Future Focused Platform Decisions with xAPI – ATD TechKnowledge 2017

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Making Future-focused Platform Decisions

with the xAPI Rob Houck, UL Compliance to Performance

Megan Torrance, TorranceLearning

Where are you on your xAPI journey?

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Activity Provider

Content

Activity Statement

Learning Record Store

You

Legacy content

Why xAPI?

• Learn more about the learning experience – not just elearning

• Learn more about the performance

• Correlate learning with performance

• Offer more targeted training • Support performance in better

ways • Use data to learn with others • Compare performance and

learning across learners • Deliver and track training

outside of the LMS

Why xAPI?

• Learn more about the learning experience – not just elearning

• Learn more about the performance

• Correlate learning with performance

• Offer more targeted training • Support performance in better

ways • Use data to learn with others • Compare performance and

learning across learners • Deliver and track training

outside of the LMS

xAPI is all about INTEROPERABILITY,

not silos.

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What is an LRS?

Answer #1 Learning Record Store Answer #2 It’s where we store training data. Answer #3 It’s a database where we send xAPI activity statements and retrieve them later for decision-making. Answer #4 It’s a next-generation LMS.

What does an LRS do?

The specification: • Accept, store & retrieve xAPI

activity statements The marketplace: • Reporting and analytics • Host xAPI resources • Admin functions • More!

LMS

Course enrollment Elearning hosting Learner plans SCORM, AICC ILT & VILT Video Social Gamification Reporting Admin functions + xAPI / LRS

LRS

xAPI Reporting & analytics Admin functions

+ Course enrollment + Elearning hosting + Learner plans + Video + Social + Gamification + External data

If the LMS and the LRS are blurring, what’s left to decide?

Concepts ahead are oversimplified to allow you the best opportunity to try on a model vs. try to get to the

nitty gritty of each individual situation.

The integrated approach

Users

Courses Enro

llmen

ts

SCORM Data

Reporting

Courses Classes

Certs

Badges

Soci

al L

earn

ing

Messaging

Perf

orm

ance

, Tal

ent h

ooks

Reporting

Games Sims Perf Supp

Dash

bo

ards

eCommerce

Import/Export Biz Data

LRS

SCORM data

The managed ecosystem approach

Users

Courses Classes

eCommerce

LRS Dash Boards

Games Sims Perf Supp

Reports

Social

Performance, Talent

Other Biz Data

Other LRSes

LMS

But don’t limit yourself to thinking inside the course.

There’s a lot going on outside of your courses: • Checklists & job aids • Social interaction • Mentoring • Observations • Assessments • Performance & talent mgmt • Actual work behavior stored in

other systems • Results of actual work behavior

stored in other systems

What do we do in the meantime?

If you don’t have an LMS & you don’t have SCORM …

Publish to xAPI. Get an LRS product. Rock and roll. Grow over time.

I have an LMS and I have lots of SCORM stuff. Now what?

Does your LMS already have xAPI?

Start with courses published to xAPI. • Test each development package

you use. • Work with support to make sure

scoring completion, etc. Experiment with learning that happens outside an elearning course. Experiment with dashboards and reporting. (and you’re not using it yet?)

Wait for your LMS to adopt xAPI

Offer to beta test. Get a sidecar LRS for your special projects and new projects. • Two sets of reports • Export xAPI “Completions”

LMS

Tip: Think through your index values – they have to line up.

Get a full featured LRS and work back to learning mgmt.

Relieve yourself of complexity of your LMS. Republish SCORM 1.2 courses to “speak xAPI.” Experiment with learning that happens outside an elearning course. Start killing SCORM.

Take two aspirin and …

In the meantime

Stop using SCORM where you can. If you have to, build for SCORM knowing you’ll use xAPI. • Flexible tools that do both • Follow best practices for xAPI

now Start asking the “x” question.

Questions to ask no matter what

• What does the integration look like?

• Will users see a difference? How about LMS managers?

• What does reporting look like? • What’s it cost? Do I need an

upgrade, or can I just “do it”? • What does a pilot look like?

Getting started

Prêt-à-porter Day hikes Look for the right project & sponsor Start where there is no LMS legacy You can’t sell the alphabet soup.

FORMING STORMING NORMING PERFORMING

xAPI needs geeks Geek-free tools

emerging

Communities of Practice work to define usage

Learn-by-doing in Cohorts

Conformance Certification

Formal learning opportunities & certification

Project Tin Can Specification Standard

More common than SCORM

We are ready for NORMING!

What will you take away?

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