xAPI vs SCORM vs LTI in 2026: Learning Standards Compared for Higher Education Video

SCORM packages a course so an LMS can launch it and record completion and scores, xAPI records learning activity of any kind as statements sent to a Learning Record Store, and LTI connects an external tool to an LMS so users sign in once and grades flow back; in higher education video, most tools rely on LTI and add xAPI or Caliper for richer analytics.

The three are often lumped together in RFPs, but they solve different problems and are maintained by different bodies. This guide explains what each one is for, what data it carries, how they combine, and what to ask vendors in 2026.

What is the main difference between SCORM, xAPI and LTI?

The simplest way to separate them is by the question each one answers.

• SCORM: how does a packaged course run inside an LMS and report back?
• xAPI: how do you record what a learner did, wherever it happened, in one consistent format?
• LTI: how does an LMS launch a separate tool securely, share the roster and receive grades?

SCORM and xAPI trace back to the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative. LTI comes from the 1EdTech consortium, which also publishes the Caliper Analytics standard.

What is SCORM and what data does it carry?

SCORM is a reference model that defines how LMSs and training content are built so they work together. Rustici Software's SCORM explainer (a secondary source) credits ADL with creating it, names SCORM 1.2 as the most widely adopted version, and describes SCORM 2004 as the latest release, adding sequencing and navigation. At run time, the content finds the LMS and exchanges data through get and set calls.

The data is narrow by design: completion status, scores, bookmarks and similar values for each learning object. That works well for compliance modules and packaged elearning. It fits video tools poorly, because SCORM content has to be uploaded into and launched from the LMS, and it cannot describe events such as pausing at a timestamp or replying to a classmate.

What is xAPI and who maintains it?

xAPI (the Experience API) grew out of ADL's search for a successor to SCORM. ADL's own xAPI specification repository calls version 1.0.3 an old version and points to version 2.0 as current, with documentation hosted by IEEE. That version is published as IEEE 9274.1.1 2023, an active standard that defines a JSON data model and a RESTful web service for tracking learner experience data, with a Learning Record Store (LRS) exposing that service.

Each record is a statement in the shape of actor, verb and object: a learner watched a video, answered a question, commented on a segment. Rustici's xAPI overview (secondary) notes that statements can come from any device, including mobile, without requiring tracking to start or end in an LMS. That flexibility is the point, and also the catch: two tools can describe the same video event with different verbs unless they agree on a profile.

Where does cmi5 fit?

cmi5 is an xAPI profile for using xAPI with a traditional LMS. The cmi5 specification repository lists Quartz, 1st Edition (June 2016) as the current release. Rustici's cmi5 page (secondary) describes it as rules for launch, authorization, reporting and course structure, effectively xAPI with the LMS launch that SCORM provided. IEEE has an active project, P9274.3.1, run by its xAPI cmi5 working group, to standardize packaging, launch and run time for xAPI in session based learning.

In higher education, cmi5 matters mostly to teams that build packaged courses. Video engagement tools rarely use it.

What is LTI and what does LTI 1.3 add?

LTI is the 1EdTech standard for connecting an LMS (the platform) with external tools. According to the 1EdTech LTI specifications, LTI 1.3 introduced a new model for secure message and service authentication, and LTI Advantage is the set of services built on it:

• Assignment and Grade Services: tools report scores and manage gradebook line items.
• Names and Role Provisioning Services: the tool receives the course roster and roles.
• Deep Linking: an instructor picks specific content in the tool and places it in the course.

1EdTech also lists newer services such as Platform Notification Service, Dynamic Registration and a Caliper Analytics Connector Service. Our LTI 1.3 glossary entry explains the security model in plain terms.

LTI carries identity, context, roster and grades. It does not carry detailed activity data. A video tool connected over LTI can send a quiz score to the gradebook, but the record of who rewatched minute twelve lives in the tool unless it is exported some other way.

What about Caliper Analytics?

Caliper is 1EdTech's answer to the same problem xAPI addresses. The Caliper page describes a standard that lets institutions collect learning data from digital resources, lists version 1.2 as the specification, and names metric profiles including a Media Profile, with conformance certification for members. 1EdTech's LTI Advantage Data combines LTI Advantage with Caliper so usage data and grades link back to the same users across tools.

In practice, xAPI and Caliper overlap. Which one you ask for usually depends on what your data team already runs: an LRS points to xAPI, a 1EdTech centered analytics stack points to Caliper.

How do SCORM, xAPI and LTI combine in a video tool?

A typical 2026 setup for interactive video in a university looks like this:

1. LTI 1.3 handles launch, single sign on, roster and grade passback from the LMS.
2. xAPI or Caliper streams detailed events (plays, quiz answers, comments) to an LRS or analytics store.
3. CSV or a REST API covers reporting that the standards do not, such as course level summaries.
4. SCORM appears only if the institution also distributes packaged modules.

Annoto follows this pattern. It runs inside the LMS through LTI 1.3, and its analytics export offers CSV downloads, an API for scheduled pulls into a warehouse, and xAPI statements sent to an LRS. The export page does not list Caliper or SCORM, so ask if either is a requirement. For the classroom side of this data, see how to know if students watched the video.

Which LMSs export SCORM and xAPI data through an API?

It varies by LMS and version, so check each one's documentation rather than a feature grid. Moodle is a useful example: its xAPI subsystem documentation says the goal is not a full LRS inside Moodle. It accepts statements (used by H5P) and converts them to Moodle events, with the State endpoint added in 4.2. Many LMSs report SCORM results inside their own gradebook and reports, while full xAPI storage and querying usually happen in a separate LRS. Ask your LMS vendor where SCORM and xAPI data lands, and whether it is reachable by API or only through reports.

What should you ask vendors?

• Which LTI version do you support, and which LTI Advantage services? Are you 1EdTech certified?
• Do you emit xAPI statements, Caliper events, or both? Which version and which profile or vocabulary?
• Can you send events to our LRS, or only store them in your own system?
• What leaves the tool through the gradebook, and what only through export or API?
• Is SCORM or cmi5 relevant to your product, or only to packaged courses?
• How are learner identifiers matched across LTI, xAPI and our student records?

Our LTI 1.3 procurement checklist covers the integration questions in more depth.

Key takeaways

• SCORM packages courses for an LMS and reports completion and scores; ADL created it.
• xAPI records any learning activity as statements in an LRS and is now IEEE 9274.1.1 2023.
• cmi5 is the xAPI profile that restores LMS launch and packaging rules.
• LTI 1.3, from 1EdTech, connects tools to the LMS for sign on, rosters and grades, while Caliper is 1EdTech's analytics standard.
• For video tools, expect LTI for integration plus xAPI, Caliper or an API for detailed analytics.

Frequently asked questions

Is xAPI replacing SCORM?

Not entirely. SCORM 1.2 remains widely supported for packaged courses, while xAPI and cmi5 cover activity that SCORM cannot describe.

Does LTI send learning analytics?

Core LTI Advantage sends grades and rosters, not detailed activity. 1EdTech pairs it with Caliper, through LTI Advantage Data, for analytics.

Do I need an LRS?

Only if you want to collect xAPI statements from several tools in one place. Moodle's own documentation says its xAPI support is not a full LRS.

Which standard matters most for a video engagement tool?

LTI 1.3 first, since it governs launch and grades. Then ask about xAPI or Caliper if your institution runs learning analytics.

If you already run Kaltura and want to see how an engagement layer adds LTI grade passback and analytics export on top of it, our Annoto vs Kaltura comparison walks through what each one handles.