Margaret Roth

Whether you’re headed to ATD TechKnowledge 2019 to learn more about xAPI and analytics, VR and simulations, or AI and chat bots, new investments in learning technologies should always be made with the backing of a comprehensive data strategy.

Remember that not everyone cares about “data”—but everyone cares about outcomes.
No matter how much we in L&D care about data, metrics, and evidence, it’s all just numbers on a page and graphs on a dashboard to others. You must contextualize your… Show more

Whether you’re headed to ATD TechKnowledge 2019 to learn more about xAPI and analytics, VR and simulations, or AI and chat bots, new investments in learning technologies should always be made with the backing of a comprehensive data strategy.

Remember that not everyone cares about “data”—but everyone cares about outcomes.
No matter how much we in L&D care about data, metrics, and evidence, it’s all just numbers on a page and graphs on a dashboard to others. You must contextualize your project for your audience; you have to keep the big picture in mind at all times. In other words, stakeholders want to know how this is going to help them. How is a data transformation going to support their team? How is this change going to help the company retain talent? Make sure that any time you share data and results, you connect it back to the outcomes that matter most—empowering your people. Show less

When modernizing the learning ecosystem, L&D leaders have a vast landscape of tools from which to choose. New technologies enable everything from personalized content recommendations to blended learning experiences, so making the choice that's right for your organization can be the hardest part.

Update your learning ecosystem using this end-to-end strategy.

Read the full article as published in the January 2019 edition of TD Magazine.

The past year has brought L&D new technologies, insights into critical topics, strategies, tools, and more—and we expect 2019 to further enrich our goals with its potential.

In this eBook, 2019 Predictions for eLearning, several industry thought leaders offer predictions for what will change in learning and development over the next year. They also discuss their hopes and beliefs about how our industry can work together to challenge what works and what doesn’t in order to make 2019 the… Show more

The past year has brought L&D new technologies, insights into critical topics, strategies, tools, and more—and we expect 2019 to further enrich our goals with its potential.

In this eBook, 2019 Predictions for eLearning, several industry thought leaders offer predictions for what will change in learning and development over the next year. They also discuss their hopes and beliefs about how our industry can work together to challenge what works and what doesn’t in order to make 2019 the best year yet.

The authors listed here shared their predictions with the eLearning Guild community. Show less

Virtual reality technologies have long been the promise of the future but just out of reach for the mainstream. Recent VR innovations, though, have allowed instructional designers and learning engineers to create and distribute custom VR content in ways that make VR a transformative part of training and learning programs across industries. When combined with xAPI, these futuristic technologies allow you to gain never-before-captured insights from next-gen digital experiences.

This… Show more

Virtual reality technologies have long been the promise of the future but just out of reach for the mainstream. Recent VR innovations, though, have allowed instructional designers and learning engineers to create and distribute custom VR content in ways that make VR a transformative part of training and learning programs across industries. When combined with xAPI, these futuristic technologies allow you to gain never-before-captured insights from next-gen digital experiences.

This session will take a look at how VR powered by xAPI is currently being used by instructional designers, learning engineers, and L&D professionals to gain new insights from next-gen learning experiences. You will explore case studies that demonstrate how VR interactions allow learners to explore and participate in engaging and intuitive 360-degree virtual environments designed to expand their vision and promote learning, impact, and retention. You will see case studies demonstrating how organizations are using xAPI-enabled VR content to enhance learning, from safety and compliance to onboarding and training. Show less

From an organization-wide executive directive to become more data-driven, a retail corporate L&D team took an internal look at their own data practices. Realizing that they had an overwhelming lack of transparency into their learning initiatives and a great amount of data that had gone unused, the team developed a transformation vision to create a single system of record for learning to enable observability, granularity, and accountability for all team members. The team was committed to the… Show more

From an organization-wide executive directive to become more data-driven, a retail corporate L&D team took an internal look at their own data practices. Realizing that they had an overwhelming lack of transparency into their learning initiatives and a great amount of data that had gone unused, the team developed a transformation vision to create a single system of record for learning to enable observability, granularity, and accountability for all team members. The team was committed to the vision of xAPI; however, the data and information they needed in order to make actionable change for their learners was locked away in non-interoperable formats, and they recognized the need to develop a data strategy and implementation plan.

