Tracking the Elusive Student: Opportunities for Connection and Assessment
ABSTRACT At Eastern Michigan University, information about library resources and services for Extended Programs (off-campus and online) students was provided in a number of online locations and was sometimes inconsistent and difficult to manage. The library formed an internal task force to evaluate all of the library information and instructional materials provided to Extended Programs students. The task force consolidated key information in one location on the library Web site and collaborated with departments within the library and around campus to provide links from the relevant online locations. This case study describes how Google Analytics was used to assess the use of the revised library Web site and online instructional materials by Extended Programs students. The researchers describe examples of techniques for using Google Analytics and explain how the data collected was used to identify further enhancements to the information provided to Extended Programs students.