In this course, students will be exposed to the popular communication tool which is the internet, and how to use it in teaching and learning efficiently. students will experience in developing a website/portal for interactive teaching and learning. (Programming skills obtained from course MPT 1193 will help). This course also gives an opportunity to the students to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed website by using several testing and evaluation techniques.
Web designing process- Information design, interaction design and interface design.
I've been creating web sites for 10 years, and I've got much more successful at it over that time. And I've come into contact with lots of very clever and complex software development processes, many of which don't produce very good results.
This is the typical process I use today on most of the sites I do (of all sizes). It focuses on getting clear on what you're doing before you start, and staying clear while you work swiftly towards a good solution. Overview
1. Know what you're doing 2. Know what the site needs to do 3. Know what the site's visitors want 4. Get a good picture of the personality and style of the web site 5. Sketch out highly successful scenarios 6. Organise views into a site map 7. Sketch the essential features & look 8. Map your visitors' attention 9. Arrange the visual elements to work together
Step-by-step 1. Know what you're doing
Being clear about what you are working to achieve helps you achieve it.
Always be clear on your goal - the state you wish to reach - when you sit down to design a site.
* Do you want to impress other web designers? * Do you want to delight your client? * Do you want to make a good profit and pay your rent on time?
There's a kind of magic called "creative visualisation". When you can see an end-point in your mind's eye, you can much more easily see the steps you need to take to get there. Also, you'll even find that your subconscious actions help carry you forward too. 2. Know what the site needs to do
You may have a client who tells you what they want (e.g. "We want to break into the big time and sell more widgets.").
Try to get really clear about what the goals of a site are. What does success look like? How will you know when you've got there?
Having this stuff clear in your mind helps you:
1. make the thousands of design decisions between now and a finished product 2. communicate with your client and maintain their confidence throughout the process 3. show that you've done what you set out to do
3. Know what the site's visitors want
Ideally, you'd like to show your designs to all your site's target users, and find out what works well for them. As this is not possible, you need another technique.
For all but the simplest of sites, I develop personas and scenarios, based on a simple goal-directed techniques developed by lovely Alan Cooper and his friends at Cooper Interaction Design. 4. Get a good picture of the personality and style of the web site
User personas give you great insight into users' goals and behaviour.
But a web site often has its own goals that may be in conflict with the goals of the users. The site also often has Soft Goals, to support or develop its Brand.
You need a way to balance all these various forces optimally.
I've developed a further tool, the Site Persona, which embodies the site's personality, drive and goals in the same way that User Personas do for users. The Site Persona represents both the Brand and the Goals of the web site, which you work into the mix through dialogue with User Personas.
Picture your web site's interactions as a series of conversations between User Personas and the Site Persona. The users are trying to get what they want, and the Site Persona is trying to help them, while ensuring it does its own job. 5. Sketch out highly successful scenarios
Once you know what your site wants to achieve, and what your visitors want to achieve, it's time to start planning out the site's structure.
I don't start with a site map, as this is too restrictive. I prefer to sketch out the experience, using pencil & paper, just showing the most important aspects of the interaction between site and user.
(Sometimes, these are in the form of a scripted dialogue, where my user persona and site persona communicate as though in a conversation, which will eventually be translated into visual elements.)
A sketch will typically feature:
* Stars showing how a user arrives at the site (entry points) * Circles showing actions, views or places (which may eventually become pages) * Arrows showing how users may move around the site * Speech bubbles representing what a user persona thinks at key places
Here's a real first site sketch I've just done on paper, which lets me think and work quickly.
Don't worry about the particulars of the design. This sketch isn't a project deliverable to share with other people. It's for my use, to help me clarify what's important.
This particular sketch shows a few successful scenarios, which may apply to different user personas. The important thing is I've started visualising the path to success (users taking part in online auctions), from different starting points.
Here, I've realised that the key point is ensuring that visitors can find something that they're interested in. If that doesn't happen, nothing else I can design will matter.
