We know the majority of learning that happens in the workplace (and everywhere else) is informal and not in any one tool or system. People are constantly learning to do their jobs, solve problems, and to get better at the things they care about. In order to support people we need to strive for more personalized approaches. We need to focus on figuring out where a person is at, what they need to do, what they want to do, and help to remove the barriers stopping them. This is very, very hard to do when every person in a company uses multiple systems that don’t communicate with one another. We would spend more time than it’s worth to login each place, hunt for information, and make notes about each disparate collection of activities.
 
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In order for these different systems to talk, they need a common language. In eLearning we have a common language for course-based content in standards, like SCORM and AICC. Those enable courses to move between systems and play in an expected way, it’s a narrow scope and they’re good at it. The Tin Can API (aka Experience API) does something totally different. It looks at activity statements. It is a common language for many different systems to communicate about what people are doing. This makes it possible to get a more holistic view of a person and support their performance as a unique individual. Learn what the Tin Can API is, how it works, and see some examples of what has been done with it.

Megan Bowe is a designer and strategist with a history of working with learning-technology startups. Championing data-driven design, Megan focuses on projects that require a systems thinking perspective to bring learning, portability of data, and formative analysis together. In her work at Rustici Software, Megan helps people create system strategies and design products using the Tin Can API. She also co-created Up to All of Us, an unconference focused on advancing the intersections between learning, design, and technology. You can find her blogging at TinCanAPI.com or tweeting @meganbowe contact: megan.bowe@tincanapi.com