The situation won’t change overnight, and clearly there are no guarantees for success. But this initiative got me thinking…

Google has such scale and digital dominance that it is able (and willing) to step into any market. So what happens when it decides that it can offer degree courses? It will be able to provide an online experience that melds Google Apps, Gmail, YouTube, Google+, video chat, and other elements into a comprehensive and potentially compelling offer. The service will be mobile-friendly, cheap, flexible and socially-enabled. Traditional universities will have much that is better and of higher quality, but will they be able to compete in the new commercial HE environment?

I’ve only just had this thought and it needs further development. Perhaps we’ll conclude that Google can’t really offer a compelling alternative and that the threat isn’t real. However, I would argue that the idea is still worth considering – a scenario in which Google are competitors to universities could be a worthwhile thought exercise which would catalyse internal debate and encourage innovative responses.

In the meantime, Computing Science students might be interested in: http://code.google.com/edu/courses.html

This is a change from content-focused design to search-focused design. As a user you might find the new search version quicker, but CMS Watch points out: only if the search engine works.

The content that was there hasn’t been removed. Instead it has been transferred to a Duke Today site. This looks and feels much more like a traditional university homepage.
Judging from their redesign blog this change was made with consideration and consultation. The blog previewed two homepage designs – the comments show an overwhelming preference for design mockup 2 over design mockup 1. So why did they decide to go live with design 1? This (from the blog) goes some way towards explaining the position…

Our approach to minimialist design isn’t to say “Less is more” but rather, as the designer Milton Glaser once said, “Just enough is more.” Through exhaustive research we determined that the current approach of posting news and services on one site was trying to do too many things for too many people and as a result not effective. We’re not getting rid of the content with this new design, we’re simply shifting much of it to DukeToday where it can be more effectively managed. Recent usability test results were quite favorable.

I’m not sure they’ve made the right choice. A university homepage has many competing claims on it’s supposedly valuable space. But by choosing to move the up-to-date information to a secondary page Duke are hiding the content that is alive and breathes. I think they’re left with a homepage that may score well in usability tests but doesn’t project the image of a vibrant and busy place.