Caliper adopters can use the standard to better understand and visualize learning activity and product usage data. This data can be used to improve student recruitment and retention plans, curriculum design, and student intervention measures. The Caliper Analytics Learning Measurement Framework works through the Sensor API and Metric Profiles.

The Sensor API and Metric Profiles

The goal of the Sensor API is to provide developers with a common method of recording learning that can be shared across different applications and platforms. The Sensor API defines the learning interactions between the application and the Framework. And 1EdTech provides implementations of the Sensor API in Java, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, and .NET.

Metric Profiles provide student activity tracking models for activity across different types of interactions. For example, the Assessment Profile describes how students engage with a quiz and records relevant data, such as how long a student takes to complete the quiz and which questions are skipped. Standardizing these profiles allows applications to analyze student interactions across different metrics. The full list of Metric Profiles can be found at 1EdTech. IMS Global Consortium.

Caliper Analytics also works in tandem with the LTI and QIT standards. Content that has been developed in the LTI or QTI standards can leverage Caliper Analytics so that events in the tool can be defined with the SensorAPI.

Caliper v1.1 is the most current certified version of the Caliper Analytics standard. Caliper v1.2, which supports several new Metric Profiles, is in development.

Real World Examples

Caliper Analytics was developed to standardize interactions between students and software. Let's say that a student launches an LTI tool from their LMS with Caliper Analytics enabled. The Sensor API records this event. Now, let's say the tool contains questions for the student to complete. If that's the case, the Sensor API could record data, such as:

  • When the student navigated to the assessment;
  • When the student navigated away from the assessment;
  • Which responses were selected when answering a question; and
  • Which order the student answered the questions.

Another example could be, if several students took longer than expected to complete an assignment, the developer of the assignment may want to make it easier or communicate information more effectively. Or, if several students are missing the same question, the developer may want to rewrite the question. Or, if a single student takes too long to answer a certain type of question, a developer can collect the data and intervene to help.

Read More on Data Standards

Here are other articles we’ve written on Data Standards to help you on your integration journey:

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