GVU Technical Report Number:
GIT-GVU-93-41
Title:
Deriving Software Usage Patterns from Log Files
Authors:
Mark Guzdial
Abstract:
Log files (discrete recordings of user actions during software use) offer
the ability to collect human-computer interaction data on a number of
users, over time, while the users are engaged in typical tasks in typical
environments. The disadvantage of log files is the lack of automated
methods for analyzing the volumes of data in a meaningful way. This
paper presents a log file analysis tool, Hawk, and discusses the
characteristics which make it useful for this task. A particular analysis
technique, based on Markov chain analysis, is described which can be used
to derive high-level software usage patterns. A study of student
interactions with a programming environment are used for examples of the
use of the the tool and the technique.
Keywords:
Log files, human-computer interaction, Hawk, Markov chain analysis,
programming environment
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