We just launched a major update to our API. Now, in addition to creating users, it supports organizations, classes, and rosters. That means your Student Information System (SIS) and other school software can communicate with Haiku LMS, so as you make changes in one place they’re immediately reflected in the other.

This release (version 5.1) also adds the ability for students to move and copy content blocks in WikiProjects, but the big news is the API updates.

What is an API?

API stands for application programming interface. It’s a way for two or more different pieces of software to talk with each other and pass information back and forth. Your IT department or SIS developer can simply write an application based on our API specifications, then whenever your school secretary or SIS administrator enrolls a student or updates a class roster, the changes will be instantly pushed to Haiku. If Haiku encounters any errors, your application will know right away and can respond appropriately. That translates to huge time savings so that information can be managed in one place and automatically reflected in others.

Can’t I already import my data?

Haiku LMS has always offered imports using CSV (comma separated value) files, but while CSV imports are often more simple to set up initially, there are several distinct disadvantages to this type of import. The API is an optional replacement for CSV imports.

Problem: They aren’t instantaneous. Automated CSV imports only run once per day, which means that changes in the district SIS take time to be reflected in Haiku.

Solution: The API offers a way for schools to tightly couple their SIS with Haiku LMS. Once this integration is complete, updates to the SIS are immediately and automatically submitted to and reflected in Haiku LMS.

Problem: The Domain Admin has to manually review Haiku LMS import error logs for bad data in their CSV files.

Solution: When data is updated via the API, Haiku LMS provides instant, computer-understandable feedback if there are any errors. The integrated SIS can display these errors to the SIS administrators so that they can resolve the problem.

Problem: Previously, there wasn’t an efficient way to extract data from Haiku LMS once it was imported. (We do offer CSV exports, but Domain Admins must manually generate and download them.)

Solution: The API can be a way for a school to pull data from Haiku LMS. For example, a school could write an application that checks to see if any users have updated their email address in Haiku LMS and then copies those new email addresses to the SIS. The API even gives read-only access to information about manually-created users and classes. That means that your school could use the API to get up-to-date parent information, even if your SIS doesn’t yet support parent accounts.

The Specific Details

For the specific, technical information check out our API documentation site for developers or the complete release notes.

Not sure whether you want to use the API? There are several options for importing you school’s data into Haiku.

Looking Ahead

Let us know if you have questions or ideas. In the meantime, here’s what else is in the works:

• Versioning System: WikiProjects and Pages will have a log of all changes any user makes and allow rollbacks to revert to previous versions.
• Google Docs: Write blocks collaboratively in Pages and WikiProjects.
• SCORM Player: Run SCORM-compliant content you created in another system in Haiku.
• Dropbox Annotations: Thanks to TutorTrove’s technology, teachers will be able to open files like Word docs that students turn in via the Dropbox and write comments and notes directly in the browser – no need to download the file, mark it up, and upload for the student. (If you were at ISTE 2010 you got a sneak peek!)
• Aggregated Comments: Just for teachers, Haiku will aggregate all the comments made so that comments on WikiProjects and Pages are available in one place. The teacher can also see all comments by one student.

Thanks to your excellent suggestions and feedback students can now exercise their individual and collaborative creativity in Haiku LMS. That’s right: we just launched WikiProjects and Comments!

What’s New in Version 5 of Haiku Learning Management System

WikiProjects. Empower students to take their creativity online and collaborate with each other to create student websites much like teachers create Pages in Haiku. Entire classes or groups can post content like text, photos, video and so on, and individual students can have their own WikiProjects, too.

Since WikiProjects can also be Assignments, teachers can grade them, too.

Watch tutorial for teachers >>
Watch tutorial for students >>

Comments. Need to provide feedback without assigning a grade? Teachers and students can comment on Pages  and WikiProjects. Great for responding to student projects directly in context, but also excellent for peer-to-peer review! Watch tutorial >>

Improved Date Selector. Now it’s easier to set a deadline or publication date because the date selector – the small calendar that pops up when you click into a date field – is faster and works better in Chrome and Safari.

What’s Next?

We’re already working on the next round of updates. Here are a few highlights of what is in store for you over the next few months:

Versioning System: Track all changes that any user makes to WikiProjects and Pages and revert to previous versions whenever you’d like.

Google Docs: Integrate directly with your Google Doc accounts without ever appearing to leave Haiku LMS.  Embed your collaborative documents directly into a block on a Haiku page!  Fantastic for group projects and brainstorming exercises.

SCORM Player: Run SCORM-compliant content and classes from other publishers in your Haiku class!

