| The World-Wide Web (WWW or Web) provides a new, cost-effective medium for distribution of instructional materials. In this study, I analyze usage statistics from WWW httpd (HyperText Transfer Protocol daemon) server access logs to help understand how an instructional site is used. Net-Frog, a heavily visited educational WWW site which has received a substantial amount of favorable national publicity, provides an on-line laboratory dissection experience. With more than 414,000 separate visits logged in the two years since the site became accessible in August, 1994, the data base served as a representative example of the probable range of issues likely to be encountered in other sites. The site may be viewed at the following location:; http://teach.virginia.edu/go/frog; In this study, I discuss the importance of the WWW for development, distribution, and use of instructional materials, incorporating pertinent issues in hypertext, instructional design and insights derived from surveys of WWW usage. I then describe the quantitative methods used for monthly and cumulative analysis of the WWW httpd server access logs to determine user patterns and access trends.; Previous research conducted with Net-Frog was updated and expanded. Sequential analyses created a database for analysis of session duration and other variables. Results indicated that practice was the primary factor in Net-Frog usage, showing large differences between those who did and did not practice, in duration, in files accessed per visit and in degree of site penetration. A "transition probability matrix", which measured the proportional relations between a file currently accessed and the next file accessed, offered a practical tool for exploring how users navigated Net-Frog's hypertext structure.; Regression analyses were used to predict effects of publicity, time of day, whether school was in session, and site longevity on the number of file accesses. Although most effects were statistically significant, the effects for site longevity and school in session were most notable.; In concluding this report, I consider how the data derived might provide useful input for program evaluation and future development efforts. Opportunities for future research are suggested. |
