Exclude Images from "Page view" count

[audra_agnelly]

In New Analytics, when a page with images is loaded it seems that Canvas counts the load of each image on the page as an individual file view, whereas these are just components of the page, users aren't actually choosing to navigate to those image files. For example, we have a professional development community, and when we go in to review what resources teachers are viewing, the first 20 rows are the course homepage + 19 individual PNG image files that are all on that homepage. These image counts don't provide us with useful information about course usage. It would be great if those image loads were excluded from page view counts, or alternatively a filter by resources type (Pages, Announcements, etc) would probably be more broadly helpful for Analytics users.

 

[Jeff_F]

This is a terrific suggestion!  

[ClareLloyd]

Would love to see the Page View issue resolved 

[jonna_radegard]

This is a really great suggestion. All the pngs, jpegs and other non important junk makes New analytics messy. Every little image counts. Please fix this. 

[BethSmithvuw]

yep if the image has already been noted as decorative then we don't care if a student viewed it or not and it clouds the actual viewing data so much. even just being able to filter images out would be good.

[audra_agnelly]

If an infographic is embedded on a Canvas page, you would assume the student has viewed the infographic if the page is listed in the analytics. If both the page view and the image view are 2 line items in the analytics, it becomes cluttered. If the infographic is only hyperlinked, it should be counted in analytics since students intentionally open the link, but if images are embedded on the page, only the page view should count or we should at least have a filter to exclude image files from the page view count.

Images on pages aren't necessarily decorative. They may be part of the content, but students are still viewing the page with the text and the image as a whole. Counting the image and the page it's on double counts information and does not provide meaningful analytics.

[carlycurran]

Is there a way that images are noted as decorative? Is that method used across the board? 

Curious if there are any use cases for seeing image views. 

Thanks, y'all! This input is helpful. 

[tengrrl]

Image views would be important for things like an infographic. You would need a transcript too for such images, so the image views would only show part of the story. Still, it’s useful to know whether students are using such images that deliver content.

Traci 

[Jeff_F]

But an image is added to a page or assignment. So if the page is viewed then so is the image.  Perhaps I am missing something?

[BethSmithvuw]

if an image has been noted as decorative then it shouldn't be included in stats, if it is something like an infographic that you want to track views then just don't tag it as decorative and include in view stats.

[Jeff_F]

To follow up, images are added to assignments, pages, etc. So if a student views the page they are then viewing the text and visuals.

[tonyafa]

Is there any progress on this topic from Canvas Support/Engineers?  I'd appreciate your input on this topic.  In our teacher and student resource courses this is a problem because images are mostly icons or navigation buttons.  We only need to know when users click on a specific button/image to navigate to the resource so we can assess what resources users are viewing (and therefore consider important). Thank you!

[carlycurran]

Hi, @tonyafa. Do you mind clarifying: are you saying you do want image views to count, but only specific button images? 

[tonyafa]

@carlycurran, I do not want any image files to be counted in "views".  Instead, I need to know what they view when they click on a hyperlink attached to the image. 

For example, my faculty resource course homepage has several images/buttons and text hyperlinks for students to navigate to other resources throughout the course.  Right now when they land on/look at the homepage (one item) it looks like they've accessed 15+ items (the homepage and all the images on the homepage).  I only need to know exactly what pages they viewed after clicking on an image/button.  Having all the image files in views makes it very difficult to assess which resources faculty are actually viewing/using (consider valuable) and which resources need to be revised or deleted.

Thank you!

[Jeff_F]

Hey @carlycurran  - there are filters at the top of the Course Grade page. Perhaps create a few filters for the Weekly Online Activity tab?  Something like assignments, pages, files?  I still think images should be omitted though.  ;o)

[johnb]

Hi all,

This is a very useful thread as I have recently run into this issue in trying to understand what is happening in a particular course. My issue is similar to @tonyafa 

I have a course home page that contains multiple images. Several of these images contain a hyperlink to a Canvas page within the course. Students also have the option of navigating the course via Modules and locating the Page they are interested in that way.

For example:

Screenshot...13.29.11 is an image on the course home page that hyperlinks to the Basic communication and presentation skills page. As you can see Screenshot...13.29.11 has 417 page views, while the Basic communication and presentation skills page has 95 page views.

I would like to know how many times the Basic communication and presentation skills page has been viewed. Can I accurately calculate this?

Does the figure of 417 Page Views for Screenshot...13.29.11 refer only to the image loading as part of the home page or does it include clicks on Screenshot...13.29.11 and, therefore, linking to and viewing the Basic communication and presentation skills page? The latter is important data, but can I extract that?

In terms of the 95 page views for the Basic communication and presentation skills page, does this refer to page views accessed directly through the Module navigation route i.e locating the Page in its module and clicking on it? I am assuming that it does.

Any assistance greatly appreciated.

jb