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Jan 8, 2007

Jay Lambert, CEO Integrated Learning Services, Inc.

Introduction

With the recent explosion of e-learning as a preferred method of training delivery due to its highreturn on investment, the same question is likely being asked on an almost daily basis inconference rooms around the country. “If we fund this project, how can we ensure that the e-Learning courses built by external designers and developers or that we purchase off-the-shelf will run on our systems and co-exist with the courses we’ve already developed internally?”At least this question now has an easy answer. By adhering to standards such as the SCORM,organizations can rest assured that their courseware will run properly on any SCORM-certifiedLMS in the world.LMS? SCORM?Don’t worry. In this article, we’ll take a high-level view of the acronyms behind the e-learningdelivery boom.

What is SCORM?

SCORM stands for Shareable Content Object Reference Model. It is a framework used to defineand access information about learning objects so they can be easily shared among differentlearning management systems (LMSs).SCORM is the de facto collection of standards used when developing e-learning deliverables,whether you are in the government, private corporations or the education community.Why is this framework so important? There are so many people producing e-learning now andlaunching it on different systems, that a method of ensuring compatibility between systems andcourseware is vital. SCORM is this method.By complying to SCORM’s coding requirements, you create a foundational reference point sothat systems and courses are able to talk with each other and share data about how learnersaccess courses, progress through them, and perform in the end of course test questions. Thisinteroperability would not be possible without a commonly-used model such as SCORM,meaning that it would be nearly impossible to track training participation and completions of e-learning modules without it. This could quickly sink a compliance type training initiative.As a rule, SCORM is guided by six key, high-level requirements (called “the –ilities”). These are

Accessibility

(learning content is accessible and available from remote locations),

Adaptability

(instruction can be tailored to the needs of the individual learner and the organization),

Affordability

(time and costs associated with developing and delivering learning content arereduced),

Durability

(learning content does not have to be significantly redesigned to keep upwith technological advances),

Interoperability

(learning content developed in one location withone set of tools can be used in another location with a different set of tools) and

Reusability

(learning content elements can be re-used in multiple contexts).Okay, you’re thinking, so SCORM is a standard used to develop e-learning products. Well, notexactly.

SCORM isn’t really the standard all by itself; rather it is a collection of the specifications andstandards produced by such standards bodies such as the Aviation Industry CBT Committee(AICC), IMS Global Learning Consortium and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(IEEE). SCORM integrates all of these specifications into a cohesive and usable model that e-learning developers can adhere to.The SCORM reference model is comprised of the following four separate parts (called “books”in SCORM lingo).

•

The SCORM Overview book highlights the objectives of SCORM and lists thespecifications and standards of the different bodies included in SCORM.

•

The SCORM Content Aggregation Model (CAM) book describes the SCORMcomponents used to build a learning experience from various resources andprovides instructions on how to package those components so they may beexchanged from system to system. The content model contains Assets,Sharable Content Objects (SCOs) and Aggregations. Assets are the individualmaterials that make up a course such as graphics, web pages, Flash movies,documents, etc. Sharable Content Objects (SCOs) are a collection of one ormore of these assets that together become a single launchable learningresource. Aggregations detail how assets and SCOs are put together. Contentpackaging provides the organizational layout of the e-learning deliverable,showing how the different instructional activities relate to one another. Thispiece provides one of the many benefits of SCORM because it specifies howto assemble courseware so that it may be transferred between systems. Inother words, your SCORM-conformant courses will still work should youdecide to switch LMSs in the future.

•

The SCORM Run-Time Environment (RTE) book covers Learning ManagementSystem requirements and standard elements that will be used to pass backinformation about how the learner performs in the course.

•

The SCORM Sequencing and Navigation (SN) book covers navigationsequencing.

So in summary, SCORM is important because it makes web-based training content and theapplications that control and display that content to learners interoperable in a standard way. If you have a SCORM conformant LMS, you can be fairly certain that learning content that is alsoSCORM conformant will integrate successfully with your system. And that is a good feeling tohave.

What are Learning Management Systems and LearningContent Management Systems?

We’ve been talking about SCORM-conformant courseware being compatible with a SCORM-compliant LMS (Learning Management System) and you may be wondering, what is an LMS?And is that the same thing as an LCMS?Learning Management Systems (LMSs) are software that automates the administration of training events. Different ones are on the market to meet most any organization’s needs; theyrange in price from freeware to large million dollar installations. LMSs manage learner log-in,course catalogs, course completion ratios and progress status, scheduling, test scores, etc., and provide reports on all of this to management. So once a course is built, an LMS is where you goto take it.

This is different from a Learning Content Management System (LCMS). An LCMS is more of adatabase where multiple developers can create, store, reuse, manage and deliver learning content.You are probably familiar with many of the slick e-learning development tools available outthere – Flash, Dreamweaver, Authorware, Lectora, etc. Most LCMSs will produce less advancedcontent (i.e. dazzling) than you can do with these type tools. However, the value of an LCMSlies in its ability to repurpose existing content. Since it contains an easily-accessible repository of RLOs (reusable learning objects or SCOs, sharable content objects, to the SCORM world), anLCMS can really simplify course creation. And of course, you can always utilize Flash as anRLO to give your content some dazzle.To put all of this together, a course developer would use an LCMS to create SCORM-conformant courseware that will be loaded onto an LMS for users to access the training.Jay Lambert is CEO of Integrated Learning Services, Inc., an Atlanta-based consulting firmspecializing in workforce knowledge improvement projects such as web-based and instructor-ledtraining, and a broad range of user and technical documentation. Contact him atinfo@integratedlearnings.comor www.integratedlearningservices.com.

Sharable Content Object Reference Model

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(April 2007)

Sharable Content Object Reference Model

(

SCORM

) is a collection of standards andspecifications for web-basede-learning. It defines communications between client side contentand a host system called the run-time environment, which is commonly supported by a learningmanagement system. SCORM also defines how content may be packaged into a transferable ZIP file called "Package Interchange Format".

[1]

SCORM is a specification of theAdvanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative, which comes out of theOffice of the United States Secretary of Defense.SCORM 2004 introduced a complex idea called sequencing, which is a set of rules that specifiesthe order in which a learner may experience content objects. In simple terms, they constrain alearner to a fixed set of paths through the training material, permit the learner to "bookmark"their progress when taking breaks, and assure the acceptability of test scores achieved by thelearner. The standard usesXML, and it is based on the results of work done byAICC,IMS Global,IEEE, andAriadne.

Contents

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1Compliance