Summary
This is the abstract from my proposal to speak at APIStrat 2016.
The API economy is in full swing and numerous commercial entities are engaged in producing APIs as a way of extending their reach. But as more and more of life is intermediated by computers, individuals also benefit from providing a personal API that can be used by applications on equal footing with other APIs.
Brigham Young University is teaching students about digital autonomy so that they are better prepared to be lifelong learners. In addition to a Domain of One's Own project, we have also embarked on a program of giving each student a personal API. By making students responsible for their own data, we teach them that they can be active participants in the digital realm.
In addition to profile information, the API is also a means of accessing the student's personal learning record system (LRS). Students grant university and other systems access to the resources in their API. The personal API provides the same features that other APIs have including API management and authorization. The personal API works in concert with BYU's University API to create a rich, permissioned data ecosystem for application developers inside and outside the university.
This talk will discuss design principles, implementation decisions, initial projects, and our experience to date.