rename files.

Fourth, BOE members must be able to navigate between exhibits. Consequently, it is important that all exhibits have links back to the BOE homepage. In addition, the BOE should be provided with a site map (in hard copy or readily visible on the Web page) that will provide direction as they move between exhibits. Many BOE members have reported that an index of the site in hard copy is also helpful, in that it orients them to the site and helps them keep track of which exhibits they have reviewed.

The Look of the Exhibit Room

Design the site to facilitate finding and accessing information related to the NCATE standards. Although “bells and whistles” can be nice, they are not necessary and sometimes interfere with easy access of information. Try not to use backgrounds that are too busy or that move, as this causes eyestrain for people trying to read the exhibits. Further, be certain that the background and text contrast enough for the print to be easily read. A background that is too light or too dark makes reading difficult.

Need for a Webmaster

It is important to remember that Web-based exhibit rooms are elective and not required as part of the accreditation process. NCATE encourages institutions to use the resources that they have available to prepare for a visit. At the same time, it is necessary to have content knowledge and a certain degree of technical expertise to design and maintain an electronic exhibit room. Some institutions use graduate students in computer technology colleges and departments on campus, some tap into university or college technology offices, and others find faculty and staff with Web skills or hire full- or part-time help to gain access to the needed technical expertise. Faculty, deans, and NCATE coordinators often work together to provide the content knowledge necessary to design and maintain the site.

Legal Issues

Some institutions have run into legal questions when creating an electronic Web site. Some faculty members may not want their resumes or course syllabi on-line for reasons of privacy and intellectual property rights. Further, displaying candidate and P–12 student work on the Web, should you choose to do so, could also breach privacy rights if anonymity is not protected. Though accrediting agencies are generally not restricted by privacy issues, the Web is public domain. In addition, site licenses and permission to use certain logos may also be required. NCATE encourages you to be cognizant of these issues as you develop your electronic exhibit rooms. Some documents may need to be password-protected or available only in hard copy for review during the on-site visit.

Accredited institutions are encouraged to use the NCATE logo on their Web sites. The NCATE logo can be downloaded from the Celebrating Accreditation section of the NCATE Web site.

Creation of Back-up Disks

Once the site has been created, the data entered, and the links tested, it is important to copy the site to two or more CD-ROMs. This is a back-up measure in the event that connections to the Internet are interrupted during the visit. Connections have indeed been interrupted during visits, and the back-up disks have proven to be invaluable. Some institutions have provided each team member a CD to facilitate their work before and during the visit.

Number of Computer Stations On-Site

The extent to which exhibits are on-line dictates whether more than one computer station with Internet access needs to be available to the team. On visits in which the majority of exhibits are on-line, several computer stations with Internet access are in order. BOE team members will want to work simultaneously and will thus need access to the exhibits. The number of stations needed may also depend on how many team members bring their own laptops. On visits in which the majority of exhibits are not on-line, usually one or two stations are sufficient. It is important that the institution discuss such availability with the BOE chair during the previsit.

Informing the Team about the Web Address

The BOE team chair and members should receive the Web address with the institutional report. If the institutional report is being submitted electronically, send the team and NCATE information regarding where the report and exhibits can be accessed. Most institutions create a link to the report in an e-mail to the team members and NCATE. Send this information to team members and NCATE approximately 60 days before your visit.

In identifying the Web address, check to ensure that the connections work both inside and outside of your intranet. Further, specify if the address is case sensitive. If BOE members must enter the site through a general college or university Web site or through the Web site of the school or department of education, specify this in your communication with the team.

If the site requires the use of a password or user ID, please inform the team in communications with them. Again, specify if the password or user ID is case sensitive. Explain the process by which BOE members can access the site and check to ensure that following directions will lead the BOE member to the site. Before sending initial communications to BOE members, some institutions find it helpful to test their initial communication with someone outside of their institution to check the clarity of their instructions and the integrity of their links.

Technical Assistance Needed

BOE team members should have basic computer skills. They should have basic keyboarding skills and be able to access the Internet. In addition, they should be able to navigate your Web site, if the site is logically organized. Some BOE members may not be familiar with all plug-ins, so you may need to provide detailed instructions if plug-ins are necessary to access information on your site. In addition, BOE members find it helpful to have a brief orientation to the structure of the unit’s Web site at the start of the visit.

Both before and during the on-site visit, and while the team is in the hotel, designate a person with technical expertise to be available to help the team should difficulties arise. Provide the name and contact information for this person to the team during initial contact and once the visit starts. The same person need not provide all of the technical support. What is key is that each team member knows whom to contact if difficulties arise. This ensures that BOE members are able to access needed information and that they do not waste time attempting to address technical difficulties.

Availability of Web-Based Exhibits

Ideally, the Web-based exhibit room should be up and running at least 60 days before the visit. This gives the BOE adequate time to review the site before arriving on campus. Should the site not be ready 60 days before the visit, inform the team when the site is ready and the team will view as much as possible before arriving on campus.

Many institutions continue building the Web site until the week before the visit. If this is the case, then inform the team of major changes and recent additions during their orientation to your institution once they arrive.

Internet Access at the Team’s Hotel

It is certainly beneficial if the team has access to documents that are on-line at the hotel site. Generally, one Internet workstation is sufficient, but at least one institution has allowed team members to borrow laptops, each with access to the Internet. The electronic exhibit room can also be made available on CD-ROM, assuring access to the exhibits without requiring Internet access. The institution should discuss computer access in general and Internet access in particular with the team chair during the previsit.