LearningLocker Vision

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Authored by Ben Betts on behalf of HT2 Ltd, 2014. Version 1.1

Learning Locker is licensed under GPL 3.0 Terms and Conditions.
Visit http://www.learninglocker.net for more information.

Learning Locker
Our Vision, Aims and Governance
http://www.learninglocker.net
#OpenLRS

Version 1.1 1
st
July, 2014
Author Details:
Ben Betts
For and on behalf of:
HT2 Ltd
Park End Barns
Kennington Road
Radley
Oxfordshire
OX14 2JW
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)1865 873862
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Outline Project

Learning Locker is an open source Learning Record Store; a type of data repository
designed to store learning activity statements generated by xAPI (Tin Can) compliant
learning activities. Organisations use Learning Locker to store, sort and share
learning data as generated by their learners. Using this data organisations can better
understand the learning activities of their workforce, assess the impact of training
and development and customise learning experiences based on learners past
performance.
Initially, Learning Locker will be marketed towards organisations, enabling them to
store data about learning activities using the xAPI standard. Organisations will be
able to download, free of charge, our software, and deploy it to a server of their
choice. Latterly, we will seek to support tools and services that enable individuals to
claim data that is generated about their learning activities and stored in the xAPI
format. HT2, the project sponsors, will offer hosted Learning Locker services as a
commercial venture in a single, low-price monthly paid service known as the Cloud
LRS. This will be suitable as for organisations happy with a multi-tenant, low usage
and non-customisable product.
Timeline

The project was official launched during January, 2014. Our initial aim was to bring
version 1.0 of Learning Locker to the open source community end Q1, 2014. In
reality our first production release came in May, 2014. Our next significant release
will be v1.1, scheduled for end Q3, 2014.
Release Number Release Name Estimated Date
1.0 Red Squirrel Shipped May 2014.
1.1 Sept, 2014

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Vision
We exist to help store, sort and share the worlds learning data. We believe that
each individual learner has the right to own and use data about their own
performance. We also believe that knowing about a learners experiences will enable
organisations to create future learning events that better fit individual needs. In our
world of rapidly growing learning data, Learning Locker will bridge the gap between
these individual rights and an organisations needs.
Mission
Our initial mission is to become the Moodle of the Learning Record Store world;
the open source standard for LRS. By achieving this mission we will give
organisations the opportunity to personalise learning experiences through data and
to promote individual data ownership. We have adopted 3 broad strategic aims to
complete our mission:
Strategic Aim 1: Create a viable enterprise Learning Record Store.
By adopting the xAPI standard and functioning as a Learning Record Store, we will
create a key tool for our industry to use as a data store for learning activity. Creating
a Learning Record Store that is fully conformant to the xAPI standard is not a trivial
task. In addition to meeting the standard it is necessary to provide a suite of
additional tools for use with our LRS. This includes, but is not limited to, RESTful
APIs, data analytics, permission systems and a highly scalable data infrastructure
that is easy to deploy and enterprise ready.
Strategic Aim 2: Open Source our software in a like-minded and
sustainable community environment.
We will Open Source our software under GPL 3.0. This means that anyone has the
right to use, copy, distribute, share, modify and change our software without paying
licensing fees. The only restriction put upon users is that any modifications they
make and distribute must also be made available under these same GPL terms. This
approach is known as a strict copyleft. But simply giving our software away is not
enough. In order to future proof the open source nature of this product it is
necessary to create an active community of contributors dedicated to the upkeep,
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documentation and improvement of our software. Only in this manner can we hope
to become a viable, long-term solution to proprietary alternatives.
Strategic Aim 3: Work to enable individual ownership of learning data.

We believe that everybody has the fundamental right to own data that is about
themselves. Luckily, this ambition works well with our vision. When an individual
gets to own their learning data that person can go on to use that data to personalise
future experiences. We will work to provide personal Learning Record Stores for
individuals, and to provide classes and libraries of code to 3rd party organisations to
enable them to share their data with learners.
Project Governance
Learning Lockers development and growth is directed by a community of like-
minded learning technology experts, drawn from around the world. As an Open
Source Software (OSS) project, the overall wellbeing and success of the Learning
Locker project is the responsibility of two boards, a community board and a
technical board.
These boards meet once a month to set the roadmap for product development, to
oversee development timelines and to help structure the evangelisation of our
product. Decision-making is democratic where possible. However, the project is
ultimately the responsibility of a single benevolent dictator, Ben Betts, the Project
Sponsor. Wherever possible the BD will follow the decision of the respective boards,
but should a decision come to a vote the BD has the casting vote. An Open Source
community cannot work without broad consensus and so this role is a light-touch
wherever possible.
Board membership is under constant review; board members must stay remain
active participants in order to maintain their position, no one is entitled to board
membership. The Project Sponsor recommends new board members and their
membership is subject to a vote of the sitting board. At this early stage in Learning
Lockers development both boards are being finalised. Please see Appendix for
more details on current board members.
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Community Board