Therefore, to make this site successful, I have to make it easy and appealing to look around until you find something you like enough to find out more.
I may do lots of these sketches, but they'll never take more than a couple of minutes each. But I've got my head working freely on the problem, unencumbered by constraints like complicated drawing packages or modelling syntax. 6. Organise views into a site map
You will need to plan out what pages will be on your site, how they might be grouped, and how users will easily find their way around.
Your site map will effectively merge all the views from your initial free sketches into a structure that's clear and economical. You want your visitors to be able to move freely from place to place, following their noses to their goals.
Things to think about:
* Think what global or top-level links really need to be available on every page. Test your assumptions. * Create enough sections that it will be easy to focus on what you want. * Be careful not to over-segment. If you have too many sections, your site will look bigger and seem harder to navigate. Avoid creating sections that won't have enough content. ("No news is bad news"). * You need to include any other stuff that needs to be there (like Contact Us and Login), which might not feature on any of your sketches to date. * Look for ways to use smart links and deep links that take users directly to what they're most likely to want next. Don't make them dig. * Try to optimise the site so that the paths to the key goals are easy, i.e. with fewest possible steps. Your page design will build on this. * Remember the principles of simplicity and Occams Razor. If you can achieve something more simply, if you can remove something and still maintain the required effect, do it.
7. Sketch the essential features & look
Now we'll start designing the page, still working on paper at this point. (I find that paper & pencil are much quicker tools than a computer, no matter what software package I use.)
Normally, I'll start by shutting my eyes or gazing out of the window, while I visualise what kind of layout and look will feel right, providing a nice clean interface that portrays the right personality.
I'll then sketch that quickly onto paper, in a rough rectangle, and slap on the essential features:
* Overall page structure and proportions * Level 1 navigation (your sections) * Other global navigation (like login/out, site map, help, footer navigation) * Main areas of screen real-estate * Any key graphical elements
There's not much to see in this simple sketch. The body of the site will sit in the middle of the page. I've put in the top navigation bar, site logo and strapline, and I've got an idea where the content is going, and that there will be thumbnail images down the right hand side.
It doesn't look like much, but all it's doing is helping me crystallise the vision in my mind's eye of what the page will look like. Why I do more designing in my head than I do on the computer
The quick pencil sketch just helps me quickly record the likeness of what I've visualised in my head. Then I don't forget and can make it up quickly in Photoshop. I find this way of working a lot more efficient than starting off in Photoshop. Again, it's getting clear first, then doing (think-then-do). 8. Map your visitors' attention
A key step in doing your page layout sketch is getting a good idea of where your visitors will want to look.
When you craft the page on the computer, your job is to balance the relative noticeability of all the visual elements on the page, so that visitors will be drawn to the things that are most important. Things that increase noticeability
* Bigger things! * Strong colours (used sparingly) * High contrast (either shapes, lines or edges with significantly different tones) * Movement (either actual animation or dynamic lines that give the impression of movement) * Things with plenty of space around them (they're easier to identify and seem more important) * Things placed at high-value positions on the page (e.g. towards the top-left and down the middle -- depends on your layout)
The Golden Rule comes into play here.
Everything on your site must either:
* Help your visitors achieve their goals, or * Support the site's goals without obstructing the visitor's goals
So we'll use these devices to show visitors where to look, and where they don't need to look (unless they need to).
On the screenshot above, notice what's most noticeable. See how you can get an impression of what the site's about, and what you're likely to find there, with just a quick glance (and without being able to read much of the text).
This is made possible by carefully prioritising the most relevant visual elements - the ones that are most useful in explaining what the site is about, what you'll find here, and where you might go next. 9. Arrange the visual elements to work together
It's only now that I'd dive into Photoshop. I'm totally prepared, and ready to work quickly (because I know that playing on the computer can easily make me lose perspective).
