What is DAVE?

Data Analytics and Visualization

DAVE is a prototyping environment for domain-based data visualization. It's purpose-built for the learning and training space and Yet Analytics is building the specs and reference model for the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative at the US Department of Defense.

Rationale

Making Data Actionable

There is a difference between collecting data and using it. Instructors, training managers, and executive decision makers could make better decisions, improve the speed and effectiveness of readiness, and improve learning outcomes if they could gain insight from the data collected through the Total Learning Architecture. But traditional data analytics and visualization software is neither purpose-built for the learning and training domain, nor is it built for non-specialists. Therefore getting an understanding of data insights is a cumbersome process. Either you need to deal with enterprise software, code, and spreadsheets, or you need to have a data scientist on call. In the best case scenario, you are spending most of your time munging data from one form to another.

Vision

Open Source

The solution is the Data Analytics and Visualization Environment (DAVE). DAVE is a framework for data analytics which provides the ability to prototype visualizations and reports for the learning and training domain. DAVE workbooks are designed for instructors and managers, but the DAVE framework is strong enough to meet the needs of data scientists. DAVE is built on technical specs developed by the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative — and it will extend the capabilities of xAPI, xAPI Profiles, and the Total Learning Architecture into decision-making spaces. DAVE is 100% open source, adaptable, and cost effective — there are no licenses and there is no vendor lock-in. The workbooks can run in a web browser and all of the visualization code is standardized and exportable to any decision making, business intelligence, or reporting system.

How can you contribute to DAVE?

Take part

Learning and data professionals as well as the executives and business users of learning data are welcome to help us create an open source framework that meets the needs of real users in industry, government, and academia.

How to contribute:

• Watch the DAVE GitHub page and take part in the open source project development

Want to chat about it?

• U.S. Department of Defense stakeholders including decision makers, analysts, instructors, instructional designers, IT, and others involved in distributed learning should contact defense@yetanalytics.com to set up a conversation
• Other government stakeholders should contact government@yetanalytics.com 
• Industry and Academic stakeholders should contact projectdave@yetanalytics.com  

The Data Analytics and Visualization Environment (DAVE) is licensed under an open source Apache 2.0 license.