4-Week Course: Web Analytics for Higher Ed

Web Analytics for Higher Ed – Online Course

January 23 – February 19, 2012: sold out
February 20 – March 18, 2012: sold out
March 19 – April 15: sold out
April 16 – May 13, 2012: sold out
May 21 – June 17, 2012: sold out
June 18 – July 22, 2012 (4th of July week off):REGISTER NOW!
Only 10 seats left!
Course fee:~~$1200~~ $800 (reflecting a $400 limited-time discount)

Asynchronous online 4-week course with weekly lessons and assignments
Need to print the course description to get approval?

Course fee:~~$1200~~ $800 (reflecting a $400 limited-time discount)

June 18 – July 22, 2012:
REGISTER NOW!
Only 10 seats left!

All the course materials (screencasts, handouts, readings, quizzes, 4 graded discussions, 4 graded assignments)
Unlimited questions related to the course to the instructor via the “Ask the Prof” discussion board during the 4-week session

Hard-copy or Kindle version of the textbook: Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity by Avinash Kaushik
Access to the class discussion board and course materials for 1 year
Higher Ed Experts Digital Certificate upon completion of the course with a minimum final grade of 80/100

Web Analytics for Higher Ed Course

Web Analytics for Higher Ed (WAHE 201)

This 4-week online course will help you become a (better) Higher Ed Web Analyst.

After reviewing the basics on the most widely-used analytics tool in universities and colleges, Google Analytics, and the most relevant metrics and dimensions, you will learn what you need to know on goal tracking and conversions, segmentation, key performance indicators (KPI) and dashboards as well as the art and science of transforming data into insights to improve your websites or optimize digital initiatives.

How you will learn:

Expect to spend at least 10 hours per week studying and working on practical quizzes, discussions with your classmates and hands-on assignments you can use right away at the office.
This is an intensive asynchronous online course designed for busy higher ed professionals. You can study when it’s the most convenient for you as long as you complete the weekly graded assignments by the deadline.
Led and taught by a Google Analytics Certified Professional specialized in higher education, this 4-week course is limited to 10 participants per session to nurture discussions and creative solutions among a small group of practitioners working in different institutions.
The Higher Ed Experts Certificate in Web Analytics for Higher Ed will only be granted to students obtaining at least the passing grade of 80/100.

What you will learn:

Web Analytics for Higher Ed Course description and learning objectives
Week 1 – Metrics & Dimensions Students will gain an understanding of basic Google Analytics metrics and dimensions within the higher education framework that will be used throughout the course. Key metrics will be discussed and students will begin to analyze standard reports. Learning Objectives: Gain a conversational fluency of Google Analytics terms including key metrics and dimensions Discuss when a metrics can be used as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Set up properly Google Analytics tracking code Track socially engaged web visitors Assess when to use GA profiles and filters Use context to understand when a metric is positive or negative
Week 2 – Goals & Campaigns Students will learn how to effectively set up goals, determine appropriate goal values, and set up trackable campaigns. Learning Objectives: Determine proper goal conversion pages Create goals in GA Add a goal funnel Determine and apply appropriate goal values Create a trackable campaign through URL variables Determine the effectiveness of a campaign
Week 3 – Segmentation Students will learn how to segment user data based on factors that are relevant to achieving goals. Learning Objectives: Create a simple regular expression Set up an advanced segment and apply the segment to a report Create and/or use segments based on user location, source, page view, and goal
Week 4 – KPI Dashboard & Website Optimization Students will learn how to apply what they have learned and create a KPI dashboard that they can use to monitor their campaigns. Students will exhibit interpretation capabilities as they apply their findings towards optimizing their institutional or departmental website. Learning Objectives: Select a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Understand the importance of a KPI dashboard Create a custom KPI dashboard within Google Analytics Combine segments to formulate ratios/percentages Analyze and interpret the KPI dashboard and use the information to optimize the website Turn the dashboard data into actionable information

Web Analytics for Higher Ed
Course description and learning objectives

Week 1 – Metrics & Dimensions

Students will gain an understanding of basic Google Analytics metrics and dimensions within the higher education framework that will be used throughout the course. Key metrics will be discussed and students will begin to analyze standard reports.

