Using web analytics tools to understand learning in the online environment
Vol.10,No.1(2018)
Purpose
The paper we will attempt to outline the possibilities of using Google Analytics and Smartlook, as two tools for web analytics in the educational context, to point out the possibilities and the limits of such an approach and its relation to learning analytics as such. Measurement and analysis of web courses brings a lot of interesting possibilities, both towards redesign and innovation (data with intervention potential), as well as purely research character.
Design/methodology/approach
In the introduction, we focus on the relationship between web analytics and learning analytics. Next, we'll describe Google Analytics in terms of its educational opportunities. This description is related to already existing research papers dealing with this topic. The following is a Smartolook tool that lets you create heatmaps and capture the cursor movement on a web page, which again relates to the ability to analyze student interaction with the learning material. In the last two chapters, the tools are applied to a real web course in the form of an example of each possible analytical view.
Results
Using the tools above, it is not possible to perform the learning analytics as an activity leading to intervention, for example to identify problem students, but rather to find out what users of the course are studying what their technical equipment is, to reveal to some extent their learning habits and formulations behavior in the online environment.
Originality/Value
The paper primarily seeks to show how students' learning can be understood through web analytics tools. Describes the relationship between web analytics and learning analytics and, based on empirical data and literature, offers a discussion of their methodological links.
Learning analytics; web analytics; Google Analytics; web courses; heatmaps; learning analysis
Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2011). Going the distance: Online education in the United States, 2011. Sloan Consortium. PO Box 1238, Newburyport, MA 01950.
Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2013). Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States. Sloan Consortium. PO Box 1238, Newburyport, MA 01950.
Ashleign, M. (2017). How to get Flash on iPhone and iPad [Online]. Retrieved January 19, 2018, from https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/ipad/how-get-flash-on-iphone-ipad-2017-3460979/
Auinger, A., Ebner, M., Nedbal, D., & Holzinger, A. (2009). Mixing content and endless collaboration MashUps: Towards future personal learning environments. Universal access in human computer interaction. Applications and services, 14-23.
Baker, R. S., & Inventado, P. S. (2014). Educational data mining and learning analytics. In Learning analytics (pp. 61-75). Springer New York.
Beck, A. (2011). Google AdWords. MITP-Verlags GmbH & Co. KG.
Bosomworth, D. (2015). Mobile marketing statistics 2015. Leeds: Smart Insights (Marketing Intelligence) Ltd.
Boucouvalas, A. C., Aivalis, C. J., & Gatziolis, K. (2015, July). Integrating retail and e-commerce using Web Analytics and intelligent sensors. In International Conference on E-Business and Telecommunications (pp. 3-35). Springer International Publishing.
Clifton, B. (2012). Advanced web metrics with Google Analytics. John Wiley & Sons.
Craig, E. M. (2007). Changing paradigms: managed learning environments and Web 2.0. Campus-Wide Information Systems, 24(3), 152-161.
Croll, A., & Power, S. (2009). Complete web monitoring: watching your visitors, performance, communities, and competitors. " O'Reilly Media, Inc.".
Cutroni, J. (2010). Google Analytics: Understanding Visitor Behavior. " O'Reilly Media, Inc.".
Černý, M. (2017). Co je zajímavého v žebříčku Top 200 Tools for Learning 2017 [Online]. Retrieved January 15, 2018, from https://spomocnik.rvp.cz/clanek/21593/CO-JE-ZAJIMAVEHO-V-ZEBRICKU-TOP-200-TOOLS-FOR-LEARNING-2017.html
Duckett, J. (2011). HTML and CSS: design and build websites. John Wiley & Sons.
Eisenberg, B., & Quarto-von Tivadar, J. (2009). Always be testing: the complete guide to Google website optimizer. John Wiley & Sons.
Ferguson, R. (2012). Learning analytics: Drivers, developments and challenges. International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 4(5–6), 304–317.
