1.1 Status of this Document

This document is intended as a starting point for those looking to implement the Comprehensive Learner Record Standard in their system. This guide can be used to get a fundamental understanding of the CLR Standard data structure and API through the examples and definitions included in the guide, as well as a central hub containing links to the specification documents, conformance certification requirements, and other important resources. This guide may be updated over time.

1EdTech strongly encourages its members and the community to provide feedback to continue the evolution and improvement of the CLR Standard. To join the 1EdTech developer and conformance certification community focused on CLR please visit the 1EdTech Digital Credentials and Badging Alliance online here: https://www.imsglobal.org/digital-credentials-and-badging-alliance

1.2 Specification Documents

CLR Standard specification documents are available on the 1EdTech website:

• 1EdTech Comprehensive Learner Record Standard Version 1.0
• 1EdTech Comprehensive Learner Record Standard v1.0: Implementation Guide
• 1EdTech Comprehensive Learner Record Standard v1.0: Conformance and Certification Guide
• 1EdTech Comprehensive Learner Record Standard v1.0: OpenAPI Schema
• 1EdTech Comprehensive Learner Record Standard v1.0: JSON Schema
• 1EdTech Comprehensive Learner Record Standard v1.0: JSON-LD Context

1.3 Where Can I Get Help?

If you have questions or need help with implementing the CLR Standard or achieving conformance certification, here are some available resources:

• Public Forum for all parties interested in CLR.
• Affiliates Forum for 1EdTech Digital Credentials and Badging Alliance Members, Affiliate, and Contributing Members.
• Reference Implementations for a CLR Client Application, a Resource Server, and an Authentication Server.
• 1EdTech Contributing Members have access to private GitHub repositories and a Slack channel for CLR Project Group discussions and collaborations. Contact an 1EdTech staff member to gain access.

1.4 Conformance Certification

1EdTech offers a process for testing the conformance of products using the 1EdTech certification test suite. Certification designates passing a set of tests that verify the standard has been implemented correctly and guarantees a product’s interoperability across hundreds of other certified products. The CLR Conformance Certification Guide [CLR-CERT-10] provides details about the testing process, requirements, and how to get started.

Conformance certification is much better than claims of “compliance," since the only way 1EdTech can guarantee interoperability is by obtaining certification for the latest version of the standard. Only products listed in the official 1EdTech Certified Product Directory can claim conformance certification. 1EdTech certification provides the assurance that a solution will integrate securely and seamlessly into an institution's digital learning ecosystem.

In order to become certified a paid 1EdTech membership is necessary. Here's why: while conformance certification provides a "seal" for passing prescribed tests it is much more than that. It is a commitment by a supplier to the 1EdTech community for continuous support for achieving "plug and play" integration. Certification implies ongoing community commitment to resolve problems, revise implementations and retest as need. For that reason, only 1EdTech Contributing Members, Affiliate Members and Alliance members are eligible to apply for conformance certification. Details and benefits of membership are listed here: https://www.imsglobal.org/imsmembership.html.

As well as sections marked as non-normative, all authoring guidelines, diagrams, examples, and notes in this specification are non-normative. Everything else in this specification is normative.

The key words "MAY", "MUST", "MUST NOT", "OPTIONAL", "RECOMMENDED", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", and "SHOULD NOT" in this document are to be interpreted as described in [RFC2119].

An implementation of this specification that fails to implement a MUST/REQUIRED/SHALL requirement or fails to abide by a MUST NOT/SHALL NOT prohibition is considered nonconformant. SHOULD/SHOULD NOT/RECOMMENDED statements constitute a best practice. Ignoring a best practice does not violate conformance but a decision to disregard such guidance should be carefully considered. MAY/OPTIONAL statements indicate that implementers are entirely free to choose whether or not to implement the option.

1.5 Product Directory Listing

The 1EdTech Certified Product Directory is the official listing of products that have passed 1EdTech conformance certification testing. Products that are listed in this directory are guaranteed to meet the 1EdTech standards for which they have passed testing. If you experience an integration issue with a product listed here, 1EdTech will work with the supplier to resolve the problem. If a product is NOT listed here it has either not passed 1EdTech testing or its certification has expired.

1.6 Key Terms and Definitions

CLR

A document of structured data created by a Publisher containing one or more Assertions about one Learner.

Achievement

An accomplishment such as a degree, evidence of competency mastery, a course completion, or other accomplishment. An achievement may be asserted about one or more Learners (though a CLR contains records for only one Learner).

Alignment

A relationship between an Achievement and a node in an external educational framework such as a [CASE-10] framework.

Assertion

The attestation made by an Issuer about a Learner regarding an Achievement. The Assertion may also include associated evidence, results, or other metadata regarding a specific Achievement.

Association

A relationship (e.g. isChildOf, precedes, etc.) between multiple achievements.

Consumer

A REST API actor that makes requests to CLR endpoints on a Provider.

Evidence

Information supporting the issuance of an assertion such as URL to an artifact produced by the Learner.

Inspector

A Consumer that inspects a CLR to verify or validate the data.

Issuer

The profile of an organization or entity that has made a particular Assertion about a Learner. The Issuer of an Assertion is the authoritative source for that specific Assertion.

Learner

The profile of the person who is the subject of the CLR and assertions contained in a CLR.

Protected Information

In the United States, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal Law that protects personally identifiable information (PII) from students' educational records from unauthorized disclosure. CLRs fall within the definition of educational records; and the CLR Learner Profile contains PII. Therefore FERPA may apply to some uses of the CLR spec.

Provider

A REST API actor that responds to requests to CLR endpoints from a Consumer.

Publisher

The profile of the organization providing the CLR (typically the educational institution, a 3rd-party agent, or the learner). The Publisher is the official record keeper for Assertions in a CLR. In the majority of cases, the Publisher is also the Issuer of some or all of the Assertions in a CLR. Except in the case of a self-curated CLR, the publisher is either the issuer or has a trusted relationship with the issuer of all the Assertions in the CLR. In the case of a self-curated collection of Assertions, the Learner is the Publisher of the CLR.

Verification

Instructive information for third parties to verify Assertions.

2.1 1EdTech Comprehensive Learner Record Standard Information Model Version 1.0

1. Data Dictionary which defines the data elements including their name, type, and description.
2. Logical Data Model which defines the logical grouping of entities and elements, and the relationship between entities.

2.2 1EdTech Comprehensive Learner Record Standard REST/JSON Binding Version 1.0

1. Serialization which defines the specific digital format (JSON-LD) for transmission of entities. The CLR Standard DOES NOT define a serialization format for storage.
2. Protocol which defines the messaging framework (REST), security framework (OAuth 2.0), transport layer (HTTPS), and message formats for exchanging serialized entities.