Experience API explained

The Experience API (xAPI) is an e-learning software specification that records and tracks various types of learning experiences for learning systems.[1] Learning experiences are recorded in a Learning Record Store (LRS), which can exist within traditional learning management systems (LMSs) or on their own.[2]

Summary

The Experience API (Tin Can API) is meant to succeed SCORM,[3] the Sharable Content Object Reference Model, which is a standard for packaging e-learning content.[4] The new Experience API allows trainers to deploy several new capabilities that were not supported with SCORM at the time,[5] [6] such as:

The Experience API spec is open source.[10] xAPI uses a Restful web service with JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) for its data format. The web service allows software clients to read and write experiential data in the form of “statement” objects. In their simplest form, statements are in the form of “I did this”, or more generally “actor verb object”. More complex statement forms can be used. There is also a built-in query API to help filter recorded statements, and a state API that allows for a sort of “scratch space” for consuming applications.

History

In 2008, it was determined that the interoperability standards were too limited for SCORM. LETSI appears to request community ideas, as a result of this SCORM 2.0 comes out.[11]

In 2011 Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL), the United States Department of Defense-sponsored stewards of SCORM, recognized the need for a newer and more capable software specification than the original SCORM specification, which was then more than ten years old. To address the need, ADL issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) asking for assistance in improving SCORM, and the BAA was awarded to Rustici Software, a Nashville-based software company experienced with SCORM.[12]

Rustici Software conducted interviews with the e-learning community to determine where to make improvements, and then developed the research version of the Experience API specification. This process was called Project Tin Can.[13] The moniker "Tin Can API" was derived from Project Tin Can, and is still used interchangeably with the name "Experience API".[14]

The Experience API was developed by a community working group and released as version 1.0 in April 2013. There are currently over 160 adopters (19 January 2016).[15]

Current status

The current version of the specification is “IEEE 9274.1.1-2023” – also referred to as xAPI 2.0 - released 10 October 2023 by the IEEE.[16] [17]

Previous versions include: 1.0.3, 1.0.2., 1.0.1.,[18] 1.0.0.[19] version 0.8 (official output of the BAA)[20] and version 0.9 (research version specification)0.95 (second research version specification).

Implementations

Client Libraries
Name Language Licence
xAPI-Java Java Apache-2.0 license
xAPI.js JavaScript MIT license
TinCanPHP PHP Apache-2.0 license

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brandon. Bill. Making History: mLearnCon 2012 Rocks Attendees. Learning Solutions Magazine. 31 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120806005118/http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/958/. 6 August 2012. dead.
  2. Web site: Brusino. Justin. THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCORM: A Q&A WITH AARON SILVERS. American Society for Training and Development. 31 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20140822192026/http://www.astd.org/Publications/Newsletters/Learning-Circuits/Learning-Circuits-Archives/2012/06/The-Next-Generation-of-SCORM-a-Q-and-a-with-Aaron-Silvers. 22 August 2014. dead.
  3. News: The Experience API (SCORM). 2017-04-22.
  4. Web site: Batt. Brian. How to Explain AICC, SCORM 1.2, and SCORM 2004 to Anyone. elearningfreak. 18 April 2011 . 21 October 2015.
  5. Web site: Whitaker . Andy . An Introduction to the Tin Can API . The Training Business . 31 July 2012 . 10 March 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130310050538/http://www.thetrainingbusiness.com/softwaretools/tin-can-api/ . dead .
  6. Web site: Saltbox Developers Discuss Tin Can . Float Mobile Learning . 31 July 2012.
  7. Web site: (press release) eLogic Learning Partners with Rustici Software to be an Early Adopter of the Next Generation of SCORM Standards Known as the 'Tin Can API' . SFGate . 31 July 2012 . 30 July 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120730094316/http://www.prweb.com/releases/SCORM/e-learning/prweb9610860.htm . dead .
  8. Web site: Gautam. Amit. Tin Can: My First Impressions From mLearnCon 2012. Upside Learning. 31 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120827182001/http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2012/06/21/tin-can-my-first-impressions-from-mlearncon-2012/. 27 August 2012. dead.
  9. Web site: Downes. Andrew. I Want This: Tin Can Plans, Goals and Targets. 28 April 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130724021542/http://tincanapi.co.uk/pages/I_Want_This.html. 24 July 2013. dead.
  10. Web site: 2013-07-11 . The Open Source Landscape . 2022-04-19 . xAPI.com . en-US.
  11. Web site: 2014-08-22 . The Next Generation of SCORM: A Q&A; with Aaron Silvers . 2022-09-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140822192026/http://www.astd.org/Publications/Newsletters/Learning-Circuits/Learning-Circuits-Archives/2012/06/The-Next-Generation-of-SCORM-a-Q-and-a-with-Aaron-Silvers . 22 August 2014 . dead.
  12. Web site: Tillett. Jeff. Project Tin Can – The Next Generation of SCORM. Float Mobile Learning. 31 July 2012.
  13. Web site: ADL Project Tin Can Research Summary. Advanced Distributed Learning. 31 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120723001947/http://www.adlnet.gov/capabilities/next-generation-scorm/tin-can#tab-research. 23 July 2012. dead.
  14. Web site: Experience API (Tin Can API) Training Industry . www.trainingindustry.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130205163703/http://www.trainingindustry.com/wiki/entries/experience-api-(tin-can-api).aspx . 2013-02-05.
  15. Web site: Tin Can API: Current Adopters. TinCanAPI.com. Rustici Software. 30 July 2012. 22 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120722052825/http://tincanapi.com/what-is-tin-can/adopters/. dead.
  16. Web site: xAPI officially Becomes a Published IEEE Standard.
  17. Web site: xapi-base-standard-documentation. IEEE. 2 May 2024.
  18. Web site: Johnson. Andy. From ADL Team Member... Andy Johnson: Experience API (xAPI) version 1.0.1 released. ADL. 24 April 2017.
  19. Web site: Downes. Andrew. TinCanAPI.co.uk. 28 April 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130422072822/http://tincanapi.co.uk/. 22 April 2013. dead.
  20. Web site: ADLnet.gov Tin Can Draft Specification. ADLnet.gov. Advanced Distributed Learning. 30 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120915112512/http://www.adlnet.gov/resources/Tin_Can_Draft_Specification?type=technical_documentation. 15 September 2012. dead.

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