Google Analytics [Online]. (2017). Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://analytics.google.com
Chatti, M. A., Dyckhoff, A. L., Schroeder, U., & Thüs, H. (2012). A reference model for learning analytics. International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 4(5-6), 318-331.
Juhaňák, L., & Zounek, J. (2016). Analytika učení: nový přístup ke zkoumání učení (nejen) ve virtuálním prostředí. Pedagogická orientace, 26(3), 560-583.
Ledford, J. L., Teixeira, J., & Tyler, M. E. (2011). Google analytics. John Wiley and Sons.
Long, P., & Siemens, G. (2011). Penetrating the fog: Analytics in learning and education. Educause Review, 46(5), 31–40.
Lu, L. T. (2014). U.S. Patent Application No. 13/753,062.
Luo, H., Rocco, S., & Schaad, C. (2015, October). Using Google Analytics to Understand Online Learning: A Case Study of a Graduate-Level Online Course. In Educational Innovation through Technology (EITT), 2015 International Conference of(pp. 264-268). IEEE.
Marsh, J. (2014). UX Crash Course: 31 Fundamentals [Online]. Retrieved January 19, 2018, from http://thehipperelement.com/post/75476711614/ux-crash-course-31-fundamentals
Mc Guckin, C., & Crowley, N. (2012). Using Google Analytics to evaluate the impact of the CyberTraining project. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(11), 625-629.
Metodická pomůcka k aplikaci GDPR [Online]. (2018). Retrieved January 18, 2018, from http://www.msmt.cz/file/44592/
Nápověda Analytics [Online]. (2018). Retrieved January 19, 2018, from https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1713056
Omidvar, M. A., Mirabi, V. R., & Shokry, N. (2011). Analyzing the impact of visitors on page views with Google analytics. arXiv preprint arXiv:1102.0735.
Onori, Szczur, & et al. (2018). Hack design [Online]. Retrieved January 19, 2018, from https://hackdesign.org/
Page Analytics (by Google) [Online]. (2017). Retrieved January 19, 2018, from https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/page-analytics-by-google/fnbdnhhicmebfgdgglcdacdapkcihcoh
Pakkala, H., Presser, K., & Christensen, T. (2012). Using Google Analytics to measure visitor statistics: The case of food composition websites. International Journal of Information Management, 32(6), 504-512.
Romanowski, B., & Konak, A. (2016). Using Google Analytics to Improve the Course Website of a Database Course.
Siemens, G. (2013). Learning Analytics [Online]. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(10), 1380-1400. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764213498851
Siemens, G. (2013). Learning analytics: The emergence of a discipline. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(10), 1380-1400.
SmartLook [Online]. (2018). Retrieved January 19, 2018, from https://www.smartlook.com/
Tkáčik, J. (2017). Perspektivy využití interaktivních učebnic při studiu na vysoké škole (Diplomová práce). Brno.
Tonkin, S., Whitmore, C., & Cutroni, J. (2011). Performance marketing with Google Analytics: Strategies and techniques for maximizing online ROI. John Wiley and Sons.
Tonyan, J. (2016). Measuring the success of your social media presence with google analytics. Library Technology Reports, 52(7), 38.
Tulinská, H., Černý, M., & Kovářová, P. (2017). Kurz práce s informacemi [Online]. Retrieved January 19, 2018, from http://kisk.phil.muni.cz/kpi
Vedrasco, E., & Lursinsap, C. (2016, November). Effective solution for a medical tourism aggregative system using the data mining approach. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Communication and Information Processing (pp. 99-104). ACM.
W3Techs [Online]. (2018). Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/ta-googleanalytics/all/all
Wachter, S., Mittelstadt, B., & Floridi, L. (2017). Why a right to explanation of automated decision-making does not exist in the general data protection regulation. International Data Privacy Law, 7(2), 76-99.
Young, S. W. (2014). A/B Testing Web Analytics Data [dataset].
Young, S. W. (2014b). Improving library user experience with A/B testing: Principles and process. Weave: Journal of Library User Experience, 1(1).
Copyright © 2018 ProInflow: Časopis pro informační vědy