xAPI Camp - Learning Solutions

Connections Forum xAPI Camp - Learning Solutions

March 15, 2016

xAPI Camp - Learning Solutions is Made Possible By Partnering Organizations

With Generous Support From

How xAPI Camp Works

• The Conversations You Need to Have

• Structured and Emergent

• “Yes-And”

• The Law of Two Feet

The Schedule• 8:30-9:15am Opening Remarks (Aaron Silvers)

• 9:15-10:00am Campfires (Rob Houck, Janet Laane Effron)

• 10:00-10:15am Break

• 10:15-noon Breakout Sessions

• Noon-1:00pm Lunch

• 1-1:45pm State of the State: Authoring Tools (Sean Putman)

• 1:45-2:30pm Campfires (Robert Gadd, Nick Washburn)

• 2:30-2:45pm Break

• 2:45-4pm Breakouts

• 4-4:30pm Wrap Up and Closing

The Vocabulary

Matthew McConaughey

“I have my own vocabulary. I love linguistics. That

surprises people.”

What exactly is xAPI?

The Experience API is a standard way of talking about our experiences, using data.

The Experience API (xAPI)• Can track many different types of experiences — including things that

people do on the web, in mobile applications, with wearables, in classrooms and in workplace environments

• Moves beyond a web-based, didactic model

• Promotes better design and technology practices

• Makes integration with other systems and practices easier

• Provides a way to gather and use more useful information.

It answers a lot of ‘How’ type questions…

• How can I inform better business decisions?

• How do I avoid locking us into a solution?

• How can I make investments in learning development last longer and more future-proof?

• How can I make sure what I evaluate today is useful in the future?

• How will I connect a learner’s activities across multiple applications?

How Does Experience API Work?

• People interact with “stuff” (i.e. content, apps, business systems, etc.)

• These interactions are observed and described in JSON.

• The “stuff” sends the statements to a Learning Record Store.

What is a Learning Record Store, or LRS?

• It’s a database that stores activity statements - the “data”

• LRSs can be software (even hardware) that stands on its own.

• LRSs can be a part of data appliances, enterprise applications and learning management system (LMS)

User Management Learning Records Scheduling

Course Management Statistics Grade Book

Tracking eLearning Content Storage Search

Assignments Sequencing Delivery

Preferences Reports Assessment

Someone Did Something

Activity Statements are “Observations”

Actor Verb Object

(To Someone) (Using Stuff) (With Some Result)

{ "actor": { "mbox": "mailto:[email protected]", "name": "[email protected]", "objectType": "Agent" }, "verb": { "id": "http://adlnet.gov/expapi/verbs/passed", "display": { "en-US": "passed" } }, "object": { "id": "http://z2.vc/xapi/activities/passed", "objectType": "Activity", "definition": { "name": { "en-US": "HTML5 data attribute prototype" }, "description": { "en-US": "Example generation of a passed activity using an HTML5 data attribute with unobtrusive js" } } }, "id": "d3574611-8092-4616-bfdc-4f48933a0d42" }

What are other terms we might hear?

Adaptive Learning assesses someone’s current knowledge state and recommends a sequence of activity that moves that knowledge state toward a

defined learning outcome.

CMI5 is a profile of xAPI that defines “plug-and-play” interoperability between

learning content activities and LMSs.

A profile is a set of rules that govern how to use xAPI in specific ways for

specific experiences.

Sometimes a profile is called a recipe. When followed, it ensures consistent data to describe similar activities can be generated by different

activity providers.

Interoperability is the expectation that what works in one system will work in a set of other systems by

default with no configuration necessary.

For xAPI, interoperability means that data created in one system can be shared with appropriate

security and used by other systems with complete integrity and authority.

An experience is a set of activities.

An activity provider is some form of content, software application or other media that creates activity statements that can be sent to an LRS.

The Landscape

What does someone who works with xAPI do?

Typical xAPI Projects• Data Strategy

• Content Strategy

• Learning Architecture

• Systems Integration

• Reporting

• Experience Design

How do I work with xAPI?