In this case study session, attendees saw how an organization’s L&D team created an xAPI data roadmap to not only achieve early wins when it came to the executive business objectives, but also begin work on a scalable plan to build out a modern, flexible ecosystem that has the needs of learners at its center. Show less

Female leaders face unique challenges getting to and staying at the top. Diversifying gender leadership is critical in education, where women make up the workforce majority but see dwindling representation in top roles. Join a team of lady bosses from a variety of organizations including TLA, Yet Analytics, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Catalyst:Ed, and InnovateEDU to engage in a conversation about the realities of being “Chief” at work and home. We'll share personal and professional… Show more

Female leaders face unique challenges getting to and staying at the top. Diversifying gender leadership is critical in education, where women make up the workforce majority but see dwindling representation in top roles. Join a team of lady bosses from a variety of organizations including TLA, Yet Analytics, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Catalyst:Ed, and InnovateEDU to engage in a conversation about the realities of being “Chief” at work and home. We'll share personal and professional strategies, support, sanity hacks and tackle how companies can grow and sustain more female leaders. Show less

Developing a learning data strategy is all about the outcomes. It’s about the change that will happen in your organization as a result of design decisions that you implement for putting data to work. The best way to create a learning data strategy is to think about not only what you have today, but to focus on where you want to go and what it is that you want your learners, managers, and stakeholders to be able to learn from and to do with data you make available to them.

In the… Show more

Developing a learning data strategy is all about the outcomes. It’s about the change that will happen in your organization as a result of design decisions that you implement for putting data to work. The best way to create a learning data strategy is to think about not only what you have today, but to focus on where you want to go and what it is that you want your learners, managers, and stakeholders to be able to learn from and to do with data you make available to them.

In the following article, explore the methodology organizations are using to strategically connect their investments in learning data to business outcomes with a sustainable, future-forward approach. Show less

We’ve all heard that VR training experiences have a proven higher retention rate, with retention gains reaching 75 percent in comparison to standard video, eLearning, or textbook training. What we need to know is how to create and deploy VR training quickly and cost effectively, with the systems we have today. This session will cover the creation, editing, publishing, and tracking of VR training using 360 video.

In this session, you will learn about the creation, editing, publishing… Show more

We’ve all heard that VR training experiences have a proven higher retention rate, with retention gains reaching 75 percent in comparison to standard video, eLearning, or textbook training. What we need to know is how to create and deploy VR training quickly and cost effectively, with the systems we have today. This session will cover the creation, editing, publishing, and tracking of VR training using 360 video.

In this session, you will learn about the creation, editing, publishing, and tracking of VR training using 360 video. You will explore the potential learning applications for using VR, and how it can be integrated into your current learning environment.

These slides were originally presented in San Jose, CA on June 26, 2018 at the Realities360 conference as part of the launch of CenarioVR. Show less

As part of the xAPI Case Studies Webinar Series hosted by the IEEE LTSC TAG xAPI, this presentation gives an overview of the creation of the Learning Commons. The Learning Commons is a shared space for connecting and accelerating educator learning created in partnership by the Learning Accelerator and Yet Analytics with support from innovative education organizations. The Learning Commons is an xAPI-enabled, multi-source content portal designed from the ground up with xAPI as part of the data… Show more

As part of the xAPI Case Studies Webinar Series hosted by the IEEE LTSC TAG xAPI, this presentation gives an overview of the creation of the Learning Commons. The Learning Commons is a shared space for connecting and accelerating educator learning created in partnership by the Learning Accelerator and Yet Analytics with support from innovative education organizations. The Learning Commons is an xAPI-enabled, multi-source content portal designed from the ground up with xAPI as part of the data model, powering a unified learner experience interface that allows learners to see how the informal learning content they work with aligns to competencies and skills they are working to build. As learners utilize content through curated playlists, skill and competency development is automatically tracked and presented back to learners, cohort leaders, and content providers through xAPI data.

