Why we are using Google Analytics
We are using Google Analytics to track how George http://www.george-sgul.app is being used, with the goal of evaluating its effectiveness within the MBBS programme and understanding its impact on student and staff engagement.
Our key objectives include:
- Monitoring the number of visits and session durations (dates, times, and user types).
- Identifying the number of returning and regular users in each student cohort, as well as external users such as clinical teachers on placements.
- Tracking how frequently and for how long students, staff and academics are accessing George.
This data allows us to assess overall engagement with George and identify when and how different user groups are interacting with the platform. It also helps us target support for specific cohorts or placement sites that may be underutilising the resource.
As we depend on future funding to maintain and enhance George based on user feedback, having accurate usage data is crucial to support our reports and secure the platform's continued development.
The impact of Google Analytics on your data
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Category
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Data Type
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Purposes
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Personal information (already available on George)
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- Name
- Email address
- Student ID
- Title
- User roles (student, staff, admin, external, etc.)
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For authentication and identification of users within the system.
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Academic information (already available on George)
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- Year of study
- Academic cohort
- Student status
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To analyse engagement trends and provide tailored support. Track changes in activity and assess engagement during specific academic stages.
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Engagement and usage
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- Login/logout times
- Page views and time on page
- Users flow paths
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To measure frequency of system use, identify most accessed resources, and navigate user patterns.
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Content interaction
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- Tracking data (clicks, downloads, etc.)
- Video watch time and completion
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Monitor interactions with system resources.
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Technical metrics
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- Device and browser usage
- Error messages and exit pages
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Optimise system performance for common devices and browsers, identify and address technical issues.
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GA might collect but not useful on George
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- IP address
- User's locations
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This is a GA setting. Switched off / an opt-out option needs to be looked into in future.
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For any questions about our use of Google Analytics for George, or any queries about the MBBS curriculum map, please contact us on mailto:georgeapp@sgul.ac.uk