xAPI

In our day to day lives we have many learning experiences, both in the online and offline world, formally and informally and either individually or as part of a group. In moving towards a unified view of learning experiences it is evident that there are constraints. Where learning experiences are tracked, this is usually within the limited scope of SCORM in a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) or Learning Management System (LMS), stored independently, or not at all.

Recently, there has been consistent and high level of feedback from Learnovate industry partners which has indicated that there is an emerging requirement to have a more holistic view of learners in learning and assessment environments. In moving towards a more powerful, standardised and universal approach to how we track learning experiences Experience API (xAPI) is introduced. xAPI is a specification for learning technology that allows us to track all kinds of learning activities, such as courses, mobile apps, social learning platform contributions and even offline learning experiences. Moreover, xAPI offers the ability to measure the learning experiences in a more quantifiable way than previous standards, for example SCORM.

This internal report explores xAPI from several angles. The report is the first step for the Learnovate team to start building expertise on xAPI. The overall Learnovate xAPI project has four goals associated with it:

1. Build a level of expertise on xAPI
2. Determine a ‘best practice’ approach to establish if xAPI should or could be adopted
3. Provide a detailed case study which outlines how xAPI can be appropriately implemented
4. Provide a guide which outlines how xAPI can be leveraged (a “How To” guide for Learnovate’s partners)