iFest and xAPI Profile Servers
We’ve been hard at work the last few months identifying what an xAPI Profile Server should do beyond the basic requirements in the xAPI Profile Specification as part of a BAA with ADL. Last week we took the show on the road to iFest in Washington DC. We brought along a poster which explained why a profile server is necessary and how it will improve interoperability. That poster won a people’s choice award for best narrative!
Congratulations to our poster winners! The people have spoken! The Jefferson Institute won Best Poster Design and Data Interoperability Standards Consortium won Best Poster Narrative. @Jeffersoninst @DataInterop #iFEST2018 pic.twitter.com/bY9EIrxFY1
— ADL Initiative (@ADL_Initiative) August 28, 2018
(evidence^)
That’s why I’m writing this post, because we have never won a poster award. In fact, there are a lot of awards we haven’t won. And we’re okay with that. Since this one was a people’s choice award, we thought more people might like to see it. So, here it is…
Another post is coming with a summary of the profile server research. Big thanks to ADL for a great event and thanks to our designer, Jason, for a prize poster!
New Series: AI in Learning and Development
It has been exciting to hear the conversations about Artificial Intelligence AI in learning and development grow. Corporate learning groups are ready to create ecosystems where adaptive technology meets people’s needs, analytics predict where action can be taken to better support a person, and where personalization will be most effective. [Read more…] about New Series: AI in Learning and Development
Drink freely and Chat xAPI at LAK
I’m very excited to be at LAK next week. So excited that I’m arranging (free) drinks Tuesday at 5:30! You can find us at Malone’s Social Lounge and Taphouse. See that? Social is built right into the name, can’t help but chat xAPI with friends there. It’s just a 2 minute walk from the conference (evidence below.)
Details
Drink freely with xAPI friends
When
Tuesday March 14th 5:30-6:30
Where
Malone’s
525 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC.
On the corner of Seymour and Pender
Who
You. And anyone you want to bring along.
Learning Analytics Policy – Looking for Input!
I’m heading to LAK 17 in Vancouver, BC to help a great crew from many countries, in a workshop on learning analytics policy (LAP). Since learning analytics policy is evolving everywhere, we’re looking for input from people, everywhere. K-12, corporate, higher ed – all important.
There’s opportunity to contribute a paper for this event, so if you’re really motivated, go ahead and fill out this survey.
Examples Please!
Researching this for the learning analytics community, what we really need are more examples. Answers to any of the following questions would be helpful in establishing a baseline of knowledge we are putting together.
- What learning analytics policies have you encountered?
- How did they affect your implementation?
- What workarounds have you planned, knowing certain policies would need to be accommodated?
- How did a policy affect your outcome?
Narrative descriptions, case studies or just links to the policy documents would all be helpful. Please, send me an email at megan@makingbetter.us if you have something to contribute!
September Recap: xAPI Quarterly, DevLearn, Consortium
September was one hell of a month. We…
1. Introduced the xAPI Quarterly
This is a journal we will be publishing four times a year. We will publish the newest information around xAPI. This will be the space for you to find out what’s happening and what’s changing. We will ask many of our xAPI Camp presenters to extend their messages into articles, helping xAPI Camp discussions live outside of the rooms where the event happens. Writers will come from everywhere, please reach out if you have an article in your head that needs to get out 🙂
This inaugural issue includes articles on xAPI security, instructional design forays into xAPI, best practices for major authoring tools (Storyline, Captivate, and Lectora), information on an xAPI Consortium in the works (see #3!) and much more.
Take a look at the table of contents here
2. Ran xAPI Camp – DevLearn

Whoa. Keanu whoa. This event blew us away. Another sold out house. Another amazing group of speakers. Another engaged and motivated audience. Another group of generous sponsors. We really can’t ask for more than this. The xAPI community never ceases to amaze and this was proof beyond doubt that you are THE BEST PEOPLE anyone could ask to work with.
All of the slides collected from the event are in the xAPI Camp Archives
3. Started a non-profit!
Wah? Yeah, we’re right there with you. This is big and we’re just getting started. There is now a non-profit corporation in the state of Pennsylvania called the Data Interoperability Standards Consortium, this is the way forward for the work we need to do as a community and industry.