DropBox Annotations: Open and annotate Word and PDF files directly in your browser – no need to download or upload the file! (If you visited our booth at ISTE 2010 you got a sneak peek!)

Aggregated Comments: Just for teachers, Haiku will aggregate all comments on WikiProjects and Pages in one place. From there you can see all comments by one student to get a sense of how much and what they say.

When you get rolling with WikiProjects and Comments be sure to drop us a line. We love to hear how students and teachers are using Haiku! And keep the feedback on features coming by sharing your ideas: http://feedback.haikulearning.com.

This is the one you’ve been asking for, teachers: student websites.

We’ve listened to your requests to create something even better then a simple student website: WikiProjects and Comments! We are on the verge of launching these two new collaborative tools and are eager to see what your students can do with them.

WikiProjects. Empower students to take their creativity online and collaborate with each other to create student websites much like teachers create Pages in Haiku. Entire classes or groups can post content like text, photos, video and so on, and individual students can have their own WikiProjects, too. Since WikiProjects can also be Assignments, teachers can grade them, too.

Comments. Need to provide feedback without assigning a grade? Teachers and students can comment on Pages, ePortfolios, and WikiProjects. Great for responding to student projects directly in context, but also excellent for peer-to-peer review!

Improved Date Selector. Now it’s easier to set a deadline or publication date because the date selector – the small calendar that pops up when you click into a date field is faster and works better in Chrome and Safari.

We’re sure teachers and students will love these new features. Stay tuned for our release announcement next week!

What’s Next?

We’re already working on the next round of updates. Here are a few highlights of what is in store for you over the next few months:

Versioning System: Track all changes that any user makes to WikiProjects and Pages and revert to previous versions whenever you’d like.

Google Docs: Integrate directly with your Google Doc accounts without ever appearing to leave Haiku LMS.  Embed your collaborative documents directly into a block on a Haiku page!  Fantastic for group projects and brainstorming exercises.

SCORM Player: Run SCORM-compliant content and classes from other publishers in your Haiku class!

DropBox Annotations: Open and annotate Word and PDF files directly in your browser – no need to download or upload the file! (If you visited our booth at ISTE 2010 you got a sneak peek!)

Aggregated Comments: Just for teachers, Haiku will aggregate all comments on WikiProjects, Pages, and ePortfolios in one place. From there you can see all comments by one student to get a sense of how much and what they say.

As always, these features are strengthened and enhanced by your suggestions, so please be sure to visit our suggestion website at http://feedback.haikulearning.com.

Regards,

Bryan and the Haiku Learning Team

We just released a few new features and updates that enable educators to be even more effective. This release, version 4.4, is all about further engaging students.

Equation Editor. Need to post math equations for your students? No problem! Thanks to new integration with Tutor Trove you can include mathematical symbols for square root, infinity, null, and many more in an Assessment, Assignment, Content Block – nearly any place you can put text. Watch the video tutorial >>

SMS Text Message Notifications. If your students pay more attention to text messages than email that’s ok – Haiku can handle it. Just have them enable SMS text message notifications so that they get a text whenever there’s something new or due. Watch the video tutorial >>

Instant Email Notifications. Want instant info? Change your email notification settings to get messages immediately for each announcement, assignment, and so on.

We updated a lot of little things, too, like enabling inbox attachments for students by default. See the release notes for all the details.

Countless clichés speak to importance of visuals (see this post’s headline for an example), so it’s no surprise that schools are increasingly seeing the value of video technology in the classroom. In fact, a recent survey conducted by Cisco (and reported by eSchoolNews) found that over 50 percent of technology officials in K-12 schools will invest in video technology in the next year. That’s an impressive statistic, and one we’re ready for; the latest Haiku LMS upgrades include improvements to information display:

• Video Encoding. Just like your favorite web video services like YouTube, TeacherTube and Vimeo, Haiku LMS now encodes your videos automatically in a universal, web-friendly format (h.264) when you upload them via a Video Block.
• Improved Video and Audio Playback. Now when you upload a movie in a supported format Haiku LMS will play it back embedded in our new attractive, customized player (includes a timer for your video/audio labs). That means you can play video directly on the page rather than opening another application like QuickTime.
  Watch tutorial >>
• HTML in Assessment Questions. Substance affects style and style substance, and with the ability to include HTML in Assessment multiple choice and matching options educators can provide greater context with links and better convey information with tables, text formatting, and so on.
• Image Captions. When you add inline images to a text block, now you can create and style captions as part of the image upload step.

Of course, the release includes quite a number of other updates and fixes, too – mostly adjustments we’ve made under the hood. You’re welcome to take a peek at the complete release notes. As always, we’d love to hear your feedback!