Learning experiences don't just take place in formal settings such as the classroom or an elearning course. People learn from interactions with other people, content, and beyond in any situation where learning takes place. All of these interactions can now be recorded with the Experience API (xAPI).

xAPI, originally known as Tin Can, makes it possible to collect data about the wide range of experiences a person has (online and offline). Learning by watching a Youtube video, opening a PDF document, attending a seminar, reading a book, or reading an article on a website are some of the experiences that can be captured and tracked with the xAPI using a variety of third-party plugins and tools. 

xAPI originally known as Tin Can is a new specification for learning technology that makes it possible to collect data about the wide range of experiences a person has (online and offline). This API captures data in a consistent format about a person or group’s activities from many technologies. Very different systems are able to securely communicate by capturing and sharing this stream of activities

Using xAPI’s simple vocabulary that identifies statements in the form “Noun, verb, object” or “I did this”, a wide variety of learning experiences, including real world activities, mobile apps, and even job performance can be tracked against learning objectives and learning plans.

This data can be shared, compared, and collated to evaluate the effectiveness of a training program. 

Practically speaking, you can upload an xAPI package into the Learning Center, and all the content, activity definitions, and activity provider definitions in the package are imported.

This video gives you an idea of how xAPI tracks data:  

Video and image borrowed from experienceapi.com.