nine applications of the tin can api (xapi)

#TinCanAPI

9 Practical Applications of…

Andrew Downes

[email protected]

@projecttincan @mrdownes #TinCanAPI

http://tincanapi.com

http://twitter.com/projecttincan

#TinCanAPI

Pick one idea to

get started.

Run a pilot.

Improve from there.

#TinCanAPI

• Come up with a plan and design for your

project.

• Buy an off-the-shelf tool that meets some

or all of your requirements.

• Develop bespoke elements in house.

• Ask your vendor for a certain feature.

• Get involved in a community group.

How can I get started?

Buy

Develop

Design

Ask

Join in

#TinCanAPI9 P

racti

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1. Learning Analytics

2. Better Blended Learning

3. Adaptive Pathways

4. Just-in-Time Performance Support

5. Mentoring

6. Team Learning

7. Multi-device Learning

8. LRS to LRS communication

9. Open Badges

#TinCanAPI

• Whatever you do, you’ll need an LRS.

• Most LRS offer a free trial.

• There’s a lot of variety in the level of

analytics, reporting and other features

on offer.

• Consider your immediate and possible

future needs.

• Consider conformance.

Get an LRS

#TinCanAPI

Learning Analytics

#TinCanAPILearn

ing

An

aly

tic

s

• Track learning and workplace

experiences from multiple

sources.

• Compare and correlate training

and job performance

• Use data to improve future

learning interventions

What is it and why should you care?

#TinCanAPILearn

ing

An

aly

tic

s

• Define a question you want to

answer.

• Outfit learning and workplace

activities to send Tin Can data.

• Create LRS reports to answer

your question.


Develop

Develop

Design

Ask

Ask

#TinCanAPILe

arn

ing

An

aly

tic

s

• Define additional questions to

investigate.

• Outfit more activities to send

data.

• Find correlations you weren’t

expecting

Next steps

Develop

Design

Ask

Ask

#TinCanAPILe

arn

ing

An

aly

tic

s

• If you have access to a tool, you can

outfit it to send Tin Can data directly.

• If not, use a connector to translate data

from a bespoke API or database query

into statements.

• Use our code libraries!

tincanapi.com/libraries

• Always use recipes when defining the

statements you’ll send. This makes

analytics easier.

tincanapi.com/recipes

Technical Tips

#TinCanAPI

Better Blended

Learning

vs.

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• What happens in one element impacts

another.

• Create coherent learning solutions, not

stand-alone resources.

• Use off-the-shelf authoring tools (with

some customisation) to do it.


#TinCanAPIBe

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gExample

Learning

Experience 1

Learning

Experience 2

LRS

The learner chooses a

particular option in a scenario

A particular section of

the course is unlocked

#TinCanAPIBe

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• Choose two e-learning

experiences within your blend.

• Select the event triggers and

handlers you want to link.

• Get an authoring tool with

actions features.

• Have your tool send and receive

statements linked to actions.


Buy

Develop

Design

Ask

Design

etc.

#TinCanAPIBe

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• Define additional linking events

• Outfit more learning

experiences to trigger and

handle events.

• Measure the effectiveness of

links via pathway analysis.

Next steps

Develop

Design

Ask

Ask

#TinCanAPIBett

er

Ble

nd

ed

Learn

ing

• Use plugins/widgets for your chosen

authoring tool (or ask for the feature).

• One plugin is triggered by the authoring

tool’s actions features and sends a

Statement.

• The other checks for a particular

statement about the current learner and

hooks into the authoring tool’s actions.


• Always use recipes when defining the

statements you’ll send and listen for. This

makes linking with 3rd parties easier.

statements easier.

Technical Tips

#TinCanAPI

Adaptive Pathways

#TinCanAPIAd

ap

tive P

ath

ways

• What happens in one learning experience

affects which future experiences you’re

presented with.

• Many LMS already include adaptive

pathway features based on completion

and/or score.

• Now you can inform those adaptive

decisions based on more specific events

within a learning experience.


#TinCanAPIAd

ap

tiv

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ath

wa

ys

Example

Learning

Experience 1LMS

LRS

The learner chooses a

particular option in a scenario

A particular e-learning

module is unlocked

#TinCanAPIAd

ap

tive P

ath

ways

• Design your adaptive pathway

and identify triggers.

