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Standards and specifications for e-learning systems

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 Standards and Specifications for E-Learning Systems

Divna Krpan 1, Slavomir Stankov 2

1
Faculty of Science, Teslina 12, Split, 21000 Croatia
2
Faculty of Science, Teslina 12, Split, 21000 Croatia
E-mail: divna.krpan@pmfst.hr

Abstract - This paper presents a brief description of Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM), a
set of standards and specifications intended to be used in e-learning for the purpose of sharing content across
different e-learning systems. SCORM has gone through changes since its origin to keep up with technology
development and growing demands on e-learning systems. Since these standards are being used in practice,
practical issues arose which finally led to the divergence of developmental directions for the two new future
versions of SCORM.

Keywords – e-learning standard, SCORM

1. INTRODUCTION Organization for Standardization (ISO)

There is increase in interest for e-learning with
rapid development of computers and high speed
Internet access. On high level, components of e-
learning may be divided into two categories:
conceptual and physical [1].
Physical components include learning content
files, database and management software, which
have physical (electronic) existence.
Conceptual components include courses and
lessons. Smallest part of learning content is often
called learning object (LO). The best practice for
determining the size of LO is mapping it with
concept or learning objective. Learning objects are
building blocks for learning content. Very often,
same concepts or learning objectives appear across
different courses, and also in different organizations.
It would be waste of time and money to create the
same LO from scratch each time when
corresponding concept or learning objective appears
in different context. Obviously, it would be more
convenient to reuse already created LO. In that case,
such LO should be independent from any other
learning content in order to make it possible to
extract that LO from one environment and import it
somewhere else.
However, such LO may not be compatible with
some other system. Standards are part of our
everyday life that we sometimes don't notice. Clocks
(analog or digital) show time all over the world,
electrical plugs only fit one way into their sockets,
ISBN number on cover of each book, screws in the
chair we are sitting on, etc. A standard is a
documented agreement which contains technical
specifications which should be used consistently as
rules, guidelines, or definitions of characteristics to
ensure that products, processes and services are
appropriate for their purpose. Largest developer and
publisher of International Standards is International
(http://www.iso.org).
There is obvious need for standardization of
learning content, which is more complex then
electrical plug. Such need was recognized by United
States White House Office of Technology, the
Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department
of Labor which founded Advanced Distributed
Learning Initiative (ADL) in 1997 [2]. ADL
collected existing specifications and standards for
content from different organizations, and formed set
of standards known as Sharable Content Object
Reference Model (SCORM).
In next chapters we are going to describe current
SCORM specification, its application in practice and
work in progress on future directions.
2. FORMER VERSIONS OF SCORM
SCORM as "Reference Model" is more like a
roadmap for standards because it contains references
for existing standards and specifications made by
other organizations (IMS, AICC, IEEE, ARIADNE).
SCORM provides support for requirements known
as ADL’s "ilities" [3]: reusability, interoperability,
accessibility, adaptability, durability and
affordability. All ADL’s "ilities" are combined with
"the Web-based assumption" which claims that the
Web provides the best opportunity for maximum
access and reuse of learning content.
SCORM version 1.0 was released in January
2000 [4]. Latest official version of SCORM is
"SCORM 2004 3rd Edition" released in November
2006. which consists of five “technical books”, but
to simplify, these books are grouped under three
main topics: "SCORM Content Aggregation Model
(CAM)", "SCORM Run-time Environment (RTE)"
and "SCORM Sequencing and Navigation (SN)".
This version brings changes from previous editions.
These changes are about clarification of concepts
and requirements, considering best practices from
ADL Community, bug fixes and other
improvements.
SCORM is based on series of software elements.
On top level, there is Learning Management System
(LMS), a system that manages content and tracks
learner progress and interactions. LMS may be more
or less complex with different implementations. All
other parts of SCORM content hierarchy are
contained in LMS.
SCORM Content Aggregation Model (CAM)
book describes instructional components or objects
used in content aggregation. Content aggregation
may represent course, but it is possible to form
smaller content aggregations as long as they are
independent of other content and may be used in
different context. CAM book also describes the way
content aggregations are packed in content packages.
Sharable content object (SCO) is actually the
SCORM’s LO, or conceptual component. Learner
interacts with learning content at this level [1]. A
SCO is the smallest unit of content that a LMS is
able to load and track and which may communicate
with LMS [3]. SCO is a set of one or more Assets.
Assets are learning resources or physical files such
as graphics, sounds, and movies, although there are
no restrictions on the type. SCO should be
independent of its learning context to enable
reusability. There is no restriction on size of SCO,
but it is recommended that SCO should represent
smallest logical unit or concept. SCOs and Assets
are grouped in Learning Activities which represent
meaningful and structured units of instruction.
Learning Activity may consist of several sub-
activities.
SCORM Run-Time Environment (RTE) book
describes communication between SCO and LMS,
and gives high-level information how an LMS
determines which SCO will be delivered at any
given time. SCO and LMS communicate using