Mindsets

Systems Thinking Integration Facilitation

A Maker Mindset Assume you have permission to tinker

Make, maintain and grow useful connections

Surface goals big & inviting enough to motivate action

Be The Change Interrogate perceived boundary conditions

Identify new paradigms supported by both sides of

double-binds

Inspire others, modeling how to navigate through shifting

paradigms

“Yes. And..” Augment rather than change discrete systems

Seek connections and overlaps that add value beyond the immediate

context

Help others avoid negation

Who puts xAPI solutions together?

Technology Partners Vendors, consultants, tool providers, etc.

Your Team Stakeholders, team members, customers.

How xAPI solutions happen…

• Use a tool that is built with xAPI, natively, from the ground-up ( “Native” )

• Leverage an existing data source that is modified, extended or translated into xAPI ( “Modified” )

• Build Your Own ( “BYO” )

Native Modified BYO

Technology Partners

xAPI from ground-up

APIs or other data sources

that can translate to xAPI

Whatever You Want

Your Team

Balancing wants, needs

and sustainability

Creating & maintaining middleware

Practices, Resourcing &

Scaling

Native Modified BYO

Technology Partners

xAPI from ground-up



Whatever You Want

Your Team


and sustainability



Scaling

Questions for technology partners

If there’s support for xAPI from the ground-up…

• What activities are designed?

Common Needs

Social Custom mobile applications Play existing courses Create new courses

Track/report progressOff-the-shelf applications

integrationTesting Competency management

See the learner’s journey See content usage Work activities Sensors

Simulations Recruitment Compliance activity Reporting




• How are activities tracked?

Recipes and Profiles• Communities of Practice • Controlled Vocabularies • Domain Profiles





• What data points are in each statement?

“Observations”

Someone Did SomethingActor Verb Object

Context Result






• How do I input or change endpoint credentials?

Prompt Hack Fixed

You’ll have a prompt to input one or multiple LRS endpoint credentials.

As an example, while there’s a default configuration, there’s JavaScript or other code as an interface that can be amended with knowledge of how the technology works.

The technology is in a published or executable-only state (a .exe file, a .swf file — something server side) that makes it difficult if not impossible to change.






• How do I input or change endpoint credentials?

• How does it rely on the LMS or other software applications?

Native Modified BYO

Technology Partners

xAPI from ground-up



Whatever You Want

Your Team


and sustainability



Scaling

Questions for your team

If considering a tool built with xAPI from the ground-up…

• Is what’s baked-in going to be enough?

• Does the right data align across tools?

• If not… can we support our own unbiased reporting, knowing the caveats?

Native Modified BYO

Technology Partners

xAPI from ground-up


that can translate to

xAPI

Whatever You Want

Your Team


and sustainability



Scaling

Questions for technology partnersIf there’s support for APIs or other data sources that can translate to xAPI…

• What APIs does the technology offer?

• Of these…Can we capture the right activities?

• What data will fill in the gaps in information we need?

Native Modified BYO

Technology Partners

xAPI from ground-up



Whatever You Want

Your Team


and sustainability



Scaling

Questions for your teamIf considering a tool built for APIs or other data sources that can translate to xAPI…

• Can we get enough from this/these APIs?

• How much value will we get from this system?

• What resources will we have…

• to do custom API development?

• to keep up our code with the different specs, ongoing?

• to build the translation layer?

Native Modified BYO

Technology Partners

xAPI from ground-up



Whatever You Want

Your Team


and sustainability



Scaling


If your technology partner will build whatever you want…

• What learning experience are you designing?

• What interactions are needed to support the learning experience design?

Native Modified BYO

Technology Partners

xAPI from ground-up


that can translate to

xAPI

Whatever You Want

Your Team


and sustainability



Scaling

Questions for your teamIf you can build whatever you want…

• What learning experience are you designing?

• What interactions are needed to support the learning experience design?

• What interactions are needed but don’t evidence or disprove the learning experience?