* I know what the site has to achieve to succeed * I know what my visitors are looking for, and what they're trying to achieve * I understand the site's personality and what it wants to achieve while the visitors are on there * I know what pages and sections are on my site * I have a good idea of the right page layout that will help visitors flow round the site easily, keeping them interested until they have done what they want * I know what visual elements will be on my page, and their relative priority
This prior work will help me quickly execute a design that's fit-for-purpose, without getting too bogged down trying lots of different page layouts in Photoshop (which is time-consuming).
There are a few other principles & disciplines that help me create something that's more than adequate, without taking up too much of mine & my client's time:
* I work in short bursts. If I feel tired or unclear, I'll stop and do something else. * I keep it simple. I'll try to find simple page layouts, navigation structures, and tonal/colour schemes. I'm not afraid to adapt something that has worked before, if it's suitable. * I invest energy where it is most beneficial. I'll happily craft custom buttons, an icon or logo, if doing so will deliver impact. I know that each page doesn't need too many rich visual features, if they are applied with care
Instructional design model that can be used- Hipermedia design model. R2D2, Rapid prototyping model.
Welcome to Web-based Multimedia Development. In this course you’ll learn the basics of building educational multimedia Web sites. There are a range of tasks involved, requiring both design skills and software development skills.The course flows along in three main streams, that parallel and build on one another. Our first order of business is to begin to master the software toolkit you’ll need to build Web sites. The toolkit includes HTML, a Web page editor, image editing software, animation software, and audio and video compression software. Naturally, part of the job is to figure out how to use the right tool for the right job and pull all the pieces together. We’ll use a screen- and print-based tutorial called Presence as you work with the tools on your computer. Software tools: Presence
Design skills: Textbook and Web-based modules. Designing an Educational Web Site
Introduction Welcome to Web-based Multimedia Development. In this course you’ll learn the basics of building educational multimedia Web sites. There are a range of tasks involved, requiring both design skills and software development skills.The course flows along in three main streams, that parallel and build on one another. Our first order of business is to begin to master the software toolkit you’ll need to build Web sites. The toolkit includes HTML, a Web page editor, image editing software, animation software, and audio and video compression software. Naturally, part of the job is to figure out how to use the right tool for the right job and pull all the pieces together. We’ll use a screen- and print-based tutorial called Presence as you work with the tools on your computer.
But the software tools, of course, are useless without some design skills to go with them. In this course, you’ll learn to assess your target audience’s needs, then choose appropriate content and design navigation systems and page layouts to meet those needs. You’ll do this with the help of the textbook (Williams & Tollett) and the Web-based presentations, discussions, and other activities. You’ll put your newly-acquired design skills into practice right away by starting to design your own educational Web site. You’ll assess your audience’s needs, draft a short proposal, draw a flow diagram and sketch a storyboard. By the time your design is ready, you’ll have completed the software tools segment of the course, and you’ll be ready to begin development of your design. By the end of the course, you’ll have designed and developed a prototype educational multimedia Web site you can use in your professional portfolio.
Technology for producing dynamic menus web development
The method of producing dynamic web page content for transmission on a computer network, comprising the steps of: providing one or more entries in a system dictionary,each entry representing a static layout tag type to be mapped to one or more dynamic structures; receiving a first reference to at least one web page portion, said web page portion comprising static layout definitions and static content definitions; receiving a second reference to alternate web content via an Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Post command; extracting said layout definitions from said web page; creating at least one layout template web page from said extracted layout definitions; andmapping said alternate web content into said layout template web page by replacing content parameters associated with said extracted layout definitions for which matching entries are found in said system dictionary, thereby creating at least one web pageportion containing said alternate content.
2. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 1, wherein said web page portion contains Hyper Text Markup Language.
3. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 1, wherein said template web page contains Hyper Text Markup Language.
4. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 1, wherein said alternate content web page contains Hyper Text Markup Language.
5. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 1, further comprising the step of retrieving said alternate web content from a computer-readable medium.
6. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 5, wherein said step of retrieving said alternate web content from a computer-readable medium includes retrieving said alternate content from a computer database.
7. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 5, wherein said step of retrieving said alternate web content from a computer-readable medium includes retrieving said alternate content from a computer file system.
8. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 5, wherein said step of retrieving said alternate content from a computer-readable medium includes retrieving said alternate web content from a computer network
interface.
9. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 8, wherein said step of retrieving said alternate web content from a computer network interface includes retrieving said alternate content from a local area network interface.
10. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 8, wherein said step of retrieving said alternate web content from a computer network interface includes retrieving said alternate content from an Internet.
11. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 1, further comprising providing a servlet for extracting said template web page from said received web page portion.
12. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 1, further comprising providing a servlet for mapping said alternate web content into said template web page.
13. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 1, further comprising the storing of said alternate web page in a computer-readable media.
14. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 1, further comprising transmitting said alternate web page over a computer network.
15. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 14 wherein said computer network includes a local area network.
16. The method of producing dynamic web page content of claim 14 wherein said computer network includes an Internet.
17. An article of manufacture comprising: a computer readable medium suitable for encoding program code means therein or thereon; and one or more program code means causing a processor to perform the steps of: (a) providing one or more entriesin a system dictionary, each entry representing a static layout tag type to be mapped to one or more dynamic structures; (b) receiving a first reference to at least one web page portion, said web page portion comprising static layout definitions andstatic content definitions; (c) receiving a second reference to alternate web content via an Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Post command; (d) extracting said layout definition; (e) creating a template web document using said extracted layout definition; (f) retrieving alternate web content suitable for mapping into a web document; and (g) mapping said alternate web content into said template web document by replacing content parameters associated with said extracted layout definitions for whichmatching entries are found in said system dictionary, thereby creating a web page containing said alternate web content.
18. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, wherein said web page portion comprises a Hyper Text Markup Language web page portion.
19. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, wherein said template web page comprises a Hyper Text Markup Language web page.
20. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, wherein said alternate web page comprises a Hyper Text Markup Language web page.
21. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, wherein said step of receiving a web document portion comprises retrieving said web document portion from a computer database.
22. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, wherein said step of receiving a web document portion comprises retrieving said web document portion from a computer network.
23. An article of manufacture according to claim 22, wherein said step of retrieving said web page portion from a computer network comprises retrieving said web document portion from an Internet.
24. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, wherein said step of receiving a web document portion comprises retrieving said web document portion from a computer file system.
25. An article of manufacture according to claim 17 comprising at least one servlet.
26. An article of manufacture according to claim 25 comprising at least one Java servlet.
27. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, wherein said further comprises code means-for storing said created web page in a computer readable medium.
28. An article of manufacture according to claim 27 wherein said code means for storing said created web page in a computer readable medium comprises code means-for storing said created web page in a computer file system.
29. An article of manufacture according to claim 27 wherein said code for storing said created web page in a computer readable medium comprises code means for storing said created web page in a computer database.
30. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, wherein said code means further comprises code means for transmitting said dynamic web page over a computer network.
31. An article of manufacture according to claim 30, wherein said computer network comprises an Internet.
32. A system for producing web pages containing dynamic content, comprising: one or more entries in a system dictionary, each entry representing a static layout tag type to be mapped to one or more dynamic structures; a means for receiving afirst reference to a web page portion, said web page having at least one static content definition and an associated layout definition; a means for extracting said layout definition from said first web page; a means for receiving a second reference toalternate web content to be mapped into a web page; and a means for mapping said received alternate web content into said extracted layout definition by replacing content parameters associated with said extracted layout definitions for which matchingentries are found in said system dictionary, thereby creating a second web page.
33. A system for producing web pages containing dynamic content according to claim 32 wherein said means for receiving a first web page portion includes a means for receiving a Hyper Text Markup Language web page portion.
34. A system for producing web pages containing dynamic content according to claim 33 wherein means for receiving a Hyper Text Markup Language web page portion includes a means for receiving web content from a computer database.
35. A system for producing web pages containing dynamic content according to claim 33 wherein means for receiving a Hyper Text Markup Language web page portion includes a means for receiving web content from a computer file system.
