From SCORM to xAPI and cmi5: Mapping the New Landscape of Learning
- marleegeiger
- May 21
- 3 min read
SCORM once ruled the eLearning world—but learning is no longer confined to modules and LMS windows. Explore how xAPI and cmi5 unlock beautifully messy, real-world learning ecosystems.
For years, SCORM paved the way.
SCORM laid the foundation for thousands of courses. We’ve all created or taken SCORM courses. Launch the course, complete the content, pass the quiz, and report all findings to the LMS. Rinse and repeat.
But just beyond our reach, something else started to stir.
Learning was changing. It was no longer confined to our browsers. Mobile apps, social networks, workplace conversations. Learning became sprawling and unpredictable. It was beautifully messy.
Learning was no longer confined to browser windows. It spilled into mobile apps, social networks, workplace conversations, AR simulations, and smart devices. Learning became sprawling, unpredictable, beautifully messy.
SCORM, unfortunately, couldn’t follow. It was built for a narrower world.
What xAPI Changed
The Experience API (API, and sometimes you can find people calling it “Tin Can”) flipped the script.
Instead of forcing learning to be trapped within an LMS course, xAPI allowed us to track any learning experience, anywhere.
With one simple structure, just like learning how to write a sentence:
Actor - Verb - Object
“Alex completed Leadership 101.”
“Priya answered Question 3 incorrectly.”
“Jordan viewed Safety Video 2.”
These experiences were now able to be recorded and analyzed. The experiences, or statements, get sent to a Learning Record Store (LRS). This is a database built specifically for learning events.
xAPI worked over standard web protocols instead of fragile browser scripting. This meant it could track much more:
Track mobile learning, VR simulations, and offline activities.
Record real-world performance, not just course completions.
Connect disparate learning moments into a coherent narrative.
Finally, we were able to see the full story of learning, not just E-Mail Phishing 101.
What cmi5 Added
There was still a gap, though.
SCORM provided a structure that xAPI shattered. That’s where cmi5 came in.
cmi5 brought together the best of both worlds by giving structure to the chaos.
It gives definitions to xAPI. How to package eLearning content, how an LMS should launch it, and how to track completions while using xAPI.
In a cmi5 world:
A course is an “Assignable Unit” (AU).
The LMS launches the AU and establishes an xAPI communication channel.
The content reports standardized xAPI statements about learner progress.
This means that we still have the structure we knew and loved with SCORM, but with the flexibility of xAPI.
Why These New Roads Matter
The future of learning isn’t a series of isolated modules.
It’s ecosystems.
Imagine:
A leadership program that tracks not only eLearning completions, but coaching conversations and real-world leadership tasks.
A compliance training that not only quizzes you, but also verifies on-the-job adherence through performance observations.
A sales enablement pathway that includes online courses, field mentorships, and CRM activity—all stitched together into a single learner record.
These experiences aren’t part of an LMS. They’re moments in time across different tools.
xAPI and cmi5 can.
The Path Isn’t Linear
Of course, we’re still in a transition.
SCORM isn’t going anywhere, it’s still the industry standard by a wide margin. Organizations for 20+ years have invested in SCORM and are deeply tied to it. Some of the more progressive ones are layering xAPI alongside SCORM.
Authoring tools haven’t yet fully embraced cmi5, but are gradually including it as a publishing option. Some LMSs are starting to embed LRSs directly into their platforms, making xAPI smoother.
The shift won’t be sudden. But it is happening.
What This Means for Learning Experience Designers
If you’re crafting learning today, it’s time to think bigger.
Not just “What should happen inside the module?”
But:
What behaviors outside the module matter?
What moments of learning—formal or informal—should be recognized?
What data would tell a richer, truer story of learner growth?
We can design with xAPI and cmi5 in mind, even if we’re currently still stuck in the SCORM world. Think beyond the LMS to where a learning journey could end.
Because tomorrow’s learners aren’t just traveling highways.
They’re exploring entire landscapes.
And our job is to map those landscapes, beautifully, meaningfully, and with as few limits as possible.
Next in the series: Keeping SCORM Alive: Best Practices for a Legacy Standard in a Modern World
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