Technical, Usability, Content and Other factors (TUCO) Framework for website upgrade in Higher Education Institution

Abstract

This paper presents a framework for the upgrade of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) websites. The objectives of the research are to examine important factors for Higher Education Institutions (HEI) websites upgrade and develop a framework and guidelines for the upgrade of websites of these institutions. The framework is anchored on the requirement of any upgrade to guarantee continuity in two important roles of a HEI website, namely; the continuity of the institutional image, and the continuity of online service delivery to stakeholders. The research adopted the Design Science Research (DSR) approach which is a problem-solving paradigm and considers research as capable of bringing change through introduction of novel artefacts that address societal challenges. DSR is characterised by two major iterative cycles of build and evaluate activities that are executed until a sufficient artefact is realised. The framework was developed during the conclusion phase of the research. The Framework is named TUCO, representing the initials of the framework lenses of Technical, Usability, Content and Other factors. The lenses are connected by a hinge that holds together all the lenses and represents the flexibility of the framework which allows for an upgrade to be done by looking through at one lens or a combination of different lenses depending on the priorities of the upgrade and the resources available. Each lens has a number of components that must be considered during an upgrade. The framework contributes to the HEI websites body of knowledge and provides support and practical guideline for practitioners.