For more information visit https://www.tagxapi.org/webinar-series/. Show less

While the L&D community is increasingly familiar with the Experience API (xAPI) and its value for data collection and interoperability, few examples exist to clarify the value of xAPI as applied within different existing learning infrastructures. This session focused on sharing the ways xAPI can connect and provide value in any eLearning environment.

This session presented a series of different learning ecosystem configurations and the ways xAPI and a learning record store (LRS) can… Show more

While the L&D community is increasingly familiar with the Experience API (xAPI) and its value for data collection and interoperability, few examples exist to clarify the value of xAPI as applied within different existing learning infrastructures. This session focused on sharing the ways xAPI can connect and provide value in any eLearning environment.

This session presented a series of different learning ecosystem configurations and the ways xAPI and a learning record store (LRS) can provide value in each case. The three main learning ecosystem configurations examined range from the simplest (LMS and LRS) to three systems connected (LMS, LRS, and CMS) to the fully modular (LRS, LMS, simulations, microlearning, performance assessment, and other tools). For each of these configurations, the presentation shared specific values and practical applications gained by connecting an xAPI LRS to the existing system. Show less

It’s well known female leaders face unique challenges getting to and staying at the top, particularly in entrepreneurial fields. Join this diverse team of kick-ass lady bosses for a raucous and interactive conversation about realities of being “Chief” at work and home, sharing personal and professional strategies as well as support and sanity hacks. We’ll also tackle how companies can proactively grow and sustain more female leaders. Collective wisdom will be pooled, no topic will be taboo.

The Experience API (xAPI) and the learning record store are powerful tools for any learning organization, providing improved visibility into learning data. This session focuses on practical business outcomes, using high-level case studies to demonstrate short- and long-term benefits of xAPI. In this session, we will address how xAPI can fit into your learning ecosystem, and how it compares with other learning standards. We'll also discuss the first steps to testing and validating the value of… Show more

The Experience API (xAPI) and the learning record store are powerful tools for any learning organization, providing improved visibility into learning data. This session focuses on practical business outcomes, using high-level case studies to demonstrate short- and long-term benefits of xAPI. In this session, we will address how xAPI can fit into your learning ecosystem, and how it compares with other learning standards. We'll also discuss the first steps to testing and validating the value of xAPI for your organization. Show less

Leveraging xAPI and the Yet xAPI Learning Record Store, data from across learning tools and platforms have been unified to provide automated reporting to learners and other stakeholders at Khan Lab School.

Khan Lab School is an independent school associated with Khan Academy that runs a personalized, mixed-age program with a project-based learning approach. Because KLS tracks mastery instead of letter grades and groups students by independence level instead of age, a new kind of… Show more

Leveraging xAPI and the Yet xAPI Learning Record Store, data from across learning tools and platforms have been unified to provide automated reporting to learners and other stakeholders at Khan Lab School.

Khan Lab School is an independent school associated with Khan Academy that runs a personalized, mixed-age program with a project-based learning approach. Because KLS tracks mastery instead of letter grades and groups students by independence level instead of age, a new kind of reporting system is needed to show student progress. Yet Analytics has built role-specific data dashboards for students, teachers, and leadership that pulls data from digital and in-person learning activity to provide a unified view of student progress at KLS. Show less

If your responsibilities include onboarding team members, developing learning curriculums, delivering training programs, or evaluating the performance of your organization, at some point this year someone likely asked if you had looked into xAPI. The conversation probably went one of two ways. You either replied, “Absolutely. I’m really excited about it, but I’m having a hard time getting other people on my team onboard.” or “No I haven’t, what is that?”

Either way, someone probably… Show more

If your responsibilities include onboarding team members, developing learning curriculums, delivering training programs, or evaluating the performance of your organization, at some point this year someone likely asked if you had looked into xAPI. The conversation probably went one of two ways. You either replied, “Absolutely. I’m really excited about it, but I’m having a hard time getting other people on my team onboard.” or “No I haven’t, what is that?”