standardized communication mechanisms as well as
standard model for data which is transferred between
them. RTE book is important for interoperability
between SCOs and LMSs.
SCORM Sequencing and Navigation (SN) book
defines a method for representing the behavior of a
instructional components. SCORM conformant LMS
will sequence content in standard and consistent
way. Learning Activities are grouped into Activity
Tree, and SN book describes the branching and flow
of those Learning Activities. Both, learner and LMS
may initiate navigational events which should be
processed as triggers for determining appropriate
learning activity. The CAM book describes how to
build sequencing rules, and SN book describes in
more detail those rules and how to process their
behavior.
For each version of SCORM, there is also
SCORM Conformance Test Suite which contains
software and documents for self-testing of LMSs,
SCOs and content aggregation packages. LMS or
content which passes such test is referred to as
SCORM conformant, but it is also possible to get
SCORM Certification through process of third party
testing. The term “conformant” is used when a
product follows the SCORM specifications, and
"SCORM certified" is used for product which passed
testing by one of the ADL Certification Testing
Centers.
3. SCORM IN PRACTICE
In practice, there could be many different
problems which interfere with interoperability. The
results may be interpreted differently then
determined by specification because some LMSs
report that course is completed which differs from
pass or fail condition. Some bugs and character
encoding may interfere in communication between
content and LMS.
SCORM is technical document written for
toolmakers and vendors and not directly intended for
content designers and developers. It does not
consider what makes good learning or how to create
learning experiences. But, it does affect design of
LMS because designers must consider all ADL
"ilities", design of learning object and context where
that object is present [5].
SCORM should be used when there is a need for
reusable and durable content which may be shared in
many different contexts with large number of
learners and courses.
According to http://adlnet.gov/, until March 15,
2009 ADL has certified a total of 268 products, and
154 of those products are LMSs. There are also 295
SCORM conformant products, and 159 of them are
LMSs. In next chapter, we briefly present two LMSs
as example of certified and conformant LMSs.
3.1. Blackboard
Blackboard is Web-based Learning Management
System (LMS) used all over the world
(http://www.blackboard.com/). It allows students
and faculty to participate in classes delivered online
or to use online materials and activities to
complement face-to-face teaching. With Blackboard,
instructors can provide students with course
materials, discussion boards, virtual chat, online
quizzes, an academic resource center, and more.
Courses may be conducted entirely through
Blackboard, without any face-to-face sessions.
Blackboard Academic Suite 8.0 is a certified
SCORM LMS for SCORM 2004 3rd Edition.
3.2. Moodle
Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic
Learning Environment) is LMS provided freely as
Open Source under GNU Public License. It may be
installed on any computer which supports PHP and
SQL type database; it can run on different Windows
and Mac operating systems, as well as some versions
of Linux.
Moodle enables teachers to create web pages for
their courses by entering HTML code, or using
WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) word
processor online, so it is possible to develop content
online, including lessons. It also contains the
SCORM module which allows upload of any
standard SCORM package, but it is not possible to
create or export SCORM content.
For testing purposes, we uploaded official
SCORM ADL object: SCORM 2004 3rd Edition
Data Model Content Example (DMCE) Version 1.1
from http://www.adlnet.gov/. DMCE is a SCORM
2004 3rd Edition Conformant Content Aggregation
Content Package. The content package can be
imported into any SCORM 2004 3rd Edition
conformant LMS and explored. Although there was
a warning on ADL site that it will not work with a
SCORM Version 1.2 conformant LMS, we did not
encounter any difficulties using it with Moodle
1.9.2. It is officially reported from Moodle that
SCORM 1.2 is supported in Moodle 1.9.3 and
Moodle 1.8.7 which pass all the tests in the ADL
Conformance test suite for SCORM 1.2 [6].
Moodle is partially SCORM conformant because
some specifications such as Navigation and
Sequencing have not yet been implemented.
Therefore, Moodle cannot be SCORM certified
either.
4. SCORM IN PROCESS
Changes in standards and specification are not
very desirable because their purpose is to be stable
and provide common environment, but progress is
also inevitable. If there are technology advances
they should be considered as well. So, SCORM is
still in process.
4.1. SCORM 2004 4th edition
ADL announced development of SCORM 2004
4th edition in December, 2008 with Beta release of
software which includes Test Suite and Sample Run-
Time Environment (SRTE) [7]. The 4th edition
brings some bug fixes from earlier versions, but
there are no drastic changes.
There are four new features:
1. Sharing generic run-time data between SCOs –
ADL defined new run-time data model element
to enable sharing and storing learner tracking
information between different SCOs within
same activity tree. This facilitates better
sequencing.
2. Sharing additional objective data between SCOs
– Some SCOs report objective information (like
min, max and raw scores), which can be shared
between SCOs in same activity tree, but also
across different activity trees, which also
enables easier sequencing.
3. Jump Navigation Request – This improvement
allows content developers more sequencing
options and separates branching within a SCO
from what learner is allowed to do.
4. Rolling-up partial completion information –
There is more accurate evaluation of partial
completion of some activity tree then previously
relying on the boolean complete/incomplete
values.
ADL listed those four features as improvements,
but some authors, disagree [8]. There is confusion
about successfully completing activity with learning
objectives. Rolling-up does not work on learning
objectives, but only on status of activity. This means
