xAPI Introduction

Jessie Chuang
Classroom Aid Inc.

Time to Rethink
Learning !

Mobile learning
Blended learning
Distributed learning
Flipped Classroom
Inquiry-based learning
Self-directed learning
Social (peer) learning and
collaboration
Cooperative Problem
Solving
70-20-10 model of
learning
Performance support
Knowledge Management

Recording Learning Events

Social Learning
Group Learning
image credit: Search Engine People Blog

Technology is evolving very fast and

segmented
Mobile first!
Simulations, AR, location-based learning, wearables,
IoT ...

Introducing xAPI...

xAPI tracking all kinds of learning

experiences

Recording Learning Events

Learning happens in interactions:
Learn
Activities(making, exercises, er
researching, online, offline
.)

openclipart.org

Contents: Courses, Bo
Web pages, Games, A
Instructors, Peers,
Experts.

The xAPI specification has two

primary parts
1. defines the syntax of the xAPI data format (data
model)
a. the vocabularies should be community-driven
b. all activities and context can be tracked
c. any enabled application/device can send statements

2. defines the characteristics of learning record

stores (LRS) - a crucial component of xAPI
a. data can be exchanged between LRSs (set free from LMS)
b. learner can have life-long personal learning locker
c. LRSs need to validate xAPI statements
8

Mobile
Apps

Other
activities

Course

Social
Learning

Project

LRS

Webpage

Coaching

Learning data
is sent to LRS

Game

Simulator
9

LMS

LRS

LRS

Reporting
Tool

Learning
records can be
delivered to
LMSs LRSs or
Reporting Tools.
10

A Whole Picture
LRS communicates with all xAPI-enabled software tools to collect
learners data. It records group learning, informal learning(e.g.
playing games, performance support...), and social learning
learning-based activity stream - on any device or platform.

Stian Hklev
12

LRS
An LRS is defined by two interfaces:
Statement interface (statement API)
Document interface - this interface handles three types of
documents
State interface (state API)
Activity profile interface (activity API)
Agent profile interface (agent API)
The LRS is responsible for
1. validating that the system sending data is authorized,
2. checking that the data being sent is xAPI-compliant,
3. storing the data properly,
4. making that data available to any other authorized system or
activity provider when asked.

Advanced Applications of xAPI

- Data Transfer based on RESTful HTTP w/i LRS
Agent Profile API
o personal info., learner profile and modeling, user settings,
learning journal, career plan & goal
o an integrated picture of a learner activities across systems
and devices with multiple identities
Activity Profile API (for activity provider)
o interactions between learners (collaboration, social or
competition)
o learning planning tool (access to or update the LRS internal
definition of a given activity id, even before the activity sends
any statement)
State API
o persist state across devices
Authentication services, querying services, visualization services,

14

LRS and possible services

from ADL Andy Johnson

15

Recording Learning Events

Based on JSON, xAPI originates from ActivityStreams (AS): stream of
activity data statements(borrowed from social analytics), and has
been modified for learning

This is only the basic idea. Crafting the statements

with more context and related information is
necessary to support analytics and reporting.
16

xAPI tracking is...

Semantic
Contextualized
From any device and sensor

LRS frees the learning data so they can be put together,

analyzed, modeled, reused, carried with learners and
accumulated life-long

17

11 Attributes in xAPI Data Format

Unique Identifier
Actor (required)
Verb (required)
Object (required)
Result
Context
Timestamp
Stored (internal recording
timestamp)
Authority
(Protocol) Version
Attachments

All information in XAPI

statements can be
separated into :
meta-data,
descriptive
information, and
complementary
data.

Syntax-1
Actor:
Agent (= persona) or group (multiple IDs allowed)
Verb:
ID = an IRI(URL) = a specific semantic meaning +
human readable display
Object:
an agent, a group, a statement or an
activity(most common)
19

Syntax-2
Activity:
ID = an IRI(URL) = with a specific boundary
(granularity)
Definition:
Name
Description
objectType
Extentions (useful to customize reporting)
20

21

Syntax-3
Result:
Score
Success
Duration
Completion
Response (learners response to the experience)
Extentions

22

Syntax-4
Context:
Registration (differentiate multiple attempts)
Instructor
Team
ContextActivities (parent, grouping, category, other - like
related lesson)
Revision
Platform
Language
Statement (refer to one other statement for a whole experience)
Extentions

23

Context, Context, Context

The XAPI differentiates between the core context and the wider context.
The core context includes the instructor(s), the direct peers involved in an
activity (team), the learning environment (platform), the language that was
used in the performance, and a framing statement for an activity (e.g., the
course that relates to the activity).
The extended context includes a set of data-records about the wider context
of a learning activity. This wider context is not explicitly specified and can
include the location of the learner, the wider (social) relations, the duration of
an activity, environmental factors (e.g., temperature or noise level) etc. The
format and the content of the wider context is specific to the AP and is not
subject to the interoperability of the data format.
Thats why xAPI can assess learner styles and soft skills
we can collect different kinds of evidences through good
learning designs.
24

Sky is the limit

If a system is to be stable the
number of states of its control
mechanism must be greater than or
equal to the number of states in the
system being controlled.
By limiting the data that can be
transferred in a statement, we are
putting ourselves in a box that will
make the Tin Can specification hard
to use as technology evolves.
Not like SCORM, with xAPI, there is no
limitation of learning designs and
tracking relevant evidences.

