{"id":18414,"date":"2022-03-09T09:50:35","date_gmt":"2022-03-09T05:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ispringsolutions.com\/blog\/?p=18414"},"modified":"2026-02-12T15:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T11:28:13","slug":"what-is-xapi-tin-can","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ispringsolutions.com\/blog\/what-is-xapi","title":{"rendered":"What Is xAPI (Tin Can)?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this article, you\u2019ll learn all the important details about xAPI to help you decide if you should utilize it in your learning process, and what the benefits and difficulties of switching from <\/span>SCORM<\/a> to <\/span>xAPI are.<\/span>\u00a0As a part of practical training, we\u2019ll create a course, set up the reporting, and see it in action.<\/p>\n

TL;DR<\/h2>\n

xAPI (Experience API), originally called \u201cTin Can API,\u201d is a modern e-learning standard created in 2013 to track learner experiences more flexibly than older formats like SCORM. It captures a wide range of learning activities across devices and environments, sending statements in a simple \u201cactor\u2013verb\u2013object\u201d format to a Learning Record Store (LRS) for storage and analysis. Unlike SCORM, xAPI works offline and with mobile apps, simulations, and real-world tasks. An LRS centralizes all experience data, while xAPI itself focuses solely on tracking, not course structure. It enables richer analytics but can be more complex to implement.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is xAPI?<\/h2>\n

xAPI (Experience API) is the most recent and versatile eLearning standard. This eLearning software specification was developed in 2013 by an ADL initiative with the intention of capturing the learner\u2019s experience as it is. It was initially called \u201cProject Tin Can\u201d (as the requirements were intended to be based on a two-way conversation with the community), but it was later officially named Experience API. The new xAPI approach addresses other modern eLearning problems that older standards couldn\u2019t overcome.<\/p>\n

xAPI history<\/h3>\n

In 2010, eLearning reporting technology lagged behind the tech progress in other areas. The world started its steady movement towards mobile and cloud. SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) and former learning standards couldn\u2019t function inside of mobile apps. They required a browser, LMS login, constant Wi-Fi connection, and they didn\u2019t report all the details that course developers wanted.<\/p>\n

Just imagine the situation: you are taking a quiz, and suddenly, the Wi-Fi connection is getting dropped. The worst-case scenario is that you lose all your quiz results and have to start over! As you can see, SCORM wasn\u2019t very promising in terms of the future of eLearning.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the learning cases that needed a new approach:<\/p>\n