36. A system for producing web pages containing dynamic content according to claim 33 wherein means for receiving a Hyper Text Markup Language web page portion includes a means for receiving web content from a computer network.
37. A system for producing web pages containing dynamic content according to claim 36 wherein means for receiving web content from a computer network includes a means for receiving web pages from an Internet.
38. A system for producing web pages containing dynamic content according to claim 32 wherein said means for extracting said layout definition from said first web page comprises a servlet program.
39. A system for producing web pages containing dynamic content according to claim 32 wherein said means for mapping said alternate web content into said layout definition and creating a second web page comprises a servlet program.
40. A system for producing web pages containing dynamic content according to claim 32 further comprising a means for storing said created web page in a computer database.
41. A system for producing web pages containing dynamic content according to claim 32 further comprising a means for storing said created web page in a computer file system.
42. A system for producing web pages containing dynamic content according to claim 32 further comprising a means for transmitting said created web page over a computer network.
43. A system for producing web pages containing dynamic content according to claim 42 wherein said computer network includes an Internet.
The term is closely associated with Tim O'Reilly because of the O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004.Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but rather to cumulative changes in the ways software developers and end-users use the Web. Whether Web 2.0 is qualitatively different from prior web technologies has been challenged by World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee who called the term a "piece of jargon"
The process of web evaluation insluding formative and sumative assesment
Web Formative and Summative Assessment
There is a limited research base on the use of online tools to deliver formative and summative assessments. However, the research base on traditional testing formats is relevant and provides insight into the experiences of learners. To frame the theoretical framework for this study, we present the literature demonstrating that (a) formative assessments can serve as effective test preparation events, (b) providing multiple formative assessments can influence learners’ test perceptions, and (c) migrating traditional multiple-choice tests to an online testing protocol provides no universal performance or perception variances.
Impact of Formative Assessment on Learning and Achievement
The decision to use formative assessment in instruction is typically motivated by an attempt to provide the instructor with an accurate estimation of student ability at a particular point in the course, or to provide the students with an assessment task similar in nature to the summative test (Buchanan, 1998). This allows the student to identify strengths and weaknesses and to better prepare for the “real” exam. One of the great advantages of online test programs is the ability to deliver practice tests that serve as formative assessment tools for the students. Practice tests have been shown to increase students’ final outcome performance by roughly twelve percent (Bocij & Greasley, 1999; also see Carrier & Pashler, 1992; Dempster, 1997; Glover, 1989; McDaniel, Kowitz, & Dunay, 1989). Delivering practice tests online may provide an additional benefit to the student by allowing her or him to complete the test conveniently without the environmental distractions that are common during in-class practice tests.
Because different conceptualizations for “practice test” or “practice quiz” are common, there are dramatically different educational, cognitive, and theoretical implications when employing the different strategies of practice testing; thus, operationalization is key. In this discussion, unless otherwise noted, practice quizzes and formative assessments refer to assessment tools that are completed by students prior to a summative (graded) assessment. These practice tests are similar to summative assessments in format and difficulty level, but do not impact the students’ course grade and are comprised of a different set of items.
The utility of formative assessment is partly reliant upon the manner through which the feedback is provided to the learner. The most desirable feedback approach appears to be immediate post-performance reporting,
which provides feedback directly after the entire quiz or test has been completed (King & Behnke, 1999). This method takes advantage of a primary benefit of computer-assisted assessment by supplying timely feedback (Clariana, Ross, & Morrison, 1991; Jongekrijg & Russell, 1999), while avoiding the problem of inducing anxiety or distraction that can arise when providing performance indicators directly after each item (Wise, Plake, Eastman, Boettcher, & Luken, 1986; Wise, Plake, Pozehl, Barnes, & Lukin, 1989). The anxiety induced in item-by-item feedback has been shown to hamper performance through motivational processes such as learned helplessness or externalized attributions of control over performance (Boggiano & Ruble, 1986).
