script to access program use of PCs (Re: edubuntu for day-care centers, philippines)

[maning sambale]

Something like this (from Mendel Cooper's Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide):

#! /bin/sh
OPERATION=
LOGFILE=
OPTIONS="$@"
echo "`date` + `whoami` + $OPERATION "$@"" >> $LOGFILE
exec $OPERATION "$@"

I need to run it as as part of the start-up script to log what
applications were used.  Then save the logs including the user.log,
gcompris.log, childsplay.log etc. to a floppy disk once very month or
week.


On 9/8/06, Philipp Schröder <philipp at din15.org> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> maning sambale schrieb:
>
> > I would like to ask if there is a package or script that can create
> > logs on what programs the teachers and students use/access?
> >
> > Will van der Leij discussed in the mail that analyzing logs alone is
> > not an indication of active use and can be misleading [1].  We hope to
> > incorporate log analysis into the qualitiative evaluation process.
> >
> > Any ideas?  Thank you in advance.
>
> Getting more information about the usage of applications in Edubuntu is
> a good idea. (And I agree about the warning that analysing logs alone
> can be misleading).
>
> Are you aware of the 'Ubuntu Popularity Contest'?  see
> http://popcon.ubuntu.com/
>
> There is currently work underway to enhance popcon [1].
>
> The Ubuntu Counter Project is also somewhat related [2].
>
> Best,
> Philipp
>
>
> [1] https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/simple-popcon-participation
> [2] http://ubuntucounter.geekosophical.net/
>
>
> > [1]
> >>> 4.  As part of the project I would also like to monitor how the PC are
> >>> being used (both by teachers and students).  One mechanism is to save
> >>> the syslog (possibly on a diskette) and send them to me for analysis.
> >> Monitoring application usage can be a helpful exercise but can also be
> >> misleading. Using programme access logs as such does not really give an
> >> indication of use. Children (and adults too I guess) can have an inquisitive
> >> tendency to open up everything but not necessarily use it.
> >> It can be helpful, though, in looking for anomolies, i.e.
> >>  - is the workstation in the corner ever following the lesson plans
> >>    during a lesson period
> >>  - very popular applications will peak out in usage logs
> >>  - and the opposite too
> >>
> >> The effectivity of a PC lab is not best measured by accounting for its usage
> >> but rather for looking at its intended impact:
> >>  - do the learners improve in attitude, confidence, exposure and basic
> >>    knowledge of technology. A simple before & after Likert scale can be
> >>    quite handy here.
> >>  - where do the subjects/learners proceed to from there and are they
> >>    better quipped? Etc.
> >>
> >> A much harder assessment to make is whether the technology intervention is
> >> an improvement on or serves to compliment traditional teaching methods.
> >>
> >> Will van der Leij
>
> --
>
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.
>
> Philipp Schroeder
> DIN15 / Information Architecture & Interaction Design
> www.din15.org, philipp at din15.org
>
>


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