that this SCORM model is focused on series of
activities and not on achieving competency or
learning outcomes. Objective roll-up rules should be
computed at the completion of each activity.
Some e-learning systems just deliver content to
learners and acknowledge that they read it, which is
marked as completion of some content, since scores
are more complicated. There is also complaint about
SCORM's notion of global and local. Global really
refers to persistence in one LMS for one course for
one learner. It is suggested that activity objectives
should be related to activity and disappear when that
activity is completed, and should persist only when
that activity was interrupted before completion.
Aggregation objectives should be related to
single user in course (or aggregation) and should be
available to any SCO in that course, but also
persistent for all attempts on that course. The first
two types are local objectives, and global objectives
should potentially exist across different LMSs.
Robson also suggested multi-user SCOs to allow
objectives to be related to multiple learner IDs,
which may be interpreted as aggregation of learner
models into team models. Each team model may be
considered as single learner, and also team
competence may be distributed among team
members [9]. SCORM confuses instructional model
based on completions and performance with
intelligent instructional model which is based on
objectives and mapping of completions and
performance to objective states.
The main part of the paper may consist of several
chapters.
4.2. SCORM 2.0
The development of the next SCORM 2.0, is
now mission for new international federation for
Learning Education Training Systems
Interoperability (LETSI), while ADL continues to
 work on SCORM 2004 [10]. LETSI was formed by
ADL and eleven other organizations.
SCORM has become international software
standard for learning systems interoperability.
According to ADL, goal of SCORM 2.0 is to
become open, or free from restrictions such as
patents or licenses, so LETSI is aimed to develop
open source software community to support
SCORM adopters and product developers. LETSI
itself does not develop the component standards
which are part of SCORM. Call for participation was
announced in June, 2008.
SCORM 2.0 should have two major components:
(i) general reference model (Core SCORM), based
on learning standards that support basic
interoperability, and (ii) additional components that
support instructional capabilities, based on
specifications which are not yet part of standard.
There were 98 submitted papers with suggestions
about what to do next, and what to fix. All
suggestions were analyzed and greatest number of
papers points out the need for support with Web
services and fixes to SCORM 2004. Only two papers
referred to support for Intelligent Tutoring Systems
and agents wondering will SCORM 2.0 address
those issues, how and when.
In Fig.1, there is a summary of major suggestions
from all 98 submitted white papers which most
directly address the topic [11].
Sequencing
Web service interfaces
Fixes to SCORM 2004
Content agreggation and format
Assesment and compentencies
Team training and shared data 12
Market 8
Support for insructors
Intelligent systems 2 Software,
Content lifecycle management 2 http://www.adlnet.gov/News/articles/index.asp
Accessibility an usability 6
Fig. 1. Summary of white papers suggestions for
SCORM 2.0.
5. SCORM EXPECTATIONS
In the past, SCORM provided standards and
specifications for aggregations, but not as much for
its structure. Previous versions of SCORM provided
simple communication between SCO and LMS, but
with service oriented approach, there are more
things for consideration. SCORM objective to
remain pedagogy neutral has been argued. Previous
models are taking into account adaptation of
learning activities based on learner progress in
Sequencing and Navigation book, but that was
problematic to implement and also was not what
many communities wanted.
Many other things emerge which were not
discussed enough: collaborative learning, different
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complexity, Intelligent Tutoring systems, simulation
interfaces, sources outside LMS, Web 2.0, etc. In
[12] there is discussion about problems in team
based training and difficulties in assessing their
performance, but additionally everything gets more
complicated with assessment of "teams of
individuals" by taking into account contributions of
each individual.
REFERENCES
[1] C. Fallon and S. Brown, E-learning standards:
a guide to purchasing, developing, and
deploying standards-conformant e-learning, St.
Lucie Press, New York, 2003.
[2] C. Ostyn, The Eye of the SCORM,
http://www.ostyn.com/resscormtech.htm
(Accessed: 11.03.2009.), 2006.
[3] Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL),
Sharable Content Object Reference Model
(SCORM) 2004 3rd Edition Documentation
Suite, Available online:
http://www.adlnet.gov/downloads/DownloadPa
ge.aspx?ID=237, 2006.
[4] K. Johnson and S. Slosser, "SCORM Status
and Evolution", International Pugfest II, 2006.
[5] D. Rehak, ADL/SCORM - What Does it Mean
for Developers of ICT Projects, PowerPoint
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presentation on Reusable Learning Designs
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17 [6] Moodle.org, SCORM module,
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http://docs.moodle.org/en/SCORM, (Accessed:
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10.03.2009), 2009.
[7] Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL), ADL
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Releases SCORM 2004 4th Edition Beta
x?ID=508 (Accessed: 14.03.2009.), 2008.
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Thoughts", Learning Education Training
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White Papers, 2008.
[9] V. A. Goodkovsky, "Content Aggregation
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[10] Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL),
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http://www.adlnet.gov/News/articles/index.asp
x?ID=476 (Accessed: 14.03.2009.), 2008.
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[12] T. Archibald and P. Berking, "Team-Based
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