Formative Assessment and Students’ Perceptions of Tests
The benefits of repeated formative assessment for students are likely to rest in their perceptions of test preparedness for the summative measure. Bandura (1986) proposed repeated exposure to successful testing experiences for students with high anxiety would promote self-efficacy for later tests. The use of formative assessments (where no evaluative pressure is imposed) as practice for tests is likely to increase the probability that students will have a positive experience in the testing event with respect to anxiety. In these formative assessment experiences, perceived threat, self-awareness, cognitive test anxiety, and emotionality should all be lower than in standard summative assessment sessions (Kurosawa & Harackiewicz, 1995; Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1992). With the suppression of these affective detractors, the student is more likely to be able to benefit from self-regulatory processes in the practice testing session, leading to higher performance, growth, and subsequent success (Bandura, 1986; Schutz & Davis, 2000).
Online Summative Assessment
Summative assessment in an online environment differs in form and function from the formative assessment process. Not only are the summative assessments graded, but the methods through which students access and respond to the tests usually differ. The summative assessment process requires high levels of control and security in the testing process to ensure reliability and validity in scores, attention to technical problems that may arise during the testing session, and assurance that the online nature of the testing process itself has no impact on actual performance. An additional concern that is often raised by instructors considering online summative assessment is that online testing will induce heightened levels of anxiety over the test, leading to performance levels that underestimate true ability.
The advantages for providing course tests online can include flexibility in delivering tests to students and efficiency in scoring, depending upon the method of delivery chosen by the instructor. With the online delivery of tests, students are not necessarily bound by the traditional artificial academic scheduling constraints. Specifically, (a) they can complete exams at different times of the day to fit their convenience; (b) they can potentially complete the tests in different locations if the test is not a required “closed-book” exam; and (c) unless there is an explicit reason for a time limit, students can take as long as needed to complete the exam. In a similar line, an additional benefit that can be gained through online summative assessment is that additional class time may be gained in traditional on-campus courses. That is, rather than taking a class period to have the students complete the course exam, the instructor can use the class period for instruction.
In perhaps the most complete examination of online summative assessment to date, Bocij & Greasley (1999) reported that students claimed online testing was superior because they were less distracted with the process of handwriting their responses, which helped them maintain focus on the test items and were less panicked. The lower levels of panic were impacted in part by the fact that online tests took less time to complete. Students in Bocij & Greasley’s (1999) work reported the tests were fair, unbiased, and “less threatening than conventional examinations” (p. 14). Finally, the authors reported that performance gains were noted in the online testing conditions, but these effects were not present for the high ability students who appeared to be unaffected by test delivery format.
Present Investigation
As mentioned earlier, this investigation addressed two research questions. The first was a comparison of the effect of delivering course exams online versus in class on paper. This portion of the study involved examining the affective experiences of one instructor’s students. The students were enrolled in the same course, separated by one year. The only evaluative difference existing between the two courses was the method of delivering the course exams. For the first group of students, all tests were delivered in class on paper. For the second group, all tests were delivered online in a computer-based testing laboratory staffed by testing proctors who ensured the security of the testing process and corrected any technical issues that arose. Students’ levels of cognitive test anxiety, emotionality, and perceived threat of tests were compared to determine if there were differential perceptions of tests for students experiencing the two alternate methods of test delivery. These data were intended to examine the extent to which online testing leads to heightened levels of fear, anxiety, or worry over tests. The hypothesis underlying this question was that the method of presentation would have no meaningful detrimental impact for the students in any of these variables.
The second part of the study examined the relationships among the use of online formative assessments, student performance, and test perceptions. For both groups of students, online practice tests were made available as a test preparation option for only the third exam. It was expected that the students using online formative assessment tests (as practice) would have higher rates of performance on subsequent summative assessment measures. Due to the differential patterns of behavior and performance traditionally noted in students with test anxiety based in part on study strategies (Naveh-Benjamin, McKeachie, & Lin, 1987), no a priori predictions regarding the relationship between online formative assessment and test perceptions were reasonable.
Analyzing existing web evaluation forms
Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of internet data for purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage
There are two categories of web analytics; off-site and on-site web analytics.