• Ensure your LMS can release or

promote learning based on

statements.

• Ensure your learning experiences

can send the right statements.


Develop

Design

Ask

Buy

Ask

Develop

#TinCanAPIAd

ap

tive P

ath

ways

• Define additional inputs to

adaptive pathways.

• Outfit more learning

experiences to send statements.


links via pathway analysis.

• Automatically calculate “People

like you also liked…”

Next steps

Develop

Design

Ask

Ask

Ask

#TinCanAPIAd

ap

tiv

e P

ath

wa

ys

• Use the same statement sending plugins

developed to support blended learning.

• See my Moodle plugin’s connection to

Moodle’s completion tracking.

• Use code libraries and recipes!

Technical Tips

#TinCanAPI

Just-in-time

Performance Support

Doctor diagnosed

patient: Diabetes.

Notification

New learning

available:

Discussing

Diabetes with

Patients.

#TinCanAPIJu

st-

in-t

ime P

erf

orm

an

ce S

up

po

rt

• What happens in your job immediately

gives you relevant learning and support

materials.

• Ensure performance support materials

are relevant for the learner.

• Deliver the right materials at the time

when they’re needed.


#TinCanAPIJu

st-

in-t

ime

Pe

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up

po

rt Example

Job task 1Delivery

System

LRS

The learner performs a

particular job task

The learner is sent a

particular PS resource

#TinCanAPIJu

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• Obtain and catalogue resources.

• Action-map performance support

resources to triggers. Choose

one to start with.

• Trigger statements from work

tasks into a delivery system and

deliver to a mobile app.


Develop

Design

BuyDevelop

#TinCanAPIJu

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Pe

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po

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• Map more work-task triggers to

performance support resources.

• Measure the impact of

resources on job performance.

• Improve resources based on

data.

• Automatically choose

resources based on data.

Next steps

Develop

Design

Ask

Develop

Develop

Develop Ask

Ask

#TinCanAPIJu

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up

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• This will likely require a lot of initial effort

to get started.

• Consider starting with a different Tin Can

project and then building on existing

data.


Technical Tips

#TinCanAPI

Mentoring

I Did This

Awesome!

Try this next time…

#TinCanAPIMe

nto

rin

g

• Record work tasks and get feedback from

a mentor.

• Share real job tasks via photo, video and

audio.

• Faster, more contextualised feedback

than face to face meetings.

• Collect and re-use data.


#TinCanAPIMe

nto

rin

gExample

Learner Mentor

LRS

The learner records a particular

job task

The mentor reviews

and sends feedback

#TinCanAPIMen

tori

ng

• Design your mentoring strategy.

• Get an off-the-shelf mentoring

application that uses Tin Can.

• That’s all!


Buy

Design

#TinCanAPIMe

nto

rin

g

If you decide to build your own…

• Use attachments to send records of work

tasks to the mentor via statements.

• Also use statements to return feedback

to the learner.


Technical Tips

#TinCanAPI

Team Learning

We Did This

I Did This

I Did This

I Did This

I Did This

I Did ThisI Did This

#TinCanAPITeam

Le

arn

ing

• What one learner does impacts another.

• Learning experiences that mirror real

work-life teams.

• Collaborative and/or competitive

experiences.




#TinCanAPITe

am

Le

arn

ingExample

Learner 1 Learner 2

LRS

Learner 1 chooses a particular

option in a scenario

This affects the choices

available to learner 2

#TinCanAPITeam

Le

arn

ing

• Design a multi-learner

experience for two learners.

• Identify a small number of links

between each experience


actions features.

• Have your tool send and receive

data linked to actions.


Buy

Develop

Design

Ask

Design

etc.

#TinCanAPITeam

Le

arn

ing


• Design a three or more learner

experience.


links via learning analytics.

Next steps

Develop

Design

Ask

Ask

#TinCanAPITe

am

Le

arn

ing

• Use the Activity Profile API to share

Documents between learners.

• Technically, this is very similar to Better

Blended Learning.

Technical Tips

#TinCanAPI

Multi-device Learning

Scan!

Great! You located Jena’s office

within the Simulation.

Now take your

mobile and try it for real!

Don’t forget to scan Jena’s QR

code to unlock the next step!

