AICC

AICC in e-learning: what it is, how it works, and why it’s becoming obsolete

In the world of e-learning, interoperability standards have been essential to ensure that training content can communicate with learning management systems (LMSs). Among these historical standards, AICC stands out as a protocol that for years laid the foundation for corporate online training.

Like other e-learning standards, such as xAPI or SCORM, AICC is an interoperability standard that provides a common framework for communication between learning content and learning management systems. In other words, it ensures that educational content is compatible with any LMS.

Although over the years it has been overtaken by more modern technologies such as SCORM or xAPI, AICC still appears in corporate environments with legacy infrastructures. Understanding what it is, how it works, and why it is becoming obsolete is key to making informed decisions about your learning technology strategy.

What is AICC?

AICC stands for Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee. It is an e-learning standard developed in the 1990s by the aviation industry to standardize technical training for its workforce.

Over time, its communication model expanded into other sectors, becoming one of the first systems that allowed a digital course to exchange information with an LMS, regardless of where it was hosted.

Its main purpose was to ensure interoperability, meaning that content could run on different platforms without needing to be redesigned.

How AICC works technically

The way AICC works is based on a specific protocol called HACP (HTTP AICC Communication Protocol). This protocol was designed to allow a digital course and a learning management system (LMS) to communicate even when they are not hosted in the same environment. This is one of its main differences compared to SCORM: while SCORM typically requires content to be packaged and integrated within the LMS, AICC allows the course to reside on an external server, which at the time offered greater flexibility for organizations with distributed infrastructures or strict security requirements.

Communication takes place through HTTP requests between the LMS and the content. Instead of using JavaScript objects or embedded APIs like SCORM, AICC sends and receives information in structured text strings. This data exchange happens via URLs that the course uses to report its progress back to the LMS.

The data transmitted typically includes basic tracking information such as:

• Course status (started, completed, suspended)
• Score achieved
• Time spent on the activity
• Learner identifier
• Pass or completion status

While this data was sufficient in the early days of corporate e-learning, it is now limited compared to modern systems that can track far more detailed interactions (clicks, decisions, simulations, offline learning, etc.).

In addition to the communication protocol, AICC relies on a set of configuration files that define how the course is structured and how the LMS should interpret it. The most relevant include:

• .crs (Course Structure): describes the overall course organization.
• .des (Description): includes descriptive metadata about the content.
• .au (Assignable Units): defines the learning units that can be assigned to users.
• .cst (Course Settings): contains course configuration parameters.

These files help the LMS understand how to launch the content and which elements to track, but they also make setup more manual and technical compared to today’s automated packaging methods.

At the time, this model was revolutionary because it introduced the idea of separating content from the platform, which was very useful in large organizations. However, its plain-text architecture, limited tracking capabilities, and lack of evolution have caused it to fall behind standards such as SCORM, xAPI, or cmi5, which offer richer data, mobile compatibility, and support for more complex learning experiences.

Historical advantages of AICC

For many years, AICC offered highly relevant benefits:

1. Basic interoperability

It allowed courses developed by different vendors to run across multiple LMS platforms.

2. External hosting

Content could reside on independent servers, which was useful in environments with strict security restrictions.

3. Early standardization

It was one of the first frameworks to bring consistency to corporate e-learning.

These advantages explain why large organizations adopted AICC as a standard.

Limitations of AICC in today’s context

Today, AICC presents several drawbacks that explain its decline:

• Limited tracking. It only records basic data, without detailed interaction tracking.
• Outdated architecture. Its communication model was not designed for modern experiences such as mobile learning or microlearning.
• Lower security compared to current standards. The use of plain text over HTTP makes it less robust than modern protocols.
• Lack of evolution. The standard officially stopped being developed in 2014.

Is AICC still used today?

Yes, but mainly out of inertia. Some large corporations still maintain legacy LMS platforms that depend on AICC. However, this standard is rarely chosen for new training projects.

The global trend is to move toward:

• SCORM 1.2 / 2004
• xAPI (Tin Can API)
• cmi5

These standards offer greater tracking capabilities, mobile compatibility, and richer learning experiences.

Differences between AICC, SCORM, and xAPI

This table clearly reflects the technological evolution.

Should you continue using AICC or migrate?

The decision depends on your context. If your organization has an older LMS that only supports AICC, maintaining compatibility may be necessary. However, from a strategic standpoint, continuing to rely on this standard limits the evolution of your training programs.

Migrating to SCORM or xAPI allows you to:

• Measure learning more effectively
• Integrate mobile devices
• Create interactive experiences
• Collect more comprehensive data

From a future-focused perspective, AICC is a legacy standard.

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How to integrate AICC if your organization still uses it

If you still need to work with AICC:

1. Check LMS compatibility
2. Use authoring tools that export to AICC
3. Test HACP communication
4. Plan a future transition

The role of modern authoring tools

Today, most authoring tools allow you to export in multiple standards, including SCORM, xAPI, and in some cases, AICC. This makes it easier to work with legacy systems while preparing for a transition.

Current solutions make it possible to create interactive, accessible content that is compatible with widely used standards, helping you avoid reliance on outdated technologies.

Conclusion

AICC was a milestone in the history of e-learning, but today it belongs to an earlier stage. Understanding how it works helps manage legacy environments, but current training strategies should focus on modern standards that enable richer, measurable experiences adapted to today’s digital learning.

If your LMS still uses AICC, you need a tool that exports to current formats. With isEazy Author, you can start creating engaging, dynamic, and accessible e-learning courses quickly and independently. Easily set up resources such as games, exercises, or multimedia elements to capture your audience’s attention, and create your own learning environment or upload your courses to your LMS to track learner progress. Request a demo and start creating your courses today.