Off-site web analytics refers to web measurement and analysis irrespective of whether you own or maintain a website. It includes the measurement of a website's potential audience (opportunity), share of voice (visibility), and buzz (comments) that is happening on the Internet as a whole.
On-site web analytics measure a visitor's journey once on your website. This includes its drivers and conversions; for example, which landing pages encourage people to make a purchase. On-site web analytics measures the performance of your website in a commercial context. This data is typically compared against key performance indicators for performance, and used to improve a web site or marketing campaign's audience response.
Historically, web analytics has referred to on-site visitor measurement. However in recent years this has blurred, mainly because vendors are producing tools that span both categories.
Online form
Online form tracking and analysis is somewhat nascent to say the least. A quick search on Google yields little on the subject beyond the odd discussion group. However, UK-based solutions provider Speed Trap has recently included the functionality in its Prophet E-Business Intelligence Suite. Prescience or wishful thinking? We think prescience: the form tracking industry seems here to stay. After all, it’s another way that the web can measure marketing initiatives in a way that offline programs cannot.
This article introduces the online form tracking market at its earliest stage, and identifies the needs and measures for form tracking as a subset of web analytics.
Form filling plays a significant role for most websites. Often a form is an important market research tool or a key lead generator for further offline and online marketing initiatives. They help you learn about user needs and better shape products or services for them.
However, they are often perceived as the bane of web user’s existence, getting in the way and obstructing them from the content they want.
Given this dichotomy – and the ongoing necessity of online forms – the need to optimise online form usage and fulfillment has never been greater.
What to measure
The items to track a form can be group into four areas: Form Fulfillment, Form Failure, Form Abandonment and Form View Only. The relevant factors to measure vary, but generally include questions that need to be answered as to why a form is completed or not.
Form Fulfillment - The form is completed and submitted with no problems. One or two attempts may have occurred, but you collect the minimum information required. Relevant factors include:
How long did it take to complete?
How much information over the minimum was collected?
Did the form fill sequence work?
Where was the information entered first?
What optional fields were left vacant?
Form Failure - The form is completed or partially finished but no acknowledgement from the site that the form was submitted, likely rendering the data lost. This can occur with people who are less web savvy, or if the ’submit’ button is harder to find. Relevant factors include:
What information/fields were entered?
What sequence was used?
Not entered
Design/layout
Browser compatibility
Use of autofill
Form Abandonment - The form is attempted but abandoned. No attempt to submit. Relevant factors include:
What information was entered?
What sequence is used?
Form length
Labeling
Design layout
Incentives
Use of autofill
Distractions
Security Concerns
Form View Only - A user has merely viewed the form and clicked away. Relevant factors include:
What sequence is used?
Form length
Labeling and/or instructional copy
Design layout
Incentives
Distractions
Security Concerns
Build or buy
Preliminary research revealed that the preference in the early days (a few years ago) for form tracking was to purpose-build an application. This was mainly because few solutions existed in the marketplace. Today, purchased applications are winning favour and those with an understanding of form tracking’s importance are leaning that way.
Mike Keyes, of Minneapolis-based web marketing consultancy Ciceron, said he built a tracking application several years ago, but plans to replace it with a purchased solution. “We realised there was no way for us to cost-effectively keep up with the innovation that is occurring in the industry right now,” said Mr Keyes.
Jim Cuene ,who works for a large financial services company, said has been looking for a form tracking tool for some time. He had previously used Atlas Net Conversions usability service but felt it was cost prohibitive. “It’s ( Atlas) a great snapshot of how forms are used, but it is too expensive,” said Mr. Cuene.
Consequently the buy option in relation to form tracking is becoming more realisable as the need for overall ‘out of the box’ web analytics solutions grow. Providers such as Web Side Story (HBX On Demand) and Speed Trap are including form tracking as part of a fully featured web analytics package.
Thus as the cost comes down and the functionality increases, the buy option is fast becoming a no-brainer.
