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Tracking

Category: Descriptive Analytics

Most modern institutions implement tracking systems in order to monitor and report on the condition of their assets, maintain physical security, and manage resources and costs. Assets are tracked by scanning barcode labels or by using tags that broadcast their location using GPS, BLE or RFID. These technologies can also be used to track people or vehicles (NUSTL, 2016:2.1) in order to manage staff, reduce costs, and for security and insurance purposes.

Tracking can be used to capture fine-grained movements or activities. "Deployed properly, the tags could be used in a new class of wearable designed to track physical movement and shape change" (Nichols, 2018). This data can be used as input assessment algorithms (see below), to train robots and AIs, and to provide diagnostic information for coaches and doctors. Google and other companies use tracking to support maps. Call tracking is a function whereby institutions are able to identify and analyze trends in access requests. For example, a call tracking service "helps reveal what platforms, publishers, keywords, and channels drive high-intent customers to call and can help marketers create a more informed media allocation strategy" (Dooley, 2019).

Similar functionality is provided by web-based tracking systems. Data can be collected from institutional websites (known as first-party tracking) or from a network of associated websites (known as third-party tracking) using cookies, browser fingerprinting, or small images (web beacons) attached to web pages (Princiya, 2018). Tracking is playing an increasing role in schools and learning analytics. "There are classroom management tools like Google's G Suite for Education that track school work and help teachers, parents and students communicate via messaging and email. Smaller apps such as ClassDojo, which claims to be in use at 90 percent of K-8 schools in the United States, tackle specific subjects or problems" (Kelly, 2019). "That app lets teachers communicate with parents and grant students virtual points for positive behaviors like teamwork or subtract them for negative actions like being out of their chair. Newer 'personalized learning' programs attempt to develop custom education plans for students based on data they collect about their interests and skills."

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