What is SCORM compliant e-learning?

SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model. What SCORM gives us is a standards based approach for packaging up e-learning modules into a common de-facto industry standard.

It allows you to create scorm compliant e-learning content that you can place on any Learning Management System (LMS) with the confidence that they will communicate with each other.

SCORM is purely a technical standard and as long as the e-learning and the LMS have implemented the standard they can happily communicate.

How do I use it?

When you package your e-learning course you can create the package as SCORM compliant, SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 – these are the standards that are most widely used. The Learning Pool Platform (built on Moodle) fully support SCORM 1.2 and partially support SCORM 2004.

Learning Pool Authoring also enables you to easily publish your e-learning package as a SCORM 1.2 package.

So simply upload your SCORM e-learning package into your LMS, configure a few settings and it’s ready to go.

What does it record?

At the most basic level you have two recording options:

1. Record a status of Complete/Incomplete for the e-learning package.
2. Record a status of Pass/Fail with the grade obtained.

Option one is an e-learning course of the page turning variety, when the student has to view every page to complete the course.

Option two includes an assessment where the student has to obtain a pass grade to return a status of Pass. The assessment is generally at the end of the e-learning course and consists of several questions.

SCORM packages can also record time spent and bookmark the course, so when you return to the course it’ll remember where you last left the course and resume from that page.

What does it do for me?

• It future proofs your e-learning modules and protects you from a vendor specific lock-in.
• It’s perfect for compliance training where you need to make sure that all students have read every page on the course.
• If you need to assess someone’s knowledge you can add an assessment and a Pass mark and use your LMS reporting features to generate lists of student results.

So what’s next?

The next generation of SCORM is called the Tin Can API which is a huge leap forward for the e-learning community. The Tin CAN API is simple and flexible and it lifts many of SCORM’s restrictions. It will help with Mobile Learning and any place where informal learning happens.

Interactions with the Tin Can API are held in a Learning Pool Learning Record Store (LRS), where you will be able to query students’ data.