Learning Objectives:

Gain a conversational fluency of Google Analytics terms including key metrics and dimensions
Discuss when a metrics can be used as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
Set up properly Google Analytics tracking code
Track socially engaged web visitors
Assess when to use GA profiles and filters
Use context to understand when a metric is positive or negative

Week 2 – Goals & Campaigns

Students will learn how to effectively set up goals, determine appropriate goal values, and set up trackable campaigns.

Learning Objectives:

Determine proper goal conversion pages
Create goals in GA
Add a goal funnel
Determine and apply appropriate goal values
Create a trackable campaign through URL variables
Determine the effectiveness of a campaign

Week 3 – Segmentation

Students will learn how to segment user data based on factors that are relevant to achieving goals.

Learning Objectives:

Create a simple regular expression
Set up an advanced segment and apply the segment to a report
Create and/or use segments based on user location, source, page view, and goal

Week 4 – KPI Dashboard & Website Optimization

Students will learn how to apply what they have learned and create a KPI dashboard that they can use to monitor their campaigns. Students will exhibit interpretation capabilities as they apply their findings towards optimizing their institutional or departmental website.

Learning Objectives:

Select a Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
Understand the importance of a KPI dashboard
Create a custom KPI dashboard within Google Analytics
Combine segments to formulate ratios/percentages
Analyze and interpret the KPI dashboard and use the information to optimize the website
Turn the dashboard data into actionable information

Faculty:

Joshua Dodson, Google Analytics Qualified Web Expert in Higher Ed
Joshua is a Google Analytics Qualified Web expert who has worked with numerous colleges and universities to improve their Web presence and better understand their user trends. His extensive back-end Web knowledge is equally matched with an understanding of the importance of driving results on the front end—and proving return on investment. His in-depth SEO experience ties campaigns to results to show true impact.

Who should take this course:

Primary audience: web and marketing professionals interested in web analytics,
Secondary audience: web editors, web communications managers and online marketing specialists

Only 10 seats left!
REGISTER NOW!

10 Responses to “4-Week Course: Web Analytics for Higher Ed”

Lisa 8 August 2011 at 9:58 am #

I am a web content manager primarily using a CMS at my institution. While I have a great deal of control over the content on my pages, I have no control or access to site infrastructure or coding. I have wanted to learn how to set up Google reports for my own pages and goals. Will this course be useful to web content managers/writers who don’t work with site architecture?
Thanks!

Reply
- Karine Joly 8 August 2011 at 5:38 pm #
  
  Lisa,
  
  The course focuses on analytics – not coding or site infrastructure. There are some elements related to the tracking code and regulars expression for segmentation that might be a bit more technical (but all you need to complete the assignments will be provided in the course materials). However, if you have access to a Google account/profile for your area of the website, then this course can definitely help you shape and use all the data collected in GA to find real insights and optimize your pages.
  
  Hope this helps.
  
  Reply
Lynn 20 September 2011 at 12:33 pm #

Hi, Karine:

Would this course be appropriate for someone with very little experience in GA?

Reply
- Karine Joly 20 September 2011 at 1:53 pm #
  
  Hi Lynn,
  
  I asked the course author to include a “module 0″ to go over Google Analytics Basics. This module is available to registered students the week before the official start of the course.
  It includes a few articles, a practical exercise and a quiz – both aren’t graded, but the quiz provides correct answers once taken.
  
  Then, in Week 1, the course goes over important metrics and dimensions with the help of 15 very short screencasts, more reading, a quiz, the graded class discussion and the weekly assignment. (I’m taking the class as part of our quality review process so this is really fresh in my mind
  
  You don’t need to have a lot of experience in GA as the module 0 goes over the basics. People who have more experience can just take the quiz in this module and start right with Week 1.
  
  Let me know if you have more questions.
  
  Reply
Dan Demmons 22 November 2011 at 8:32 am #

Hi Karine,
RE: this class- will this be using the “new” GA or the older one? I’m thinking seriously about signing up, just wondering.
-Dan

Reply
- Karine Joly 23 November 2011 at 9:11 am #
  
  We use the “new” GA, Dan.
  Glad you decided to register.
  