Either way, someone probably jumped into a technical explanation about how xAPI is a magical data interoperability standard that is going to solve all of your training tracking and performance measurement challenges. While that isn’t necessarily the wrong answer, it’s not really helpful for increasing buy-in and understanding across your team. Instead, we like to think about how to xAPI from a less-technical, more outcome-oriented approach to help you move the conversation to next steps.

In other words, we want to answer the question: “Why xAPI?” In our previous post, we offered five top business reasons for using xAPI. Here are five more that can help you make your case to others. Show less

Essentially, xAPI (Experience API) is typically viewed by learning and development (L&D) professionals as a tool to help with tracking learning where learners go, not just in the LMS, tracking learner performance inside a course, tracking granular choice and experience data in learning software, measuring engagement in mobile and social learning programs, and unifying data from multiple learning and performance platforms.

These are all great reasons to use xAPI, but they don’t always… Show more

Essentially, xAPI (Experience API) is typically viewed by learning and development (L&D) professionals as a tool to help with tracking learning where learners go, not just in the LMS, tracking learner performance inside a course, tracking granular choice and experience data in learning software, measuring engagement in mobile and social learning programs, and unifying data from multiple learning and performance platforms.

These are all great reasons to use xAPI, but they don’t always resonate with key stakeholders in other parts of the business. In order to gain traction in the larger organization, L&D professionals need to answer the question of “Why xAPI?” in ways that make sense to the business.

Based on our experience over the last five years as enterprise industry xAPI advocates, we’d like to share some key business reasons for using xAPI. Show less

A facilitated workshop and discussion on using big data and experience intelligence for role-specific data visualization, analytics, and application. Hosted by the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative and the National Training and Simulation Association in Alexandria, VA.

If you’ve attended any learning conference in the last several years, you’ve inevitably heard the buzz around learning record stores (LRSs) and the Experience API (xAPI). With so many sessions and articles focused on the future potential for disruption that these technologies hold, many organization leaders are looking for ways to get started using this data interoperability solution in their own learning ecosystems. While leaders can clearly see the value of a seamlessly connected learning… Show more

If you’ve attended any learning conference in the last several years, you’ve inevitably heard the buzz around learning record stores (LRSs) and the Experience API (xAPI). With so many sessions and articles focused on the future potential for disruption that these technologies hold, many organization leaders are looking for ways to get started using this data interoperability solution in their own learning ecosystems. While leaders can clearly see the value of a seamlessly connected learning program on their roadmap, many are still having difficulty identifying a practical starting point.

To help demystify this emerging technology, we present three examples of actual projects in which we combined data from the learning management system (LMS) with high-powered analytics to solve today’s challenges. Show less

The purpose of collecting data is to use data. Good data visualization should be interactive, multidimensional, and visually efficient. If it meets these characteristics, it can communicate not just what happened in training but can help demonstrate the outcomes and insights of why it matters to leadership.

You've no doubt heard of the Experience API. But, you might be asking yourself how you can use xAPI to leverage its unique capabilities for your learning solutions. In this session, you'll see real-world examples of solutions that utilize xAPI. You will have the opportunity to discuss your ideas for using xAPI with people who are actively working with the specification.

Women remain disproportionately underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines, and often fail to achieve recognition or promotion to higher-level influential positions. This panel discussion featured best practices and strategies on what can be and is being done to address this issue.

Even as new technologies arise to serve learning and performance, we struggle to understand the data produced by our employees, reviewers, testers, and problem solvers. We have lots of information but no unified way of using that data to solve problems and make the right decisions.

The Experience API is an open source specification designed specifically for gathering data from different sources, systems, and platforms to get an in-depth understanding of how experience… Show more

Even as new technologies arise to serve learning and performance, we struggle to understand the data produced by our employees, reviewers, testers, and problem solvers. We have lots of information but no unified way of using that data to solve problems and make the right decisions.

The Experience API is an open source specification designed specifically for gathering data from different sources, systems, and platforms to get an in-depth understanding of how experience happens.