The Community Board is responsible for the overall direction of product
development at Learning Locker. By listening to the needs of organisations and
individuals, the board influences the product roadmap and development priorities as
well as overseeing the user experience and usability of the end product. The
community board also acts as a driver of wider community action; evangelising the
concept through social and conventional media, convening community events and
facilitating partnerships with likeminded third parties.
Technical Board

The Technical Board sets the schedule for the programming development of the
Learning Locker project. Taking into account the community boards priorities and
roadmap requests, the Technical Board allocates resources to tasks, develops new
code, refactors existing code and overseas the development of the Learning Locker,
including the allocation of commiting rights. Whilst we welcome code contributions
from anyone interested in the Learning Locker, initially it is thought that the majority
of core code will be contributed by the team at HT2 (under the Project Sponsor) in a
Cathedral style model of contribution. The BD, as the Project Sponsor, has the
right to ask HT2 employees to work on specific technical projects without the
oversight of the respective boards.
Project Sponsor

Initially the Learning Locker project has been sponsored by HT2, a for-profit learning
technology developer. Learning Locker will always be free to download, install and
run for everyone. To compliment this, HT2 offers services such as hosting, support
and consultancy in a commercial capacity. In addition, HT2 holds copyright over
certain Learning Locker trademarks, including the name Learning Locker and the
squirrel logo. This ownership is necessary to prevent 3rd parties passing off
Learning Locker as their own work, instead of the community effort it really is.
!
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Appendix
Board Members

The following Board Members will work with Learning Locker to create a successful
launch product.

Name Expertise
Dr. Ben Betts,
Oxford, UK (HT2)
Strategic consultant with a broad knowledge of the xAPI
standard and its implementation in a range of products and
services. Serves as BD to Learning Locker.
James Mullaney,
Oxford, UK (HT2)
Senior software engineer with significant experience of
implementing xAPI in numerous activity provider situations.
Code contributor to Learning Locker.
Dave Tosh,
Toronto, CA (HT2)
Senior software engineer with significant experience in
implementing xAPI from the receiver (LRS) side. Previously
co-founded Elgg, the open source social networking
platform. Code contributor to Learning Locker.
Megan Bowe,
New York, USA
Publicly launched the xAPI spec and adoption effort with
Rustici Software. Worked with xAPI community to imagine
implementation strategies and amplify them. Focuses on
designing Analytics and Reporting for LL.
Aaron Silvers,
New York, USA
The designer, chief architect and evangelist for xAPI, as well
as its original community manager. Focused on developing
the standard and open partnerships with other standards
body on behalf of LL.
Bryan Mathers,
London, UK
ePortfolio specialist and software engineer, currently
designing vocational education programs to teach young
learners programming using xAPI and Mozilla Open Badges.
Jason McGonigle,
Belfast, NI
Further Education specialist, responsible for technical
implementation of xAPI at scale across multiple systems
within FE colleges and Qualification bodies in the UK.
Sven Laux,
Brighton, UK
Open Source specialist, being heavily involved with the
Totora LMS and the newly launched Adapt project. Highly
experienced Technical Director.
Mark Aberdour,
Brighton, UK.
Moodle specialist and Technical Director of high-regard,
leading open source systems for Epic, part of Learning
Technologies Group.
Andrew Downes,
Brighton, UK
Leading Tin Can expert having contributed heavily to the
specification process on behalf of ADL. Runs tincanapi.co.uk
as a key resource for Tin Can information in the UK. Code
contributor to Learning Locker.
Conor Gilligan, Education and Corporate learning specialist with experience
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Leeds, UK. in the UK, USA and Poland. Works extensively with clients
using Moodle and Totara and designing holistic solutions for
enterprise level clients.
Jonathan Archibald,
Brighton, UK
Technical Director with deep experience implementing and
using Tin Can for the delivery of SaaS educational portals.
Contributed to specification.

About xAPI

The Experience API (xAPI, but also known as Tin Can) is a new standard, authored
by the Advanced Distributed Learning initiative of the US Department of Defense.
Using the xAPI approach it is possible to loosely couple various software platforms
together into an eco-system that exchanges learning data seamlessly. This is done
without the need for extensive integration; authorised xAPI Activity Providers use
Web Services to push activity statements to an LRS. Activity Providers can be
almost any type of software or learning experience; online of offline.
Data stored in the LRS can be accessed by other software platforms using an
Application Programming Interface, or API. These other software platforms might
be bespoke reporting tools, Management Information Systems, Learning
Management Systems or even other Learning Record Stores.
About the Project Sponsor - HT2

HT2s vision is to enable continuous learning as a fundamental part of working life.
To help realise this vision, we invest our expertise in creating technology products
and services that change peoples lives for the better, even if thats just in a small
way. Established in 2000, HT2 encompasses both HT2 Ltd (UK) and HT2 Inc (USA).
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Contact Details

Please visit our website at http://www.learninglocker.net for more information.
You can contact us via our community forums at:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/learning-locker or by joining us on
social media channels using the hashtag #OpenLRS.

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Authored by Ben Betts on behalf of HT2 Ltd, 2014. Version 1.1

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