  Reply
Gwynne 5 January 2012 at 12:48 pm #

If I sign up but then have to postpone taking the course, can I switch to a later session? What is the cancelation policy? Thank you.

Reply
- Karine Joly 5 January 2012 at 2:06 pm #
  
  We recommend that you sign up when you are sure you can take the course. Our courses are in high demand and we want to accommodate as many people as possible.
  
  However, in the event of an unforeseen emergency that would prevent you from taking the course, we will do our best to offer you a seat in a later session – depending on availability – and if we are notified at least 2 weeks before the start of the session.
  
  Reply

Next Session Starts:

June 18, 2012

REGISTER NOW! (Only 10 seats left!)

Course Students Reviews

Zack Barnett, Web Communications Director at University of Oregon (OR)
"My approach to analytics has evolved with each successive week in the course. I've learned to use analytics to automate reports for data I used to spend days mining by hand."

Matt Vollrath, Associate Director of Undergrad Enrollment Marketing at Lipscomb University (TN)
"This course completely changed the way I think about marketing. I was startled to discover how much opportunity I have to improve the way I do my job, and relieved that I was being given the right tools and techniques to address the gaps in my strategy that the course was opening my eyes to."

Margo Scavone, Creative Services Manager at Temple University (PA)
"I learned a ton! I definitely would recommend this course to my colleagues. It is absolutely worth the time effort and investment."

Amy Barnes, Plymouth State University (NH)
"This course is very interesting and definitely starts one on the path of becoming a GA ninja. It made me realize the importance of reporting data that is meaningful to decision making, not just reporting data for data's sake! I will never again present lengthy analytical reports providing data that was amazing to me (and probably to me alone), as this doesn't help influence decision making."

Dan Demmons, Director of Web Design, Architecture and Services at Providence College (RI)
"Fantastic course! Going to make a world of difference for me and my operation as I seek to corral the chaos and create some structure/methods for how we work on the web at my institution. It’s all about metrics."

Matt Herzberger, Director of Web Communications at FIU (FL, USA)
"This course was great. It let me focus on the things that are important and the discussions with other higher ed web people made it something unique as opposed to a non higher ed analytics course."

Derek Bierman, Director of Web Systems Services at NCC (NE, USA)
"This course provided me with the critical thinking skills necessary to take our analytics from reactive to proactive. I can now create the reports I need to prove value and measure success."

Tatjana Salcedo, Web Strategist at the Univesity of Vermont (VT, USA)
"It was incredibly useful and enlightening. This was some of the best professional development that I have done in a long while!"

Mark, Ward, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic (Tauranga, NEW ZEALAND)
"Great content, very relevant. And, thankfully along the way we are building things we can actually use!"

Stephen Ross, Web Coordinator at Olds College (AB, CANADA)
“This course is forcing me to pay attention to my neglected “analytics to-do” list. Analytics not reportrics!”

Natalie Bush, Interactive Marketing Manager at San Joaquin Valley College (CA, USA)
“This course is highly relevant and very applicable. From day one it has help me turn information into knowledge. In just 3 weeks I’ve identified gaps in our web strategy, which may have gone unnoticed if not for this course. I would definitely recommend it to marketing professionals and web masters.”

Lisa Ware, Director of Outreach Programs for The Center for Professional Excellence at Wofford College (SC, USA)
“I’ve been extremely happy with this course. I think the web interface is very well-organized. It’s easy to find what I’m looking for. I appreciate the reminders about assignments, and I think the amount of work has been very well-balanced. I was worried going into the course that I might not be able to follow the instructor or handle the work, but the material is as promised: you don’t have to have a high level of technical experience with GA to learn the material. All courses, essentially, help you discover what you don’t know as much as they teach you new things, and I know that I’ll need to review the material a few times to really become confident with it. But this has been exactly the in-depth explanation I hoped it would be.”

Joel Kunze, Web Services Director & Research Specialist at Upper Iowa University (IA, USA)
“I found the course tremendously valuable. Obviously I learned new techniques to more fully utilize Google Analytics, but the course is much more than a practical “how-to” guide. The focus on KPIs and their connection to an institution’s goals and objectives was the most enlightening. This focus aided me in developing a strategic mindset with regards to the use of web analytics.”

Higher Ed Experts