Week 8

Analytics Tools

Last week we introduced three analytics methods: social network, discourse, and influence. This week will be a week of exploration and tinkering as we tackle a variety of different tools. We will experiment with different approaches and techniques educators (and leaders) can use to work with analytics.

Activities

1. Review the following tools:

• VisualizeFree: https://www.visualizefree.com/
• Gephi: https://gephi.org/
  Download dataset: https://github.com/gephi/gephi/wiki/Datasets
• Gapminder: https://www.gapminder.org/
• ICTA (Internet Community Text Analyzer) http://netlytic.org/

2. After you've reviewed the tools, reflect on your experience in your discussion forum posting in the Week 8 discussion forum in Moodle. Which tools did you like? What type of functionality would you like to see in analytics tools?
3. Select a tool to support each of the methodologies we looked at last week. Don't confine yourself to the tools listed above—consider the numerous research tools that are available (especially for discourse and network analysis). Tag your tools using the social bookmarking tools in the Landing. Be sure to define which methodology you feel the tool best serves.