xAPI employee story

Adam just got hired to be a forklift driver in a warehouse…

…and one of the first things he needs to do is get his forklift certification.

In a NON-xAPI world, Adam would do his training, take a written test, take a real-world operating evaluation, and then be given his certification.

In a xAPI-enabled training system, the level of detail is expanded. It’s expanded so much that there’s a whole new picture of training that comes into focus. Every bit of the training can be tracked and stored in an LRS. Every time that Adam does a safety check on his forklift, the steps he must go through are tracked. The answers to his written test are tracked.

A new step to his training can even be added — a video game in which he learns where the controls of the forklift are located, and how to operate them. Every step of the video game and every reaction that Adam has within it can be tracked.

Tracking compliance training with older standards like SCORM was always risky, because of security concerns with the older standards. xAPI uses oAuth to provide solid security, so tracking high-stakes training and compliance training is less of a concern.

Perhaps the best part is that even after Adam’s training is over, his real-world job performance can be tracked. The Experience API can be tied in to the warehouse’s inventory system, and it can log whenever Adam loads or unloads a pallet. Supervisors can begin tying training to real-world performance and answering questions about training that they could never answer before. This is made even easier because all of this xAPI data lives in one place, and in one format, inside a Learning Record Store.

Here is Adam's story told with xAPI statements

Adam’s Experience Experience API Statement
Adam watched the forklift training video. Adam completed “forklift training video.”
Adam started the forklift operator training video game. Adam attempted “forklift operator training video game”.
In the video game, Adam learned when to use the forklift’s horn. Adam completed “when to use the horn” in “forklift operator training video game.”
In the video game, Adam learned how to perform a safety check on the forklift. Adam completed “safety check” in the “forklift operator training video game.”
Adam completed the forklift training video game. Adam completed “forklift operator training video game.”
Adam began training on the actual forklift. Adam attempted “training on a real forklift.”
Adam checked the propane level on the forklift. Adam completed “check fuel level” in “training on a real forklift”.
Adam confirmed that the horn on the forklift works. Adam completed “test horn” in “training on a real forklift.
Adam drove the forklift to section b4. Adam completed “drive forklift to b4.”
Adam picked up pallet 14-c in section b4. Adam completed “pickup pallet 14-c” in “section b4”.
Adam delivered pallet 14-c to truck truck 3. Adam completed “deliver pallet 14-4” in the context of “truck 3.”
Adam completed training on a real forklift. Adam completed “training on a real forklift.”
Adam is now certified to drive a forklift. Adam completed “forklift training” with a result of “success.”

The great thing about the Experience API is that even after the training is over, Adam’s performance on the job can be measured in the same way that his training on a real forklift can be. His performance and training results can be measured beside others’ results, and big-picture decisions about training can be made much easier than before. Compliance tracking can even live in the same system as training results and real-world activity tracking.

Adam’s boss got notifications from his Learning Record Store that Adam had been in two accidents and dropped one pallet all in his first week of the job. Going back to see reports from Adam’s first week, the supervisor notices that Adam hasn’t been sounding the forklift’s horn at every intersection as he’s supposed to. Adam’s boss assigns a forklift safety course to Adam, and Adam takes this course before continuing on the job.

Does Adam’s safety skyrocket above that of others after this course? Should everybody take this course? There are a ton of questions that arise when you have access to all of the data that xAPI lets you store and report on.

The Experience API brings all of your learning and performance data into one place, where you can compare loads of learning and performance metrics and make more informed decisions about learning and teaching.