SCORM conformance and authoring software Dr Tabetha Newman Information Transfer Tel. +44 (0) August 2002

Before we start…. … adjust your mind-frame now! SCORM is NOT: A set of known factors that can just be added into an authoring tool/LMS to make it conformant SCORM IS: A set of standards and ideals, the aim of which is to construct courseware and LMSs/VLEs in the best way possible in order that information becomes fully sharable and searchable What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

What is SCORM?  Sharable Content Object Reference Model  A product of the US Government’s initiative in Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL), who were launched in 1997  SCORM conformance guarantees interoperability between LMSs and courseware  This means that a training manager should be able to hang diverse chunks of e-learning (sharable content objects - SCOs) on any LMS, and re-order them together with SCOs from other suppliers to make new courses with a different context What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

 Includes specifications for developing, packaging and delivering education and training materials  Rapidly becoming the standard architecture for online learning materials and content management software  A composite of specifications, including AICC and IMS, tailored for e-learning  Current version is SCORM 1.2  SCORM 1.3 expected late 2002 What is SCORM? What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

Why is it good to buy conformant materials? Increasing importance of standards: 1.For ‘tick in the box’ reasons 2.In order to hang diverse e-learning content from their LMS 3.For re-usable content in years to come What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

Why is it good to produce conformant materials? 1.They get more customers looking for that tick/LMS integration 2.If a customer owns/is planning to own a SCORM conformant LMS, they are no longer tied to one authoring tool provider… … a new system evolves where you can choose a variety of different authoring tools – each one the best one for each job – rather than trying to find ‘one size fits all’ What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

What is the difference between SCORM and AICC? AICC standard Covers all methods of training including audio, video, delivery stations hardware/software etc. SCORM standard Specifically covers intra/internet training. It uses AICC’s rules of best practice for e-learning structure, PLUS additional best practices from other standards bodies. SCORM and authoring tools This means that if we focus on SCORM we deal only with an authoring tool’s exported course, not the authoring environment or offline courseware What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

Conformant courseware must contain three basic components: Requirements LMS 1. Run-time communications LMS  Courseware 2. Course metadata information I am here. I am a.. 3. Content packaging specification We are a course about … with these components What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

Purpose To provide a system of communication between the course and an LMS/VLE: –What materials are presented to the student? –What information is gathered from the student? Mechanism Communication to the LMS/VLE via standardised Javascript commands embedded into course web pages 1. Run-time communications LMS  Courseware What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

Meta-data = data about data (course and student) Purpose By describing all elements within a course, it becomes fully searchable Mechanism Code all information in standardised XML files, and add a file to each element within course 2. Course meta-data information I am here. I am a.. What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

Purpose To describe the course content Mechanism One file, placed in top-level directory, in XML format, called the MANIFEST file, that describes course: –Navigation structure –Contents (all files and types of material used) –Meta-data information 3. Content packaging specification We are a course about … with these components What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

The courseware LMS The structure of a SCORM conformant course SCO asset Content package file What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

A Seminar® course LMS The structure of a SCORM conformant Seminar  course SCO = Folder containing the Exported course pages HTML Page and Run-time commands asset Manifest.xml file asset What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

Validation  No certification yet  Use ADL’s self-test software  Therefore not compliant but conformant  At present ADL-CC (Certification Council) are training auditors who will certify software  Certified software can use ADL’s certified logo, and be entered on database of certified software companies What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

Now you know what SHOULD be done, what is REALLY being done?! What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

SCORM and software providers  So far none of the major authoring tool providers are fully conformant  Some software providers, like QuestionMark Perception, are only providing run-time conformance  Others, like Toolbook, Dreamweaver and Seminar, create the run-time AND a content packaging specification…  … but no evidence of any including full meta-data information to describe SCOs and assets as intended by ADL  Little pressure to do so, as priority at present is to communicate with the LMS (run-time communications), then to have content package Manifest file Remember, software providers are evolving too, and have lots of different standards to consider! What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

A Seminar® course LMS XML The structure of a SCORM conformant Seminar  course SCO = Folder containing the Exported course pages Manifest.xml file asset HTML Page and Run-time commands asset What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

Questions to ask yourself Do I have an LMS, and if so which one? If we don’t have an LMS, are we thinking of getting one in the future? If we do have an LMS, is it SCORM conformant? If our LMS is conformant, what information is it designed to collect from courses that hang from it? What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

Questions to ask potential authoring tool providers Is your software SCORM conformant? is it fully conformant at the metadata level, and if not are you planning towards this in future versions? I plan to deploy courseware over [name] LMS system. Have you tested your software with this LMS to ensure interoperability? If not, and they are not compatible, would you investigate why they don’t work together? What data is your courseware designed to send to my LMS? What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask

I hope you found this presentation helpful. My aim was to write something that was of practical use, without being too technical. I’d welcome any feedback that you might have, for example, there may be other questions about SCORM that would be useful to you. Why not me on Other useful links include: The End At the time of production all information contained in this presentation was correct to the best of my knowledge. If I have in any way misrepresented anything then please contact me, and I’ll be happy to change it immediately. What is SCORM? Requirements Validation SCORM & software providers Questions to ask