Learn about what xAPI is, how it works, and how you can use it to collect and analyze data from any source, and more importantly how you can use it to improve outcomes and achieve goals for your organization. Show less

As xAPI matures and finds usage throughout the commercial and public sectors, it is important to see that the tools which provide, collect, and analyze xAPI data conform to best practices in information security. The xAPIsec initiative commenced in 2015 with the purpose of developing a community-built document to define those best practices — ultimately with the purpose of establishing a series of security certifications for xAPI technologies. In this talk, Yet Analytics’ co-founder Margaret… Show more

As xAPI matures and finds usage throughout the commercial and public sectors, it is important to see that the tools which provide, collect, and analyze xAPI data conform to best practices in information security. The xAPIsec initiative commenced in 2015 with the purpose of developing a community-built document to define those best practices — ultimately with the purpose of establishing a series of security certifications for xAPI technologies. In this talk, Yet Analytics’ co-founder Margaret Roth will dive deep into the initiative and provide actionable ways for xAPI Camp participants to become involved. Show less

Merging the theory-based iNACOL Blended Learning Educator Competency Framework and the practice-based work of the TLA Human Capital cohort together, The Learning Accelerator and Yet Analytics, Inc. have announced the Educator Learning Concept Model — a model for competency measurement and recommendation supported by the Experience API (xAPI), a data interoperability standard for next-generation learning data and analytics.

The Educator Learning Concept Model will both measure and… Show more

Merging the theory-based iNACOL Blended Learning Educator Competency Framework and the practice-based work of the TLA Human Capital cohort together, The Learning Accelerator and Yet Analytics, Inc. have announced the Educator Learning Concept Model — a model for competency measurement and recommendation supported by the Experience API (xAPI), a data interoperability standard for next-generation learning data and analytics.

The Educator Learning Concept Model will both measure and recommend learning across competencies. Additionally, the model provides a set of competencies that are derived directly from actual educator-blended learning professional development. Content and resources supporting this model has been produced by an expert cohort, members of which include BetterLesson, Relay GSE, Friday Institute, Highlander Institute, TNTP, and PowerMyLearning — all of whom were grantees of The Learning Accelerator. Show less

In January 2015, The Learning Accelerator and our grantees partnered with Yet Analytics to launch a new project to create a common language and frame for identifying resources and learning across organizations and platforms. The goal of this project was to map the open content created by Initiative grantees, connect them to a shared competency-based framework using a data interoperability specification, and explore how this concept model could be used as an open standard for professional… Show more

In January 2015, The Learning Accelerator and our grantees partnered with Yet Analytics to launch a new project to create a common language and frame for identifying resources and learning across organizations and platforms. The goal of this project was to map the open content created by Initiative grantees, connect them to a shared competency-based framework using a data interoperability specification, and explore how this concept model could be used as an open standard for professional training and development. This white paper represents the progress and working concept model for this project. Show less

The In The Know Summit takes head-on three areas of relevance to emerging entrepreneurs and leaders of both genders: personal visibility, funding and user acquisition. In line with the EdTechWomen values, the panels will focus on how to increase diversity of age, gender, race and background, and build opportunities for collaboration in education technology ventures.

Various models and styles of blended learning have been proposed and practiced in recent years, but what has actually been achieved is blended classrooms; classrooms enhanced with existing technologies to support traditional pedagogical practices. For true blended learning, the design process of the experience must be driven by instructional needs. It’s not about blending the classroom with technology; it’s about blending the classroom with learning, through designed experiences.

Personalized learning is an instructional philosophy intended to address the distinct learning needs, interests, aspirations, and cultural backgrounds of individual students to create an environment and experience that best facilitates their learning (Glossary of Ed Reform, 2014). Personalized learning can be implemented with many techniques, through a combination of different methods, and successfully achieved through a variety of approaches. It can be implemented in ways that are… Show more

Personalized learning is an instructional philosophy intended to address the distinct learning needs, interests, aspirations, and cultural backgrounds of individual students to create an environment and experience that best facilitates their learning (Glossary of Ed Reform, 2014). Personalized learning can be implemented with many techniques, through a combination of different methods, and successfully achieved through a variety of approaches. It can be implemented in ways that are fundamentally disruptive to the traditional classroom model, in ways that are within the traditional classroom model, with the use of technology, and without the use of technology. This paper will outline a philosophy and method for designing personalized learning in the classroom that when realized will result in the creation of a personalized learning ecosystem.

