Conference Registration      Edit Registration      WebCT Homepage
Wednesday, 20 July 2005: 10:00 AM-11:00 AM
Yerba Buena Salon 02 (San Francisco Marriott)
A-13: WebCT Gets One Million Hits a Day, Now What? How Log Analysis Can Impact Your Strategic Decisions
Detailed Description:Asking the right questions is an important first step when examining the access log data that is available from enterprise learning systems such as WebCT Vista. This session will address technical, administrative, and pedagogical questions and conclusions that can impact all aspects of learning, from students and faculty to courses, programs, and the entire university.
Presentation Format:Showcase
Topic:Deploying enterprise e-learning: Strategies for success
Target Audience:Academic Technology Directors, Course Designers, E-learning Managers, Faculty and Other Instructors, Institutional Research and Assessment Staff, Senior Administrators, System Administrators
Appropriate Audience Level:Beginning or new users of WebCT, Experienced WebCT users
Abstract Text:Your learning management system gets over a million hits a day. What does this mean? What implications do these types of statistics have for training, support and your current university infrastructure? What type of reliable data do you have to support your strategic IT decisions for enterprise e-learning?

The most basic data available from any web-based system are the raw web server logs. Any access, to any section of your web server by any user of your system is logged to text files. Web log analysis software will provide analysis of these files. However, without first formulating questions that you wish to answer, this raw analysis won't provide useful information.

A team approach is critical to move this project forward. Strategic questions can be formulated that will have a critical impact on the university's IT decision making process. Data administrators can provide connections between raw and meaningful data, such assorting access to courses into departments, faculties and levels. Faculty developers can use the data to investigate further pedagogical questions.

Questions addressed were sorted into three categories. Sample questions include the following:

Usage

  • Where are users accessing your LMS from?

  • What types of files are being downloaded?

    Saturation

  • What percentage of courses are using your LMS within each department and faculty?
  • How many people access your LMS per day?

    Application

  • What is LMS use per student sorted by tool type?
  • How can you use stats to target your faculty development?
  • Tools used include web analysis packages (Summary.net) as well as WebCT-specific tools (Tool Use) were used.

    This session will give participants sample questions that they can address with the analysis of LMS data. It will allow them to focus on specific areas that they may wish to improve with faculty development, increased support, increased training, enhanced infrastructure, etc.



    • Session Leader:Adam Finkelstein
    McGill University
    Co-Presenter:Laura Winer
    McGill University

    See more of The 7th Annual WebCT User Conference