• What recipes exist?

• What is the data model and information architecture it should conform with?

• What is our ability to support this at scale?

How do I vet technology partners for xAPI projects?

When considering technology partners…

• Consider the know-how and investment of those who contribute to the actual spec(example: https://github.com/adlnet/xAPI-Spec/graphs/contributors)

• Consider those who can demonstrate xAPI interoperability(example: http://tincanapi.com/2015/04/16/tale-three-lrss/)

• Consider those who stay current with the spec(example: https://github.com/aaronesilvers/IEEE/blob/master/2014_State_of_xAPI_Tools_Survey_Responses.csv)

• Consider those who won’t lock you into one size fits all(example: http://connectionsforum.com/case-studies/)

https://github.com/adlnet/xAPI-Spec/graphs/contributors

http://tincanapi.com/2015/04/16/tale-three-lrss/

https://github.com/aaronesilvers/IEEE/blob/master/2014_State_of_xAPI_Tools_Survey_Responses.csv

http://connectionsforum.com/case-studies

This seems like a lot… right?

How do we address all that?

The Data Interoperability Standards Consortium (Data Interoperability) is the international, nonprofit organization that

will handle the operations and maintenance of xAPI into perpetuity.

Board of Directors

Megan Bowe

KirstyKitto

EricNehrlich

BrendaSanderson

AaronSilvers

Robert Todd

MakingBetterQueenslandUniveristy

Google IxDA MakingBetterLearningInvention

Stewardship > Evolution > Standardization

In 2016, Data Interoperability will address...

Vocabulary Profiles Partnerships Certification Stewardship

• Federated registry and associated APIs, freely available for individuals; fee-based for products

• Maintained and managed

• Schema to validate profiles

• Recognize and document community-of-practice activities, normalizing profiles by domain (vs

• Relationships with stakeholder groups wanting to leverage xAPI in their own specs

• Supporting interests beyond just US DoD

• Identifies software and hardware that conforms to requirements of the xAPI specification

• Guarantees xAPI’s value proposition

• Supports xAPI’s relevancy to market needs

• Provides resources and vehicles to support xAPI adoption

RENEWCERTIFICATION

Concept: Certification

APPLICATIONIMPLEMENTINDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE

Vendor is interested in offering a product or service

using xAPI.

Vendor makes contact

with DISC with

request for

information.

Vendor develops

xAPI functionality in their product or

service.

Vendor applies for certification testing of their

product or service.

Vendor successfully earns a

digital badge

certifying product

authentically.

Vendor renews

certification to keep

current with any changes to xAPI.

Workstreams

INFORMATION CERTIFICATION SPECIFICATION COMMUNICATION

Federated Registry

Index of Certified Products

Maintaining Requirements

Third-Party Testing

ProgramMaintenance

Strategic Evolution

Communities of Practice

Working Groups

June 2017 January 2017September

2016January 2017 March 2016 June 2016 March 2016 March 2016

Supporting Vendors Informing Customers Delivering Market Relevance Engaging Contributors

5) Reach Out

[email protected]

http://makingbetter.us/

http://makingbetter.us/

Campfires

Janet Laane Effron

• Data Scientist, HT2

• Lessons LearnedDATA RULES: UNMEASURED LEARNING’S DAY OFF

• http://investigating-performance-0.launchrock.com

http://investigating-performance-0.launchrock.com

Rob Houck

• CTO, Learnshare

• Case Study A Path from Training to Proficiency

Break

Breakout & Lunch

State of the State: Authoring Tools

Sean Putman

• Vice President of Learning Development, Altair Engineering

• Best PracticesState of the State: Authoring Tools

Campfires

Robert Gadd

• President, OnPoint Digital

• Lessons Learned:Simple but Powerful Use Cases for xAPI

Nick Washburn

• Director, Learning Division, Riptide

• Big Idea The Enterprise Learning Ecosystem

Breakout

Questions & Answers

xAPI Camp - Learning Solutions

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