Producing and utilizing of web evaluation form
Checklist for Evaluating Web Resources
Is the Web a good research tool? This question is dependent on the researcher's objective. As in traditional print resources one must use a method of critical analysis to determine its value. Here is a checklist for evaluating web resources to help in that determination.
Authority:
-Is the information reliable?
-Check the author's credentials and affiliation. Is the author an expert in the field?
-Does the resource have a reputable organization or expert behind it?
-Are the sources of information stated? Can you verify the information?
-Can the author be contacted for clarification?
-Check for organizational or author biases.
Scope:
-Is the material at this site useful, unique, accurate or is it derivative, repetitious, or doubtful?
-Is the information available in other formats?
-Is the purpose of the resource clearly stated? Does it fulfill its purpose?
-What items are included in the resource? What subject area, time period, formats or types of material are covered?
-Is the information factual or opinion?
-Does the site contain original information or simply links?
-How frequently is the resource updated?
-Does the site have clear and obvious pointers to new content?
Format and Presentation:
-Is the information easy to get to? How many links does it take to get to something useful?
-What is the quality of the graphical images? Do these images enhance the resource or distract from the content?
-Is the target audience or intended users clearly indicated?
-Is the arrangement of links uncluttered?
-Does the site have its own search engine?
-Is the site easily browsable or searchable?
Cost and Accessibility:
-Is the site available on a consistent basis?
-Is response time fast?
-Does the site have a text-based alternative?
-How many links lead to a dead-end?
-Is this a fee-based site? Can non-members still have access to part of the site?
-Must you register a name and password before using the site?
Other Tips:
-Check the header and footer information to determine the author and source.
-In the URL, a tilde ~ usually indicated a personal web directory rather than being part of the organization's official web site.
-In order to verify an author's credentials, you may need to consult -some printed sources such as Who's Who in America or the Biography Index.
-Check and compare the web site to others which are both similar and different.
Exposure to the concept of reliability and validity of web evaluation form
Reliability and Validity for Quality Information is everywhere on the Internet, existing in large quantities and continuously being created and revised. This information exists in a large variety of kinds (facts, opinions, stories, interpretations, statistics)and is created for many purposes (to inform, to persuade, to sell, to present a viewpoint, and to create or change an attitude or belief). For each of these various kinds and purposes, information exists on many levels of quality or reliability. It ranges from very good to very bad and includes every shade in between.
Getting Started: Screening Information
Pre-evaluation
The first stage of evaluating your sources takes place before you do any searching. Take a minute to ask yourself what exactly you are looking for. Do you want facts, opinions (authoritative or just anyone's), reasoned arguments, statistics, narratives, eyewitness reports, descriptions? Is the purpose of your research to get new ideas, to find either factual or reasoned support for a position, to survey opinion, or something else? Once you decide on this, you will be able to screen sources much more quickly by testing them against your research goal. If, for example, you are writing a research paper, and if you are looking for both facts and well-argued opinions to support or challenge a position, you will know which sources can be quickly passed by and which deserve a second look, simply by asking whether each source appears to offer facts and well-argued opinions, or just unsupported claims.
Select Sources Likely to be Reliable Becoming proficient at selecting sources will require experience, of course, but even a beginning researcher can take a few minutes to ask, "What source or what kind of source would be the most credible for providing information in this particular case?" Which sources are likely to be fair, objective, lacking hidden motives, showing quality control? It is important to keep these considerations in mind, so that you will not simply take the opinion of the first source or two you can locate. By thinking about these issues while searching, you will be able to identify suspicious or questionable sources more readily. With so many sources to choose from in a typical search, there is no reason to settle for unreliable material.
BASIC CREATE WEBSITE
WEBSITE FOR EDUCATION
WEBSITE FOR TEACING AND LEARNING
CONCEPT WEB DEVELOPMENT
ABOUT PORTALS
PROFIT FROM USING PORTALS
HOW TO CREATE WEB SERVER
PHASES AND STAGES WEB DEVELOPMENT
TEAM WEB DEVELOPMENT
