ADL
IEEEThe Experience API (xAPI), also known as the Tin Can API, is a technical specification for tracking and recording learning experiences across a wide range of contexts and platforms. As the designated successor to SCORM, xAPI breaks learning analytics free from the browser-based, single-course model, enabling organizations to capture data from mobile apps, simulations, games, on-the-job activities, and social learning interactions.
Background
By the late 2000s, the e-learning community recognized that SCORM, the dominant interoperability standard for learning content since 2000, was fundamentally limited by its browser-centric architecture and its inability to track learning outside a traditional LMS. In 2011, Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL), the US Department of Defense-sponsored steward of SCORM, issued a Broad Agency Announcement seeking proposals to modernize the standard. Rustici Software won the contract and conducted extensive interviews with the e-learning community, producing the initial specification through a process dubbed "Project Tin Can."
Version 1.0 of the Experience API was released in April 2013, developed by a community working group under ADL stewardship. The specification evolved through versions 1.0.1, 1.0.2, and 1.0.3 before a major revision resulted in xAPI 2.0, published as IEEE 9274.1.1-2023 in October 2023.
Purpose and Scope
xAPI defines a RESTful web service and a JSON data format for recording learning experiences as simple statements in the form "actor verb object" (e.g., "Jane completed Module 5"). These statements are stored in a Learning Record Store (LRS), which can operate standalone or integrate with existing Learning Management Systems. The specification includes a statement API for reading and writing experience data, a query API for filtering recorded statements, and a state API that provides temporary storage for consuming applications.
Key capabilities introduced by xAPI beyond SCORM include recording learning from non-browser activities, supporting cross-platform transitions (starting on mobile, finishing on desktop), enabling team-based learning tracking, and tracking learning plans and goals.
Technical Architecture
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Statement | The core data object: actor + verb + object, with optional context and result |
| Learning Record Store | The data store for statements; can be standalone or embedded in an LMS |
| Activity Provider | Any system that generates learning experience statements |
| Activity | The thing being interacted with (course, simulation, etc.) |
Statements use JSON serialization and are transmitted over HTTPS. Verbs are identified by IRIs, enabling communities to define their own vocabularies while maintaining interoperability.
Governance and Maintenance
The specification was originally developed under ADL Initiative stewardship with community input. With the 2.0 release, governance moved to the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee (IEEE LTSC), published as IEEE 9274.1.1-2023. Client libraries exist in Java, JavaScript, and PHP under open-source licenses (Apache 2.0 and MIT).
Notable Implementations
xAPI has been adopted by numerous LMS platforms, e-learning authoring tools, and learning analytics systems. Over 160 adopters were reported by early 2016, and the ecosystem has continued to grow. Major LMS platforms including Moodle, Blackboard, and various commercial systems support xAPI statement generation and LRS integration. The specification is particularly prominent in military and corporate training environments.
Related Standards
- SCORM is the predecessor standard that xAPI was designed to succeed.
- cmi5 is an xAPI profile that defines specific rules for launching and tracking structured courses, bridging the gap between SCORM's structured approach and xAPI's flexibility.
- IMS Caliper is a competing learning analytics specification from IMS Global.