Recently I had this wonderful opportunity to work with SCORM conformant e-learning project. Actually it’s been long since I have been developing flash based automated tutorials or quizzes. But they weren’t meant for online course rather they were just online/CD training materials for users of our web-based application. This time one of our users wanted to integrate these tutorials with their Learning Management System, so she asked us if our materials are SCORM conformant or not. The term SCORM was new to me and I didn’t know where to start. So my team leader and I began researching on that and he gave me lot of helpful resources or links. He helped me on making the manifest file and I figured out how to continue with the rest of the process.
SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model – it is set of technical methodology for e-learning software products. SCORM specifies the instructions to be put on e-learning software which can easily communicate with the Learning Management Systems (LMSs). SCORM is the e-learning standard for packaging, launching, bookmarking and tracking a course
SCORM specifies that content should:
• Be packaged in a ZIP file.
• Be described in an XML file.
• Communicate via JavaScript.
• Sequence using rules in XML.
It was actually very easy scripting, so after checking few online examples I figured out how to code it. Our SCORM conformant training materials tracks bookmarking, score and completion of the course. The course status can be tracked by both the teacher and learner.
Here are the basic steps for creating SCORM content in flash:
1. Download the javascript api APIWrapper.js ( you will find it in the ADL site http://www.adlnet.gov
/Pages/Default.aspx)
/Pages/Default.aspx)
Manager.
3. Create the flash file (containing the course). In order to communicate with the javascript wrapper, the following functions are used, a) Initialize (to call the doLMSInitialize function in javascript, which makes the connection with LMS)
b) Set values (set or pass values from the flash file, for example, setting bookmark)
c) Get values (get or retrieve values from the LMS, for example, getting the last saved bookmarked location)
4. Using Dreamweaver, Create one html file as holder for the flash swf file. So embed the swf file and Include the javasscript file.
5. Then define site. And make manifest by clicking on Commands > Manifest maker. It will generate several files.
6. Open the imsmanifest.xml file just to check the contents or if you want to change page title etc.
7. Make the package or zip file. Select all files and right click then select "send to > compressed format"
8. Upload this package in SCORM cloud to test.
It was whole new and exciting learning experience for me. There are few links or sites which were really helpful, like:
SCORM Cloud - Test Track Sandbox from
