eLearning has become a popular and convenient modern-day training tool. There is an urgent need to seek effective ways to collect data about learner performance and utilize it to enhance eLearning experiences for both educators and learners. This data will not only improve eLearning experiences, but also serve as a good reference point for organizations when making critical decisions.

Enter, a Learning Record Store. In this blog, we’ll go over its’ basic definition, its’ history, pros and cons of an LRS, and how it differentiates from a Learning Management System (LMS). We’ll also cover more applicable knowledge, such as how to choose the right LRS for your organization, what pricing looks like, and how Knowledge Anywhere is incorporating more LRS features into our LMS.

What is a Learning Record Store (LRS)?

A LRS (Learning Record System) is a storage system that functions as a depository for learning records collected from connected systems where eLearning is conducted. An LRS is the focal point of your eLearning ecosystem and brings together data from your learning systems and applications. It is responsible for receiving, storing, and providing access to all eLearning records.

An LRS is an integral element in the process flow for utilizing the Experience API (xAPI) standard by ADL (Advanced Distributed Learning). The Experience API is also popularly referred to as project Tin Can, or Tin Can API, and is an Open-source eLearning stipulation developed after SCORM and AICC. The LRS is uniquely designed to help systems store and retrieve xAPI statements and other forms of xAPI metadata from other systems.

Lately, it’s become a trendy topic in the eLearning sphere. Just make sure you know if a system really has or needs an LRS before buying into it, as many confuse the function of an LRS with an LMS.

History

The LRS was first adopted in the eLearning sector in 2011 seeking to transform eLearning specifications. Before 2011, SCORM was the eLearning software specification for interoperability since 2001.

However, the specification could not keep up with the technological advancements and needed an update. What followed was extensive research and developments that led to Experience API and the LRS concept.

An Overview of the LRS: Pros

In plain English, xAPI-enabled learning activities generate data in the form of “statements” or eLearning records in the format of “Actor verb Object” or “I did this.” The statements are then sent via HTTPS or HTTP to an LRS. The primary function of the LRS is to receive, store and retrieve data generated from Experience API statements. An LRS can be incorporated within a traditional Learning Management System (LMS) or can stand-alone. LRSs can transmit learner data to other systems, including other LRS servers, mobile devices, sensor-enabled devices, and LMSs. Systems that send statements to an LRS are referred to as Activity Providers or learning record providers. Examples of Activity providers include (but not limited to):

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