Workshop delivered at ISTE 2014 comprised of a hands-on investigation into the best tools and methodologies for preparing educators for the successful creation of personalized learning environments. Participants will be guided through a series of key strategies and best practices we have seen effectively implemented in Baltimore City Public School classrooms. Show less

Various models and styles of blended learning have been proposed and practiced in recent years, but what has actually been achieved is blended classrooms; classrooms enhanced with existing technologies to support traditional pedagogical practices. For true blended learning, the design process of the technology must be driven by instructional needs. It’s not about blending the classroom with technology; it’s about blending the classroom with learning, by leveraging technology.

EdTechWomen, provides professional women and their supporters in the education ecosystem a place to showcase their work and leverage their influence throughout the industry. The experiences of women working in EdTech are stories of community, inclusivity, visibility and impact. They are stories that are transforming the industry, as we know it. In this session, 12 exemplary individuals will give 5-min lightning talks to share how they are making the EdTech ecosystem grow, accelerate, and expand.

From a conversation, an exploration, and a group of forty educators dedicated to openness, brain dumping, and collaborative editing, a book emerged. Organized and published by S.J. Valentine & R. Richards (Eds.).

The peer communities discussed in this presentation are successful not because people were told what to do but because people had choice, because the communities are participatory and engaging, members have ownership and agency in the direction of the community, and they are founded in authentic and honest experiences.

Whether it’s physical or digital, or a well-organized blend of both, you can create a peer community that allows change to happen. And for whatever problem you are facing,… Show more

The peer communities discussed in this presentation are successful not because people were told what to do but because people had choice, because the communities are participatory and engaging, members have ownership and agency in the direction of the community, and they are founded in authentic and honest experiences.

Whether it’s physical or digital, or a well-organized blend of both, you can create a peer community that allows change to happen. And for whatever problem you are facing, if you can create a strategy that cultivates trust through a network of support, you can change a culture. Show less

The teaching profession, in its current state, is unsustainable.

In this Action Research Project, a technology enhanced project based learning intervention was implemented in an eighth grade Language Arts classroom in Baltimore City. The intervention has been conducted from September of 2011 until January of 2012 and it will be continued until May of 2012. The intervention group consists of twenty-two students in a classroom of a mentor teacher and the researcher, a JHU-MAT Intern. The purpose of this project is to improve student writing capabilities and… Show more

In this Action Research Project, a technology enhanced project based learning intervention was implemented in an eighth grade Language Arts classroom in Baltimore City. The intervention has been conducted from September of 2011 until January of 2012 and it will be continued until May of 2012. The intervention group consists of twenty-two students in a classroom of a mentor teacher and the researcher, a JHU-MAT Intern. The purpose of this project is to improve student writing capabilities and computer literacy in accordance with the Maryland Technology Literacy Standards through the completion of content projects and the incorporation of 21st Century Education Principles of Collaboration, Communication, and Critical Thinking. Projects were scored with holistic assessments that relate to these principles. Evaluations were made rating student progress toward achieving mastery of the standards selected. Results at this Mid-Point Evaluation clearly demonstrate that all students have made progress in each area of technology literacy including Hardware, Software and Publication, Research, and 21st Century Education Skills. Ultimately, it is the goal of this project to create a framework for other teachers to reference as we all work to move ourselves and our students toward full immersion in a technology enhanced education. Show less

"...what are we teaching them? Nothing.

Nothing but to be afraid of the rest of the world, that the rest of the world and the digital universe are only there to hurt them. We are cultivating ignorance by fueling our students with disconnect and starving them with a lack of resources."

Female ed tech leaders from across the globe gather annually at ISTE. This year, we will formalize this convening with an engaging session around leadership. From coaching to mentorship to collaboration, the session will showcase female agents of change and examine how to strengthen the female voice in education technology. Panelists included Ellen Bialo, Julie Evans, Mila Thomas Fuller, Ed.D., Margaret Roth, and Kari Stubbs, Ph.D.