This is explained in more detail right here.
And to October we say, ‘bring it on.’
xAPI Camp CSTD: Toronto is the new Brooklyn
There’s a band called JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound who are determined that Baltimore is the new Brooklyn, but we’re nominating Toronto. We’re taking xAPI Camp to Toronto on November 17th, 2015 and we are excited about it, to boot. This camp will be co-located with the Canadian Society of Training and Development’s annual conference. The CSTD 2015 Conference & Trade Show runs 11/18-11/20.
This is the first camp outside of the US and the Canadian following of xAPI is strong. There are many companies using xAPI and building tools with xAPI in Toronto, but also through the rest of Canada. We’re also excited to welcome Myra Travin back as a speaker, she will be taking the Learning Ecology Framework a step further going into the Personalization Data realm.
As Aaron comes up Strange Brew references and I try to stop Aaron from asking every single person in Canada to bring him Ringolos, we want you to get involved.
Attend
The registration page is here. You get a good discount on the camp if you’re attending the CSTD conference (we’ll be speaking at the main conference, too). At the Camp you will spend part of the day listening to short presentations and part of the day working in breakout groups. Bring your problems, bring your challenges — don’t feel like you don’t know enough to participate. There will be plenty of time and people to help you along your own path.
Speak
We’re accepting speaking proposals through 10/5. Submit your proposal here. We’re looking to continually stay on the edge of what’s happening with xAPI at each event. These will again be short, to the point, no filler presentations (about 10 minutes.) We’re looking for new case studies with tangible outcomes, big ideas, and big challenges.
Not to worry if you can’t do Toronto, we’re also accepting proposals for San Francisco in February, Orlando in March, and Austin in June.
Sponsor
Get in touch! We love making our sponsors part of this experience. A lot of what’s happening with xAPI is because of the work our sponsors do. We’re looking forward to celebrating this rapidly changing world together.
Gearing Up For xAPI Camp – Amazon
I’m really excited about this xAPI Camp, only partially because I grew up on a farm in the-middle-of-nowhere, WA and there’s a bit of home state pride. The line-up of speakers and discussion leaders at this event is stellar! There will be big ideas and challenges from:
- Mark Oehlert (Manager, Learning Technology, Networked Learning, Amazon) on the opportunities for xAPI in enterprise
- Myra Travin (Educational Futurist, METAImpressions) on adding xAPI to the Learning Ecosystem Framework
- Ben Erlandson (CTO, McKinsey Social Initiative) on connecting training, jobs, and careers to improve people’s opportunities across the world
- Sean Putman (VP, Learning and Development, Altair Engineering) on his DIY journey building xAPI into engineering software
As well as Russell Duhon (CTO, Saltbox), Bill McDonald (CMI5 Working Group), Duncan Welder (Director of Client Services, RISC)
We will be joined remotely by special guests from wilds of Australia’s Queensland University of Technology, Kirsty Kitto and Aneesha Bakharia. They have been working intensely on learning analytics and xAPI, they have new challenges to share.
Our partners will be leading breakout groups. These are experts in the field who have years of experience with the xAPI, if anyone knows the realities and best practices, it’s them.
- Shelly Blake-Plock (CEO, Yet Analytics) See Shelly’s presentation from the last xAPI camp here.
- Nick Washburn (Director, Riptide Software – Learning Division) See Nick’s presentation from the last xAPI camp here.
- Mike Hruska (CEO, Problem Solutions) See Mike’s presentation from the last xAPI camp here.
Like our first xAPI Camp in Orlando, there will be short presentations and a lot of time to work together in breakout groups. We have a couple people planning big projects at this camp and we’ll carry over their progress to the next camp at DevLearn to see where there was success, failure, and learning.
If you can’t make the Amazon event, we will record and share the sessions online again. Our next camp will be co-located with DevLearn on 9/29.
We’re looking forward to seeing you!! If you can’t make either of these next two camps, hashtag it up on Twitter #xAPIcamp