25

Identify Design Profile

ADL asked CoPs work on Design Profiles:

Finally, we will collaboratively work on standardizing

how specific types of use cases should be
expressed using the xAPI. -- ADL
The conventions and rules on how to use the xAPI can be
decided upon by each CoP and applied to the base xAPI
specification as profiles.
Design Profile: A reusable template that conveys how to record a
specific type of learning experience and should be produced by an
xAPI CoP during or after the process of developing a controlled
vocabulary. A design profile should contain metadata and a JSON
representation of the following: profile name, use case description,
actor, verb, object/activity type, context, and possible results. -- ADL

26

27

Profile Design Example - Fromative

Assessment
Basic considerations:
Key actors
What they are expected to do
What resources are used
sequence of activities
Example:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Learner
Learner
Learner
Learner
Learner
Learner
Learner

XYZ
XYZ
XYZ
XYZ
XYZ
XYZ
XYZ

launched question 1234 at 14:30:21 on 2014-04-05.

responded [to] question 1234 with 12 at 14:30:31 on 2014-04-05.
asked for a hint at
14:30:54 on 2014-04-05.
responded [to] question 1234 with 8 at 14:31:11 on 2014-04-05.
launched for a video lesson 1234V at 14:31:54 on 2014-04-05.
responded [to] question 1234 with 9 at 14:32:11 on 2014-04-05.
completed question 1234 at 14:32:11 on 2014-04-05.
28

Example1
Lifeguar
d

From
TinCanApi.com

Example
2
Driving
simulat
or

From
TinCanApi.com

Example 3
Game

From
TinCanApi.com

Example 4
An employee

From
TinCanApi.com

Learning, doing, knowledge transfer, and

productivity tracking all combined

From Floatlearning.c
om
(check out the xAPI
statements)

xAPI + Open Badges => Learner

ePortfolio
Both are representing learner data by exploiting
HTTP, JSON, and REST - simple, lightweight method
that lowers entry barrier for developers. Together,
they offer a new way to think about constructing
interoperable learner model data!
Read more:
Are Open Badges the Future for Accrediting Skills?
from Doug Belshaw
34

from BadgeOS.org

Every learner is a
developing
constellation.
Re-thinking learning
needs, start from rethinking assessment
35

The whole picture =

Training and Learning
Architecture(TLA)
xAPI COP
Common
vocabulary
Learning
Design

ePortfolio
Learner modeling
Machine readable

Sharing of
metadata &
paradata (LR)
Re-usability
Semantic
analysis

Competency
standards
Knowledge map
Standard
alignment

TLA Services

TLA will also include services for managing learner profiles. Open
Badges can be referenced by learner profiles, which will likely contain
other learner data such as goals, reflection, etc.
The TLA will also include services for creating and accessing
competency definitions to serve as a common way to reference
educational standards, learning objectives, and competency
definitions through web APIs
(Damon Regan, Elaine M. Raybourn, and Paula J. Durlach)

xAPI = building blocks

38

Elements of DataEnriched Assessment

Continous
There is no need to distinguish between learning activities and moments of assessment.
Instead, a model of the learners knowledge state is continually assessed and updated.
This enables learning to be modeled as an ongoing process rather than as a set of
discrete snapshots over time.
Feedback - oriented
Feedback can be provided directly to the learner, to an instructor, or to the system (e.g.,
an adaptive test or an intelligent tutor).
Personalized feedback - for instance, based on a design principle proposed by Shute
(2008) in a review of the feedback literature, the system could offer direct hints to low
achieving learners and reflection prompts to higherachieving learners.
The effective presentation of feedback in online learning environments poses an
interesting design challenge.

Elements of DataEnriched Assessment (cont)

Multifaceted
Learners abilities to learn from resources or interactions with others is influenced by
factors beyond their current knowledge state. (the following facets have been
researched)
Affective state the learner's mood or emotions
Interpersonal competencies(communicate, collaborate)
Selfregulation(study strategies) (Zimmerman, 1990)
Goal orientation(a learners purpose)
Mindset(a learners beliefs)
Learners attributions of social cues in their environment (social belonging)
The multiple facets of a learner translate into key competencies for individuals to be
productive and resilient in future educational and professional settings. Explicitly
assessing these competencies as desired outcomes of learning can inform the
design of learning environments to support their development and thereby
better serve learners for the long term.

Whats your goals? or problems to solve?

What are KPIs? break down performance metrics?
What feedback loops should be built?

 How Sears is using an LRS to aggregate data from multiple LMS

systems
How to translate and migrate historical data from existing
systems into an LRS
What tools and techniques were used to drive large scale near
real-time competency rollup reporting
How to sync HRIS data with an LRS to define groups of people
http://www.elearningguild.com/DevLearn/sessions/sessiondetails.cfm?
event=261&track=50&fromselection=doc.3503&from=sessionslist&s
ession=5815

The old way how we design courses and even our documents makes
it impossible for an employee to find the one piece of information
they need at the time they need it. And it makes tracking anything
useful in it even more difficult.

Successful Story of Driving KM

through #Gamification
Accenture began leveraging a gamification approach to its KM program over five years ago with the
launch of a collaboration recognition and reward program called the Addo Agnitio Award (A3). It
started out by measuring a modest set of key activities that employees could undertake to demonstrate
their commitment to embracing collaborative behaviors. Those activities were assigned point values,
and a collaboration and knowledge sharing score was calculated for all employees. In the intervening
years, more than 30 activities have now been identified to demonstrate three key behaviors:
connecthow people connect to the content and communities they need to do their job,
contributethe level at which people are contributing their knowledge and the impact of those
contributions on other people, and
cultivatethe willingness to interact with and build upon the ideas and perspectives of other
employees, to help nurture a spirit of collaboration.
http://wp.me/p3SgJG-2eD