From our xAPI Camp at Amazon's Headquarters in Seattle, WA on July 21, 2015. The decision to go with xAPI is an exciting one, but a successful xAPI project hinges on an understanding of what success looks like. In this presentation, I share a number of questions one should ask of technology partners and your own team depending on different ways one might use xAPI.

1. Going with xAPI
Aaron E. Silvers, Partner
MakingBetter
xAPI Camp - Amazon
July 21, 2015
USE THE TWITTER!!!!!
@aaronesilvers #xAPIcamp

2. (Batman?)
Makin’ BAQON since 2008

3. What exactly is xAPI?

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

6. 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.

7. 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?

8. Someone Did Something
“Observations”
Noun Verb Object
(To Someone) (Using Stuff) (With Some Result)

9. How Does Experience API Work?
• People interact with “stuff”
(i.e. content, apps, business systems, etc.)
• These interactions are observed and described as
statements.
• The “stuff” sends the statements to a Learning Record Store.

10. 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)

11. LMS vs. LRS
A Learning Record Store (LRS) addresses one capability of a typical
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

12. How do I work with xAPI?

13. Competencies / Attitudes
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

14. Who puts xAPI solutions together…
• Technology Partners
(vendors, consultants, tool providers, etc)
• Your Team
(stakeholders, team members…)

15. 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” )

16. 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

17. 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

18. Questions for technology partners
If there’s support for xAPI from the ground-up…
• What activities are designed?

19. Common Needs
Social
Custom mobile
applications
Play existing courses Create new courses
Track/report progress
Off-the-shelf
applications integration
Testing
Competency
management
See the learner’s
journey
See content usage Work activities Sensors
Simulations Recruitment Compliance activity Reporting

20. Questions for technology partners
If there’s support for xAPI from the ground-up…
• What activities are designed?
• How are activities tracked?

21. “Recipes”
• Communities of Practice
• Controlled Vocabularies
• Domain Profiles

22. Questions for technology partners
If there’s support for xAPI from the ground-up…
• What activities are designed?
• How are activities tracked?
• What data points are in each statement?

23. Someone Did Something
Noun Verb Object
Context Result

24. Questions for technology partners
If there’s support for xAPI from the ground-up…
• What activities are designed?
• How are activities tracked?
• What data points are in each statement?
• How do I input or change endpoint credentials?

25. 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.

26. Questions for technology partners
If there’s support for xAPI from the ground-up…
• What activities are designed?
• How are activities tracked?
• What data points are in each statement?
• How do I input or change endpoint credentials?
• How does it rely on the LMS or other software applications?

27. 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

28. 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?

29. Data Alignment Example
Storyline Lectora
Uses a fixed vocabulary to
describe a limited set of
interactions with xAPI
Allows for freedom of
expression to describe any
interaction (or operation) with
an open vocabulary for xAPI.

30. Data Alignment Example
Storyline Lectora
“Mark experienced Slide 19.”
“Mark read the contents of
Slide 19 for 20 seconds.”

31. 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

32. Questions for technology partners
If 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?

33. Twitter maps easily, but…
• Should we use hashtags for
for context?
• Is location important?
• Do we need to track every
tweet?

34. Questions for technology partners
If 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?

35. 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

36. Questions for your team
If 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?

38. 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

39. Questions for technology partners
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?

40. 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

41. Questions for your team
If 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?

43. How do I vet technology
partners for xAPI projects?

44. 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)

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

46. 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)

47. 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/)

48. What’s My Roadmap to Work
With xAPI?

49. 1) Describe the Dream
• What outcomes happen as a result?
• How are people learning or working?
• What problems are solved?
• How far out is this future?
• What might change beyond this?

50. 2) Define Gaps Between Today and the Ideal
• What capabilities exist vs. what capabilities are needed?
• What do people “do” vs. what they “need to do?”
• How do today’s business requirements match with business goals for
the ideal?

51. 3) Sketch It
• What are the workflows?
• How do existing tools support the workflows?
• What new tools are needed?
• How does this model fit with stakeholder expectations?
• What are the critical paths and how are they prioritized?
• How can this model be simplified/scaled/phased?
• What dependencies are inherent? What dependencies are external?

52. 4) Put a Plan Together
• What is the technical approach?
• How will the system(s) and/or service(s) architecture work?
• What do the interfaces look like?
• How will success be defined?
• What is the project plan?

53. 5) Reach Out
#xAPIcamp
@aaronesilvers
aaron@makingbetter.us
http://makingbetter.us/