moodle and google analytics
DESCRIPTION
Standard Google Analytics reporting takes the URL from the page to track the views. With Moodle this means that it is not possible to easily track which activity URL belongs to what course within the Analytics. This presentation looks at the work done to help address this issue and at the test of the solution during the Ireland & UK Moodlemoot. Gavin Henrick was the original founder of this idea and together we found a solution.TRANSCRIPT
MOODLE AND GOOGLE ANALYTICSBAS BRANDS
I am a part freelance part employed webdeveloper. I enjoy programming with Moodle because of it’s excellent community and truly open source character
BAS BRANDS
INTRODUCTION
Standard Google Analytics reporting takes the URL from the page to track the views.
With Moodle this means that it is not possible to easily track which activity URL belongs to what course within the Analytics.
This presentation looks at the work done to help address this issue and at the test of the solution during the Ireland & UK Moodlemoot.
Gavin Henrick was the original founder of this idea and together we found a solution.
Advanced features :
- User behavior
- Custom charts
- Mailing of reports
- Pageload speed
- Traffic sources
- Demographics
- Mobile usage
- Visitor Flow
- Live statistics
ABOUT GOOGLE ANALYTICS (GA)
<script type="text/javascript">
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-000000-4']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
(function() {
var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();
</script>
1. Register on:
http://google.com/analytics
2. Add your website
3. Receive the JavaScript code snippet
4. Embed in your Moodle theme layout files
HOW TO GET GOOGLE ANALYTICS FOR MOODLE
SAMPLE ANALYTICS PAGE ON CONTENT
SAMPLE OF A STANDARD GA REPORT OF MOODLE
- Which course is the course with id = 13 ?
- In what course was the dialogue activity visited?
- What course category was visited most?
DEFAULT MOODLE REPORT IS HARD TO READ
SAMPLE OF A GOOGLE ANALYTICS REPORT OF WORDPRESS
- I can see which articles are viewed
- I can break it down into year, month, day
- I could create graphs of most viewed articles in May
DEFAULT WORDPRESS REPORT IS EASY TO READ
STANDARD MOODLE URL’S
- Which section is that resource linked in?
- Which course is that resource part of?
- Which category is that course in?
- Was it a student or an admin who clicked that link?
QUESTIONS WHEN LOOKING AT STANDARD MOODLE URL’S
THE MOODLE URL’S WE WANT
URL DESIGN
http://moodle.moodlemoot.ie/2012/delegatepack/Pre-Conference+Workshops/A+Moodle+2+Tool+Guide+for+Teachers
Category
Course Short name
Section name
Activity name
(Activity type)
STANDARD ANALYTICS GRAPHS USING THESE URLS
STANDARD ANALYTICS GRAPHS USING THESE URLS
NOW THE FUN STARTS!COURSE OVERVIEW
NOW THE FUN STARTS!COURSE OVERVIEW
CREATING CUSTOM DASHBOARDS
COURSE STATISTICS
COURSE STATISTICS
USER FLOW
- JS snipped loaded by our browser
- setAccount var
- trackPageview var
- https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/gajs/?hl=nl
ANOTHER LOOK AT THE GA JAVASCRIPT CODE
FEED A URL TO THE JAVASCRIPT SNIPPET
Code snippet that shows part of the URL design
- Section
- Activity type
- Activity name
- Action type
GENERATE A CUSTOM URL IN PHP
GENERATE A CUSTOM URL
THE FUTURE OF THIS PROJECTPage related variables
- category, role, department, uid ??
Logging of events
- activity completion, user created
Grades
- get grade statistics on course
Get GA data back into Moodle
- the emailed report
- creating your own graphs in Moodle
GET GA DATA BACK
GET INVOLVEDMore info on what has been done:
Blogpost by Gavin Henrick
http://www.somerandomthoughts.com/blog/2012/04/18/ireland-uk-moodlemoot-analytics-to-the-front/
Blogpost by Bas Brands
http://basbrands.nl/2012/04/18/google-analytics-with-moodle/
More info on
The GA JS snippet
https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/gajs/?hl=nl
Google analytics Query explorer
http://ga-dev-tools.appspot.com/explorer/?csw=1
Getting Google analytics data using php
https://code.google.com/p/gapi-google-analytics-php-interface/
http://www.codediesel.com/php/reading-google-analytics-data-from-php/
CONTACT US
Bas Brands
Twitter: bmbrands
Gavin Henrick
Q&A / DISCUSSION
What about privacy?
Alternatives?
• Woopra
• Clicky
• Piwik (open source)
• Open Web Analytics (open source)
Read more: http://imimpact.com/web-stats-alternatives-to-google-analytics/
What about performance?