Crippen et al. This is an example of using Web databases to gather information about learning. This particular site gathers information about both access and performance. As indicated in Chapter 9, distributed practice leads to improved learning performance as compared to concentrated practice. A major finding in the study of the AP Chemistry site is that students hit the site most frequently during the week before the AP Chemistry Test, with the day before the test being the peak day.
Servers can maintain logs that capture varying degrees of information.
Figure 14.08 shows a modified screen capture of a server log. The log file is a text file. It is possible to import files of server logs directly into database software for analysis. If you go to the trouble of setting up a learning Web site, especially one with new materials, then using the information from that site to study student learning seems prudent. Figure 14.08 .