Beyond Navigation: Understanding Semantic Gaps in the Information Architecture of a University Portal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47756/aihc.y10i1.203Keywords:
Information architecture, usability evaluation, university web portal, tree testing, user-centered design, higher educationAbstract
University portals serve as primary access points to academic, administrative, and communication services in higher education. However, their usability and information architecture often fail to align with users’ expectations, resulting in inefficiencies and cognitive overload. This study presents an empirical validation of the web portal of the University of Colima, focusing on the evaluation of its information architecture through a tree testing approach. The experiment involved nine representative user profiles (including students, faculty, administrative staff, and external visitors) to assess navigation efficiency, semantic consistency, and success rates across realistic information-seeking tasks. Overall results indicated moderate usability performance: while users achieved success rates above 80% for routine tasks, those requiring interpretation of institutional terminology showed considerably lower outcomes. Excessive hierarchical depth and ambiguous labeling emerged as primary barriers to efficient navigation. Cross-group analysis revealed notable differences among users, particularly between experienced institutional members and new or external visitors, highlighting the need for more inclusive and adaptive design strategies. The findings support simplifying the portal’s information hierarchy, standardizing terminology, and integrating iterative usability testing as part of continuous improvement. This work contributes to the growing body of research on university website usability and offers an evidence-based framework for designing user-centered information architectures in higher education.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Pedro César Santana-Mancilla, Silvia Berenice Fajardo-Flores, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez-Ortiz, Emmanuel Ángel Argenis Mondragón , Laura Sanely Gaytán-Lugo
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