Watershed collects useful learning data not only for managers and the L&D team, but also for learners. In this post, we'll explore three data export features that make sharing L&D data across the organization easy.
For example, you can:
- Use the card-sharing feature to email fully interactive reports directly from Watershed or create shareable links, which you can send yourself.
- Use the Aggregation API to pull filtered, aggregated learning data into the systems that learners use, or the Statement API to pull unprocessed xAPI statements.
- Embed complete Watershed reports into your learning platform.
Share L&D Data, Gain Insight
Watershed collects learning and performance data from learning and operational systems across your organization.
This data offers insightful reports that enable you to evaluate your learning programs and make strategic decisions about your investment in those programs. Learners also can use this data to monitor their individual progress to make informed choices when planning their learning.
Let’s explore three Watershed product features that make sharing data with learners possible:
1. Sharing Watershed Reports
All Watershed reports can be shared via links so others can view reports outside of Watershed. You have the option to either email the link to recipients directly from Watershed, or you can create a shareable link and deliver it yourself.
Furthermore, shared cards can be configured to either always show the most up-to-date data or show snapshots of historical data.
Report sharing is most useful when you want to share the same view with multiple people (e.g., create a bar chart ranking learners to stir competition, or share a leaderboard of the most popular content to inspire other learners to check out the recommended favorites).
The report-sharing feature is easy to set up and doesn’t require integration with other systems.
2. Pulling L&D Data
Watershed collects activity data in the form of xAPI interaction statements, aggregates that data into tabular structures, and then creates visualizations of that data.
Because tabular data is designed for reporting, it’s much easier to work with than xAPI statements—which are optimized for collecting and sharing data, not processing it.
Your applications can access both the raw xAPI statements and the aggregated tabular data via Watershed’s Aggregation and Statement APIs. While statement data can be used for activity streams, aggregated data typically is most useful for reporting and displaying indicators to your learners.
Watershed’s Aggregation and Statement APIs are most useful for:
- integrating Watershed insights into your learning platform (e.g., creating a progress indicator on a course page); and
- enabling your learning platform to make intelligent decisions based on data (e.g., unlocking new content based on learner performance data in Watershed).
3. Embedding Watershed Reports
This feature enables you to embed Watershed report cards directly into other applications—saving you from having to rebuild or recreate those same reports outside of Watershed.
In other words, envision a middle ground between card sharing and fetching data via API.
To Share, or Not to Share?
Watershed offers a single, central location for all your reporting, so don’t be too quick to export data and push your reports to other systems. These sharing features are ideal for those who don’t have access to Watershed, but are still interested in its insights—particularly learners.
About the author
As a co-author of xAPI, Andrew has been instrumental in revolutionizing the way we approach data-driven learning design. With his extensive background in instructional design and development, he’s an expert in crafting engaging learning experiences and a master at building robust learning platforms in both corporate and academic environments. Andrew’s journey began with a simple belief: learning should be meaningful, measurable, and, most importantly, enjoyable. This belief has led him to work with some of the industry’s most innovative organizations and thought leaders, helping them unlock the true potential of their learning strategies. Andrew has also shared his insights at conferences and workshops across the globe, empowering others to harness the power of data in their own learning initiatives.
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