#TinCanAPIMu

lti-

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earn

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• What happens on one device impacts

another.

• Design a learning experience with

elements on multi devices. Take

advantage of the unique benefits of each

device.




#TinCanAPIMu

lti-

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ea

rnin

gExample

Mobile Desktop

LRS

The learner scans a QR code at

a particular location

A particular section of the

course is unlocked

#TinCanAPIMu

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• Design a simple desktop course

with “go and visit” elements.


actions features.

• Trigger statements based on QR

code scans.

• Trigger actions to unlock

elements in the desktop course.


Buy

Develop

Design

Ask

Develop Ask

etc.

#TinCanAPIMu

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• More complex desktop, mobile

or tablet specific experiences.

• Consider a custom mobile app

that knows the learner.


this approach via learning

analytics.

Next steps

Develop

Design

Ask

Ask

Develop Ask

#TinCanAPIMu

lti-

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• Use the State and Statement APIs to

share Documents and Statements

between devices.

• Use tiny courses or bespoke pages to

trigger statements from QR codes.

• Technically, this is very similar to Better

Blended Learning and Team Learning.

• The most technical part is creating the

device specific elements.

Technical Tips

#TinCanAPI

LRS to LRS

Communication

Bad

BadShe Did This

He Did That

#TinCanAPILR

S t

o L

RS

co

mm

un

icati

on

• Transfer statements from one LRS to

another.

• Link multiple systems within an

organisation.

• Let learners bring (and take) their training

record with them.

• Migrate to a new system.


#TinCanAPILR

S t

o L

RS

co

mm

un

ica

tio

nHow can I get started?

Whitepaper

http://goo.gl/gWnrXL

Screencast

http://goo.gl/gWnrXL

Webinar

http://tincanapi.com/webinar

How-to (Cloud and Watershed)

http://goo.gl/jykRpR

#TinCanAPI

Open Badges

#TinCanAPIOp

en

Bad

ges

• Open Badges are digital recognitions of

achievement. They are images containing

metadata in a standard format. • Adding Tin Can to Open Badges means you can:

• Share awarded Badges between systems.

• Share Badge definitions between systems.

• Share Issuer metadata between systems.

• Define machine readable Badge Criteria and

Evidence.

• Automatically award Badges based on Tin Can

Statements.

• Use an LRS as a Badge Backpack (buy one get one

free).

• Localise Badge definitions.

• Earn Badges you didn’t even know existed!


#TinCanAPI

Badge

DefinerLRS

LRSBadge

Issuer

LRS

Organisation

Accreditation Body

Professional Body

LMS

CPD

record

Bad

Bad

Bad

Bad

Bad Bad

Bad

Bad

Bad

Bad

Badge Definition

Experiences

Awarded Badge

#TinCanAPIOp

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Ba

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• Get involved in the Open

Badges CoP.

• Try our prototype (under

development)

• Build a business case


Join in

Join in

Design

#TinCanAPIOp

en

Ba

dg

es

Develop Ask

Develop Ask

Next steps

• Create a Tin Can Badge

Definer.

• Create a Tin Can Badge Issuer.

• Display and report on Badges.

Webinar to follow later in the year!

Develop Ask

#TinCanAPIOp

en

Bad

ges

• Follow the Open Badges recipe (under

development).

• Look at the ‘Tin Badges’ prototype.


• Consider statement signing to verify the

Badge Issuer.

Technical Tips

#TinCanAPI

How are you interested in

using the Tin Can API?

#TinCanAPI

Any questions?

Andrew Downes

[email protected]

@projecttincan @mrdownes #TinCanAPI

http://tincanapi.com

#TinCanAPI

Pick one idea to

get started.

Run a pilot.

Improve from there.

#TinCanAPI9 P

racti

cal A

pp

licati

on

s o

f T

in C

an

1. Learning Analytics

2. Better Blended Learning

3. Adaptive Pathways

4. Just-in-Time Performance Support

5. Mentoring

6. Team Learning

7. Multi-device Learning

8. LRS to LRS communication

9. Open Badges

Which will you try?

nine applications of the tin can api (xapi)

Technology

outfit learning

elearning experiences

offtheshelf tool

coherent learning solutions

job performance use

lrs reports

chosen authoring tool

workplace experiences