Building Blocks
WALRUC: Make every web page a learning tool that generates traces
The Web Analytics Learning Records Universal Connector (WALRUC) is a plugin designed to seamlessly integrate web analytics data with a Learning Record Store (LRS) using the Experience API (xAPI) and adhering to the Data Space Education and Skills (DASES) standard. By enabling the conversion of analytics data, such as that collected by Matomo, into the xAPI format, WALRUC facilitates the storage, tracking, and analysis of learning interactions within an LRS.
Integrating web analytics with educational data through WALRUC unlocks valuable insights into learning behaviors and outcomes. This capability empowers educational institutions and organizations to transform traditional analytics into actionable intelligence, driving improvements in educational strategies and enhancing the overall learning experience. By doing so, a website itself becomes a rich source of learning records, providing detailed data that can be leveraged to understand and enhance how learners interact, engage, and progress through educational content online.
Were the developments driven by a need?
Currently, Matomo is mainly used for marketing analytics, its data can also support educational goals when learning occurs on a website. In these cases, Matomo analytics can be turned into xAPI by Walruc plugin and stored in an LRS as learning records. For example, The French Ministry of Education, in the technical doctrine “Dispositif national de mesure d’audience des services numériques pour l’éducation”, endorses the use of Matomo for educational analytics and supports the idea of interoperability between different educational tools by using xAPI format for learning records. In this way, WALRUC is the perfect bridge between web analytics from matomo and xAPI for learning records.
How does WALRUC benefit educational institutions using Matomo?
By using the WALRUC plugin, educational institutions can leverage their existing Matomo analytics data to gain deeper insights into student learning and engagement. The xAPI traces generated allow for granular analysis of student interactions, such as time spent on resources and engagement with specific content. These insights can inform instructional design, help educators tailor content to students’ needs, and ultimately enhance learning outcomes. Institutions can identify trends, measure the impact of changes in teaching methodologies, and make data-driven decisions to improve educational practices.
Why is the xAPI format important for educational data?
The Experience API (xAPI) is a framework that facilitates the tracking of diverse learning experiences across different platforms. Unlike older standards such as SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model), xAPI allows for the tracking of a wide range of learning activities, both online and offline. This flexibility is crucial in modern educational environments where learning takes place across various platforms and devices. With xAPI, institutions can gather data from diverse sources, enabling comprehensive tracking of student progress and behaviors, thus offering a holistic view of the learning journey.
Inokufu has published on Prometheus-X’s github a state of the art study about learning records interoperability in 2023. This study describes the various formats and explains why “we” have selected xAPI as the defacto format for learning records for DASES.
How does the WALRUC plugin maintain data privacy?
WALRUC relies on Matomo’s ability to track user activities and browsing, which can be configured to be clear or pseudonymized. This flexibility means that Matomo users have control over how data is collected and stored, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Matomo’s adherence to GDPR standards is one of the reasons for its popularity, as it ensures that the collection of web analytics data respects user privacy. By relying on Matomo’s built-in compliance, WALRUC ensures that the xAPI traces it generates maintain the same level of privacy and data protection, allowing educational institutions to analyze data without compromising user privacy.
What role does the Learning Record Store (LRS) play?
The LRS is an essential component in the WALRUC ecosystem, serving as the repository for the xAPI traces generated by WALRUC. It stores and organizes learning data, allowing for efficient retrieval and analysis.
Is the WALRUC plugin free to use?
The WALRUC plugin itself is available for free, making it widely accessible for institutions already using Matomo.
How does WALRUC support AI training in education?
Matomo visit traces, which are converted by the WALRUC plugin, provide a rich data source for AI training. These traces contain comprehensive data on user interactions, such as page views, time spent on content and click paths. By converting these detailed analytics into xAPI format, WALRUC enables this data to be leveraged for training AI models. These models can then analyze patterns in user behavior, make predictions about learner needs, and identify opportunities for personalized educational interventions. For instance, AI can detect trends in student engagement, anticipate challenges students might face, and recommend resources tailored to individual learning paths. By utilizing this data-driven approach, educational institutions can enhance educational outcomes through adaptive learning solutions and informed decision-making.
How to get started?
Getting started requires deploying Matomo for web analytics and an LRS for learning records storage.
Initial steps include:
- Setting up Matomo and the LRS.
- Installing and configuring the WALRUC plugin.
- Ensuring privacy and GDPR compliance settings.
Inokufu offers expert services to help the entire setup process, ensuring that all components are integrated seamlessly and configured optimally. This involves deploying a robust instance of Matomo for web analytics, setting up an LRS to store and manage learning records in the xAPI format, and configuring the WALRUC plugin to facilitate data conversion and analysis. With their expertise, institutions can quickly start transforming web analytics data into valuable learning insights while ensuring data privacy and compliance with regulations.
What’s next for WALRUC in terms of feature development?
The future of WALRUC presents possibilities for feature enhancement. One of the anticipated developments is tracking additional activity types, allowing organizations to track a broader spectrum of interactions and delve deeper into user behavior. This expansion would enable more granular analysis of user engagement with educational content. Moreover, there is a desire to offer customization options that allow organizations to tailor the plugin’s functionality to meet their specific needs.
If you are interested in how WALRUC works take a look at the video below.
Learn More and Get Started
- Explore WALRUC in the VisionsTrust Catalogue
- Read more about WALRUC on the Inokufu Website
- Contact Inokufu for deployment assistance or consultation
- Join the Prometheus-X community to contribute to open standards in educational data spaces
What are Building Blocks?
Prometheus-X’s “Building Blocks” are open-source, modular components designed to facilitate the creation of secure, interoperable, and human-centric data spaces, particularly in sectors like education and skills. These building blocks support both personal and non-personal data management, aligning with European data strategies and regulations such as GDPR.
Have you read the interview with development lead László Gönczy? Follow the link and read it now!
