I read two articles for class this week. Unfortunately I missed that they were supposed to be about e-learning, but even having missed that information I am glad that I read them. The first article definitely was not on the unique list, but was probably the best thing that I could read. I went to Wikipedia and read Web Analytics. That was very informative going through the history of web analytics, giving some definitions, and giving me a list of different tools that are out there. I do suggest that everyone that is new read it because of its simplicity.
The second article I read was Improving Web Usability through Visualization. The author helped develop a system that tries to present the statistical data found in web analysis in a visual way. They use what they call a "disk tree technique" which uses expanding circles and lines of different colors to represent the website. They believe that this method allows people to better process the statistical data that they are giving, seeing things like paths taken through a website, new popular sections of the website, broken links, and other interesting information quickly and more effectively. They even felt that it could give good information as to ways to change the site in order to more effectively present information the users need and shorten pathways from the home page. I initially thought that they would show something like the visual studies that show where people look at a web page or something of that nature. Even though it was not in that way, I could see programs move more in a visual direction, and more visual than the graphs that are currently used in programs like Google Analytics. The focus on information and its placement in a website may also be very beneficial in the e-learning and education arenas. Tracking of information and movement through a website would help to improve a course tremendously.
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