How is xAPI different from Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is not only one of the most widely used analytics tools available but it is also one of the simplest to implement. Just by adding a snippet of code to your website, you’re able to get information about aggregate patterns in user and content interactions. This information allows you to understand how engagement is trending over time and which resources your learners are finding valuable. The difference between xAPI and Google Analytics is that xAPI allows you to look at granular data about the experience of an individual learner or employee and see specific granular interactions in individual pieces of learning content. Google Analytics data is limited to providing insight into trends across your user population. Additionally, Google Analytics has a finite set of data that is collected and that you as a user have access to. xAPI provides many levels of flexibility, choice, and detail in the granular data you as an experience designer can decide to collect about learner activity, course interaction, content engagement and any other aspect of an employee’s experience that is valuable and relevant to you and your stakeholders.

• Learn more about the differences between “Web, Usage, and Learning Analytics” in this article.
• Watch some of the videos in the “Google Analytics for Beginners” Google Academy course to see how to set up Google Analytics to understand your site’s audience.
• Start deciding what kinds of data will be important to your organization when it comes to xAPI with the article “So You’re xAPI Ready, What’s Next?”