I have been tracking on how APIs are used in higher education for some time now, keeping an eye on almost 50 campus API related efforts. I have my University API guide that I regularly update, but I was eager to push forward my storytelling around what is going on, so I have been working on some papers telling the story behind some of the top higher ed API implementations which I have access to.
What better way to kick this off, than to showcase my favorite campus API group, over at Brigham Young University (BYU). The team led by CIO Kelly Flanagan (@kelflanagan) have embraced APIs on campus in a way that keeps my excited about APIs, and what is possible. In my opinion, BYU isn't just using APIs to shift IT strategy at the school, they are using APIs to shift how their students and faculty see technology, and put it to work on their terms.
I'm pretty familiar with what has been happening at BYU when it comes to APIs, as I see Kelly and his team regularly, but I jumped on a Google Hangout with them, so that I could get the latest. The results is a short five page essay, about the history of the API efforts on campus, some of the benefits to faculty and students, and a glimpse at the future of APIs at the school.
The paper is freely available for you to download as PDF, but I will also be working on some stories that I used the paper, as part of my regularly blogging here on API Evangelist. I want to keep bringing attention to what they are up to at BYU, but also generate attention at other schools about what is possible when it comes to APis. As I note in the paper, I'm also working with Davidson College in North Carolina, and will be working to keep spreading the conversation to other schools.
You can find me speaking at University of California in San Diego this June, so stay tuned for more information about how APIs are used in higher ed this summer--showcasing my conversations with BYU, Davidson, and UCSD, as examples of how APIs are making an impact in higher education.
