What makes up an xAPI statement?

The Experience API (xAPI) is the data interoperability specification for capturing and connecting the data of experiences that people have across, with, and through technologies in the connected world. Data from these technologies make up Experience Data — a combination of activity, behavior, learning and performance data — and captured in xAPI format.

These xAPI statements are structured in a standardized Actor — Verb — Object data format. An xAPI statement is like a sentence of data and all statements are stored in the same format. This interoperable data structure allows you to activate information across tools and technologies where experience data is created in real-time.

Because xAPI is designed around activity-based data collection, xAPI data can provide high-resolution insights into specific learner activity. For example, watching a video is actually a summation of many, much more granular, actions. When measured and tracked with an xAPI-enabled tool, we can gain more high-resolution insights and use those insights to help us determine things like how engaging or valuable an experience is for a learner, where there are opportunities to improve a piece of content, and what trends and patterns are in our learner pathways.

So where does all this data live? The xAPI specification also defines the requirements for where and how xAPI data is stored. xAPI statements are stored in a specialized data warehouse called a Learning Record Store. The Yet xAPI LRS is the world's most visual learning record store. With purpose-built data visualizations and dashboards for learners, managers, instructors, and other stakeholders, the Yet xAPI LRS powers data-driven decisions across the enterprise.