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Terracotta - An Innovative Experimental Research Platform for the LMS

Terracottalogo-300Unicon had the unique opportunity to collaborate with Indiana University in support of their Terracotta Project effort, and I had the privilege to be a part of this project. Per their website, “Terracotta is an innovative experimental research platform that supports teachers’ and researchers’ abilities to easily run experiments in live classes.” What a unique and interesting way to build value from learning data, by empowering educators to create their own experiments and conduct research on the data generated as students work through learning activities!


Indiana University’s Ben Motz (the brain behind Terracotta) and Unicon (the brawn) worked for 3 months to create a proof of concept tool that integrates with Canvas LMS. This tool utilizes the latest technology which includes a Vue front-end, Java back-end, Caliper data emission, and LTI 1.3 interoperability. These technologies were selected for their versatility, scalability, and enabled Terracotta for seamless integration with other LMS providers. Terracotta removes the technology barriers and provides teachers with seamless tooling to enable real-time experiments, and research to foster effective data collection and decision making.

We’re excited to work with the folks at Terracotta and tell you our story of how this application is coming together for the research community. To hear more about Terracotta, don’t miss the live Webinar presented by EDUCAUSE on October 12th, where we’ll describe our vision for stepping up experimentation and research in the classroom.

LISTEN TO THE WEBINAR

Patty Wolfe

Patty Wolfe

Senior Director - Learner Applications and Experience
Patty Wolfe is the Senior Director, Learner Applications and Experience for Unicon Inc, a leading provider of education technology consulting and digital services. Patty has over 17 years of project management and consulting experience, managing all aspects of client relationships including strategic planning and implementation, project delivery, client satisfaction, and P&L. Since joining Unicon in 2001, she has worked with companies such as Scholastic, John Wiley and Sons, and Pearson Education to deliver a diverse portfolio of projects including sophisticated online learning applications, simulations, and progressive assessments that deliver an individualized learning experience. She holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI), and a ScrumMaster® certification from the Scrum Alliance organization.