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Hi Folks

 

I have lurking on this list so far and listening in when I can get the time – some fascinating discussions here.

 

Yes, some worked examples /use cases / case studies / how to would be very useful in relation to getting the most out of Google Analytics would probably be a big help to those involved in OER activity. For this kind of OER work to continue metrics (both hard and soft) are likely to be essential to getting management to devote resources to it in a time of cutbacks. Probably best to pitch  guidance materials at complete beginners. I think people would find that a great help – if there is not anything out there already.

 

At the OER interim programme meeting in Brum people were beating a path to talk to Viv Rolfe from De Montfort about this kind of thing and we are going to need to get into this in the ALTO project .

 

The work Viv is doing is interesting as she and colleagues have been looking at the soft cultural issues alongside the use of Google Analytics, I believe she has been working with an Analytics consultant. If you were to pursue this area of work it  might be a good move to contact VIv if you are not already in touch.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

From: Open Educational Resources [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lorna M Campbell
Sent: 18 April 2011 12:39 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Mini Projects: Why no bids for projects 1 and 2? Hmm?

 

Hi Tony, 

This may be a bit of topic, but anyway...

 

I don't think anything is off topic for these discussions!  

 

I agree that worked use cases on getting the most out of Google Analytics in an academic context would be immensely valuable.  Would other list members find this useful? 

 

Cheers

Lorna

 



I'm a big fan of Google Custom Search 

engines (our OER hackday coursedetective was built around one) and I know a few sites use them to search over a set of domains on an instituional site (eg Cambridge University library use a Google CSE to search over local library related websites),

 

But have had some problems tracking search on them... Google CSEs can be embedded in iframes, or displayed in a page using javascript. Limited tracking of search words is provided by the CSE statistics report, but better tracking requires linking with Google Analytics. The frame based embed puts search terms in to the URL which can be tracked by Google Analytics. But something I havenlt worked out yet, is how to integrate Google Analytics with the AJAX/js route. It strikes me that event tracking should allow tracking of both search terms and the outgoing results links that are clicked on using GA event tracking but I havenlt worked out how. (Martin Hawksey got instant search working with CSEs, but that recipe doesn't seem to work with the GA code:-(

 

In terms of useful things, a library that can grab search term and click data from Google CSEs into Google Analytics would be a handy thing to have, and provide a way of collecting search and action data from CSEs, if folk are running them. It's not search log analysis, but it'd be really handy tool for anyone using a Google CSE wanting to build up search logs.

 

Realted to this, I think that folk who do run Google Analytics don't necessarily get as much benefit from them as they might... How many people run filters and adcanced/custom segments, i wonder, in generating reports? A couple of worked cases showing how to set up Google analytics in an academic context may be something worth doing?

 

tony

 

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Tony Hirst

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Dept. of Communication & Systems,

The Open University, Walton Hall,

Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK

 

Tel: +44 (0)19086 52789, m./SMS 07771 330 372

 

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Lorna M. Campbell

JISC CETIS Assistant Director

University of Strathclyde

Glasgow

Email: [log in to unmask]

Phone: +44141 548 3072

Skype: lorna120768

 

The University of Strathclyde is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, number SC015263.