Hello there, reader! In this article, we're going to welcome you into the magical (and reliable) world of SCORM. While SCORM may certainly be considered an oldie, just like so many of our favorite classic rock songs, it's also a goodie! Let's dive in
What is SCORM?
If you're looking for the technical definition, SCORM stands for: Sharable Content Object Reference Model. It's a set of technical standards for web-based educational software products.
If your reaction is like the gif above, don't worry, we get you. If you're like me, the technical definition, isn't always the...best definition.
In simpler terms, SCORM is a .zip file of content that can be uploaded to an LMS.
What does SCORM do?
While it doesn't determine anything about the instructional design of eLearning content, it does govern how online learning content and Learning Management Systems (LMS) communicate with each other.
For example:
Think about this in the terms of a DVD. When you buy a DVD, you don't need to check if it'll work with your brand of DVD player. A Sony DVD player, and a Toshiba DVD player will both play the same DVDs. The reason why is because DVDs are made using a certain set of standards. If these standards weren't around, each DVD would require a different type of DVD player. Before SCORM was created, that was the case. 😬
When you create an eLearning course with an authoring tool that is SCORM compliant the output is a zip folder which is uploaded to the LMS.
The LMS handles everything from there (so long as it’s SCORM compliant too).
When the course is published, the user can launch it in a browser and the LMS collects data to track and report results of their performance.
What type of content does Interplay Learning utilize?
At the moment, only Single-SCO courses are supported.
You can use the chart below as a reference for the features offered:
| Single-SCO | |
| Automatically Updated Content |
Yes! What does this mean for you? You don't have to re-upload a course each time we update content. Your SCORM file will do the work for you! |
| Prerequisite Support | Yes |
| Navigation | Interplay Learning Course Page |
| User Tracking | Detailed User Breakdown |
| Grade Book Support |
Course Completion Score |
| Course Catalog URL | https://webapp.interplaylearning.com/scorm.html |
Still Have Questions?
Feel free to reach out to us here at Interplay Learning support for more help or check out our other articles referencing SCORM and LMS here!
As always, thank you for taking the time to read this article! Happy Learning!
