Glossary
xAPI (Experience API): definition
xAPI (Experience API, sometimes called Tin Can) is a specification that records learning experiences as simple “who did what” statements in a dedicated store, whether the learning happens in an LMS or elsewhere.
In practice
Where SCORM tracks a module inside an LMS, xAPI can track almost anything: a video watched in an app, a simulator exercise, on-the-job training. Each event becomes a statement such as “Camille completed the Fire safety video”, stored in an LRS (learning record store).
cmi5 is an xAPI profile that specifies how to use it with an LMS: it bridges the two worlds.
Example
A retail chain records in xAPI that each salesperson watched the product video on a tablet, then passed the role-play with their manager: both traces land in the same dashboard.
Related terms
SCORM, LMS, Kirkpatrick model.
Sources
- ADL Initiative, Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM): ADL recommends xAPI and cmi5 for new implementations, checked on 5 October 2026.
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