Enhance your LMS with exceptional analytics using xAPI
Experience API (xAPI), an IEEE standard, makes it possible to collect a broad and granular range of data about learning experiences. xAPI statements capture the Learners’ navigation through the content, including duration, repeated attempts, interactions or deviations. Some eLearning authoring tools allow you to add xAPI data collection capabilities about the Learner’s experiences while designing the content. xAPI statements are generated as the Learner progresses through the content.
A Learning Record Store (LRS) is a system for receiving and storing learning experience data represented as xAPI. Some LRS applications provide additional learning analytics tools and dashboards for visualising the data.
In this article we discuss how organisations can enhance the tracking and reporting offered by their Learning Management System (LMS) by digging deeper into analytics, using xAPI statements and an LRS.
The role of the LRS and the LMS
An LRS can add value to an existing LMS. Most organisations utilise an LMS to deliver self-paced learning by job role, manage compliance, skills, competency and reporting, relying on the older SCORM standard for tracking. Whilst an LMS provides metrics on general learning delivery and completions, usually the reporting is limited. SCORM tracks the start and end of learning plus the results of any quizzes or assessments embedded within the courses. In comparison, xAPI can track any type of learning experience data, not only what happens inside of a course. We offer a more detailed comparison of an LMS Vs LRS in this article.
Generally, a stand-alone LRS only offers tracking and reporting of learning experiences using xAPI. The Larmer LRS uniquely offers extensive analytics plus some LMS functionalities including a hierarchical online content repository and a customisable portal where Learners consume the content.
What is an xAPI Statement
An xAPI statement is a way to record and track learning activities in a format that is standardised and machine-readable.
A typical xAPI statement is written in the format: “Actor verb object”
- Actor: The learner or user (e.g., “John”)
- Verb: What the learner did (e.g., “completed,” “viewed,” “visited”)
- Object: The element within the content that was interacted with (e.g., a course, video, assessment, or activity)
An example statement might be:
“John completed the course”
This allows learning activities to be recorded and tracked directly to the LRS, enabling a more comprehensive view of someone’s learning journey, even if they’re engaging with multiple platforms.
Generating xAPI Statements
If learning content has been created using an authoring tool that generates xAPI statements, when the Learner consumes the learning, the statements tracking all activity are automatically generated.
Unfortunately, with some eLearning authoring tools, the Author has to add custom triggers to each xAPI statement, often using Java Script – a skill not every Author or Instructional Designer possesses.
The dominKnow | ONE authoring platform generates xAPI statements, such as question responses, element interactions and duration of learning – ‘out the box’. You can also create an action that will send custom xAPI data containing a score, a response or a Variable value. This allows you to track and get results on any interaction that you want to report on. For example, device screen size, number of times a video has been viewed, specific element responses, etc.
Typically, the Learner consumes the content in an LMS, most support xAPI but only offer SCORM reports. Provided your content generates xAPI statements, if your users consume content in your LMS, it is still possible to integrate your LMS with an LRS and effectively unleash the analytics power of the LRS.
Analysing xAPI data using an LRS
The xAPI statements contain JSON data, which holds all the information regarding a learning interaction, such as the time, date, activity type, completion, score, etc.
The analytics functionality offered by the Larmer LRS presents this data via either pre-created or custom dashboards containing usable graphs and charts covering all aggregate activity data within the LRS, single learner activity, or a specific activity within your content. These default dashboards or individual graphs can be exported as a CSV or PNG file for sharing and reporting. A dynamic link can also be created which can then be bedded in an external website or saved on a desktop, to provide a live version of the shared report.
The Larmer LRS also provides multiple tools and widgets that support the creation of custom dashboards, enabling the design of tailored reports presenting any custom data required.
Many organisations try to use MS Power BI to extract more meaningful data on learner experiences, but there is more of a steep learning curve with BI tools – they end up having to convert all the xAPI data and don’t know how to query it. Although the Larmer LRS will output data to Power BI for analysis, the inbuilt analytics dashboards streamline the process and present the data in an analytical format. Using an LRS also ensures interoperability and conformance to the IEEE standard. The Larmer LRS is currently the only legitimate LRS on the market which adheres to the xAPI 2.0 standard.
Use cases for tracking learning using an LRS
Whether it is for ensuring compliance and certification or simply confirming that Learners are accessing training content, the benefits of tracking learner activity are obvious. However, this doesn’t necessarily require an LMS. There are many scenarios when using xAPI statements to track learner activity via an LRS will provide the granularity of data required without significant investment.
Below are some use case examples:
Tracking student behaviour – Within the xAPI statements, timings are embedded in the data. This allows you to see what time your students are logging on, when they are most productive and follow patterns as to when your students are most likely to achieve.
Evaluation of learning content – Obtaining data on how Learners interact with the content presents the information necessary to evaluate effectiveness and provides guidance on how to make changes in order to improve the content. For example, is there a question that all the Learners get incorrect? Is there a page that Learners spend a significantly longer amount of time on? Is one element of your content designed badly so the Learners fail?
Short-term project – One of the key benefits of an LRS over an LMS is the lack of Learner related licence costs. The LRS licence reflects the content tracked, avoiding a scenario where a Learner is assigned a costly licence but the volume of learning is limited. More specifically with the Larmer LRS you can also use the platform as a content repository avoiding the option of an LMS. This content repository offers a very affordable and flexible repository with tracking and reporting, especially suited to external or casual Learners. So, if you need an audit trail to prove that Learners have completed learning but don’t have the budget to invest in an LMS, or you have casual workers that you need to train and track their learning on a short-term basis, the LRS is the ideal solution.
Conclusion
The ability to prove the return on any form of learning has always been a challenge, and the introduction of eLearning or any type of on-line upskilling adds a further barrier.
This is where analytics using xAPI data can add real value, ensuring that all activity is tracked, and that the tracking can be as granular as deemed necessary. Combining the xAPI data with a feature rich and powerful LRS delivers analytics which, via the dashboard function, can present complex data in an easily understood format.
Utilising xAPI data with the Larmer LRS will help prove that your online learning, irrespective of type, is providing value from your investment – or not!
More about the Larmer LRS
The Larmer LRS is a cloud-based Learning Record Store using the xAPI specification. It is hosted on the Larmer Brown OFF-SEN UK cloud.
The Larmer LRS is not necessarily intended to replace your LMS but can work well in conjunction with it. Built for organisations of all sizes, including enterprise level, Larmer LRS collects all your digital learning data, whilst recording and reporting on learner activity. Our LRS platform incorporates features that aren’t typically found in other LRSs, resulting in a unique analytics platform for learning reporting – contact us to request your 1-2-1 demo.