SCORM: What Is It and Why Use It?
Written by: Michael Stanford, PhD, Learning & Development Manager
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Do you ever see a commonly used acronym in your industry and ask yourself, “what does that even mean?” We’ve all been there! Regardless of where you work, there are terms everyone recognizes, but are not always understood. SCORM is a great example of a commonly used term in the training industry. Not sure what it stands for? Let me demystify you.
What is SCORM?
SCORM is an acronym that stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model. Simply stated, SCORM is a technical standard which governs the communication between Learning content and Learning Management Systems. Learning content, such as eLearning, is packaged into a SCORM file. That file can then be uploaded to almost any Learning Management System as a shared learning activity.
Why is SCORM Important?
There are three major elements working together to allow learners to take an eLearning course:
A course which contains a package of learning materials such as videos, text, quizzes, and more.
An authoring tool used to create eLearning content, such as Adobe Captivate, Articulate 360 Storyline, etc.
A Learning Management System (LMS) which is an online platform that is used to deliver courses to the learners and reports learner progress.
It is essential these elements communicate seamlessly. SCORM is the governing tool that establishes a set of rules for the three to speak the same language. This is done by packaging a course in a zip SCORM file with a unique code allowing any SCORM compliant LMS to read the file.
Origin of SCORM
Before the SCORM standard was established, the way eLearning course files were packaged together by vendors varied greatly. This variation made it difficult for organizations to manage their content on their LMS platforms. In the year 2000, the US government agency Department of Defense (DOD) decided to standardize how eLearning files were packaged so that all courses can be used in any LMS; thus, SCORM 1.1 was born.
SCORM Standards
The most common and widely used LMS standard today is SCORM 1.2. This version of SCORM is easy for developers to implement and provides a single lesson status reporting value to the LMS (e.g., Complete, Incomplete, Failed, Passed, Attempted, Browsed, Not Attempted). SCORM 2004 (SCORM 1.3) is another common standard used but has limited advantages over SCORM 1.2.
Since SCORM's arrival, there have been many alternative standards created within this highly competitive industry. Examples such as aXPI, Tin Can, or CMIs, although not as widely used as SCORM, take advantage of newer technology by offering advanced data gathering, data tracking, and reporting features. Nevertheless, fully replacing SCORM will likely be a slow and time-consuming transition process. This elongated process is typical when dealing with changes to widely accepted standards.
Why use SCORM?
If eLearning vendors want to share their content with the largest possible number of users, it’s best to use a standard packaging process that works on most, if not all, LMS platforms. SCORM is the standard that was first established, and it works! This standard ensures peace of mind for LMS administrators, knowing a SCORM compliant file will work on their LMS and will be aligned with how their LMS collects data. This allows more time for administrators and developers to collect data and enhance end user experience while spending less time uploading content.