Monitoring and analysis of hypermedia navigation

Abstract

The use of an interaction monitoring tool in conjunction with commercial spreadsheet arid statistical packages is described. The tool was used to monitor and analyse M.Sc. students' use of a hypermedia system with multiple navigation structures to study course content. The final product of the analysis is a description of the navigation routes and methods used by individual students to acquire information from the courseware. Post hoc, students were clearly separable into those who performed relatively more, and those who performed relatively less, actions per minute. These two groups were also different in terms of their use of the available navigation structures and the content they chose to visit. The role of high level monitoring tools and associated analysis packages in evaluating hypermedia material, and in answering questions about human learning, is discussed.