xAPI

xAPI, or Experience API, formerly known as Tin Can API, is a specification for recording and sharing learning experiences. It enables learning activities to be described as statements and stored in a Learning Record Store (LRS), allowing data to move across systems, contexts, and time, including simulations, mobile apps, informal learning, and real-world tasks.

A statement expresses an actor performing a verb against an object (Activity), with optional result, context, timestamp, and attachments. The actor identifies the learner or group; verbs are IRI-based terms with human-readable display; the object is an Activity with an ID and optional definition (names, descriptions, types, categories). Additional fields can include result (score, success, completion, duration), context (platform, instructor, environment), and extensions for custom data. Statements are encoded in JSON and transmitted to an LRS via HTTP(S). An LRS stores, retrieves, and aggregates statements and can be deployed as a standalone service or as part of an LMS.

Where SCORM mainly tracks course-based activity within an LMS, xAPI enables cross-domain tracking and offline capture, enabling analytics over a wide range of learning experiences—e-learning, simulations, virtual reality, games, on-the-job performance, and social or informal learning. Advantages include greater flexibility, portability, and the ability to aggregate data from multiple sources. Limitations include the need to deploy and manage an LRS, varying tooling maturity, and considerations around data governance, privacy, and interoperability. The specification is maintained by ADL (Advanced Distributed Learning) and has a growing ecosystem of profiles and extensions to address specific domain needs.