How xAPI can be used inside CommonS environment

1. XAPI AND COMMONS

2. XAPI
 xApi= experience api
 It is an Api that trace all experiences done on
the web
 The basic element of the xAPI architecture is
the Learning Record Store (LRS) where
collected data are stored.

3. XAPI IN BRIEF
 Basically, the LRS is a database that stores
experience-related "statements“.

4. XAPI IS THE API TO LINK INFORMAL TO FORMAL

5. WHY xAPI CAN BE USEFUL FOR COMMONS
 xApi is the next Learning Analytics standard
after Scorm and it will allow us to communicate
with systems like Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube
etc.
 All data collected in Commons will be
interoperable with other compatible systems, i.e.
usable by other systems by request, preparing
the path to implement a badge system.

6. XAPI AND LEARNING ANALYTICS IN COMMONS
 The functionality of a LRS can be thought
as a more general and powerful version of
the Activity Stream currently being
implemented in the CommonS Platform.
 Basically, the statements have the same
structure in both: (actor, verb, action
object, action target)

7. THE CORE OF XAPI: THE LRS
 The LRS acts as a "web service":
- it has a web address, called "endpoint"; it can be located
anyway on the Internet
- requests are sent to the the LRS using the HTTP
protocol, much like page requests are sent by a browser
to a web server
 Data collected by the LRS are visible to whom has
privileges: the possibility to control the LRS guarantees
the privacy of data.
 The Commons platform can integrate an LRS in several
way.

8. IN PRACTICES HOW COULD WE USE IT?
1) Mentoring: within mentoring projects it can be useful to collect
and visualize all the experiences of the mentee for the duration
of the project -> support for the mentoring relationship;
2) Learning analytics: it can be useful for improving the learning
analytics functions of CommonSpaces, giving to the user a
feedback on his/her activity (not only within the platform);
3) Community management: it can provide data useful for the
community manager in following the users’ experiences both
within and outside of CommonSpaces.
4) Outputs: this work can be linked to the Outputs 5 and 6, which
specifically concern the systematic collection of data on users’
experience (in particular, social interaction)

9. xAPI FOR MENTORING
 One option is to provide a specific
functionality for gathering information about
learning experience in an LRS (e.g. a
browser extension or similar)
 But is this feasible? What can we realistically
do in this last year of the project?
 Let’s summarize the technical aspects

10. THE ISSUE OF THE LRS
Several options are conceivable for integrating
a LRS in the CommonS Platform:
1. use a third party LRS service; typically these
are paid services
2. install a LRS as a separate self-managed
service, on the same or different server node
3. integrate a LRS more tightly, as a
component of the CommonS Platform
architecture

11. TECHNICAL DISCUSSION
Like CommonS Platform, the "reference
implementation" of the LRS has been developed
by ADL as a Django app
- thus, it would be not so difficult for us to install it
- but it is not an efficient, well engineered software
Besides the "reference implementation" of the
LRS
- some analytics applications, implementing
filtering and reporting functions, are also freely
available
- but very few other open xAPI components can
be found around till now.

12. LET’S DISCUSS HOW TO EXPLOIT THIS
OPPORTUNITY TOGETHER.
WORLD OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES IS
PROBABLY CHANGING FOR THE NEXT DECADE,
WE CAN CATCH A BIG OPPORTUNITY.