How to Make Your Simulation SCORM Compliant

The Shareable Content Object Model (SCORM) is an evolving standard to aid integration of online learning products with Learning Management System (LMS) software. The SCORM standard is developed under the auspices of the industry group Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL).

Simulations developed with Forio Broadcast can be treated as a SCORM Shareable Content Object (SCO). This will allow the simulation to be part of a sequence of online learning activities that can be launched from an LMS.

This overview, the instructions in the following sections, and the provided sample code all apply to SCORM version 1.2. For more definitive information on SCORM 1.2 (and other versions of SCORM that may be developed), please visit the ADL web site at www.adlnet.org

Overview of SCORM

A SCORM compliant learning system typically consists of four components

Learning Management System (LMS) managing the user and tracking progress through the content.
Assets – specific web media such as HTML files, images, or video
Shareable Content Object (SCO) – collection of assets that form a learning activity. SCO's can be launched and tracked by the LMS.
Content Aggregation – an overall library of related content and shareable content objects.

A simulation can be designated as a SCO. This has the following benefits:

The simulation can be launched directly from the LMS.
Detailed content information can be stored alongside the simulation and listed in the LMS "course catalog".
The simulation can be one activity that is part of a larger sequence.

The current version of the SCORM protocol will not help with the following:

Allowing a user to be signed on automatically to a simulation that requires a password.
Passing score or usage information to the LMS.

These restrictions are due to the API used in SCORM (JavaScript) which prohibits communication across multiple domains. As noted in the next section, the LMS and the Forio Broadcast simulation are typically located on two different servers.

How to Make Your Simulation SCORM Compliant

A typical SCO is served from the same server as the Learning Management System. In the case of a Forio Broadcast simulation, this is usually not feasible. Instead, the simulation launch page, content descriptor XML files, and several support files will be uploaded to the LMS server. The simulation will then run via an external link. (See the diagram below).

In order to make a simulation SCORM-compliant, you must do the following:

Create a launch page to that will open up a new window and start the simulation. It will also execute JavaScript calls to the LMS API when the simulation is opened and closed.
Create a "meta-data" file that describes the simulation content, in XML format as defined by SCORM.
Create a "manifest" file that describes the package of launch-related files, in XML format as defined by SCORM and the IMS Content Packaging Specification.
Upload the above files, plus several supporting files, to the LMS.

Create a Launch Page

The launch page should display a welcome message to the user, signal the LMS that the simulation has begun and then open a window with the simulation. When the launch page is closed it will signal the LMS the simulation is done and close the simulation.

A sample launch file is listed below (launch.htm) Download www.forio.com/broadcastdocs/downloads/scorm.zip for a copy of this and other necessary files. You will need to edit the URL for the actual simulation.

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Simulation Launch Page</TITLE>
<SCRIPT language="JavaScript" src="APIWrapper.js"></SCRIPT>

<SCRIPT>

</SCRIPT>

</HEAD>

<BODY onLoad="doLMSInitialize();launchSim('http://forio.com/simulation/mysim/')" onUnload="doLMSFinish();closeSim();">

<h1>Simulation launch page</h1>
<P>The simulation will automatically launch within a few seconds.

</BODY>
</HTML>

Create a Meta-Data File

The meta data file describes the content of the simulation, including information for a course catalog, author attribution, and copyright/distribution information. The file should be named "sim.xml", and needs to follow the XML meta-data format listed in the SCORM 1.2 Content Aggregation Model specification.

A sample file sim.xml is listed below. Download www.forio.com/broadcastdocs/downloads/scorm.zip for a copy of this and other necessary files.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<lom xmlns="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imsmd_rootv1p2p1"
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imsmd_rootv1p2p1 imsmd_rootv1p2p1.xsd">

<general>
<title>
<langstring>My Simulation</langstring>
</title>

<language>en</language>

<description>
<langstring>Simulation about important business topics</langstring>
</description>

<keyword>
<langstring>business strategy</langstring>
</keyword>

<keyword>
<langstring>management flight simulator</langstring>
</keyword>

<aggregationlevel>

<source>
<langstring xml:lang="x-none">LOMv1.0</langstring>
</source>

<value>
<langstring xml:lang="x-none">3</langstring>
</value>

</aggregationlevel>

</general>

<lifecycle>

<version>
<langstring>1.0</langstring>
</version>

<status>

<source>
<langstring xml:lang="x-none">LOMv1.0</langstring>
</source>

<value>
<langstring xml:lang="x-none">Final</langstring>
</value>

</status>

<contribute>

<role>

<source>
  <langstring xml:lang="x-none">LOMv1.0</langstring>
</source>

<value>
  <langstring xml:lang="x-none">Author</langstring>
</value>

</role>

<centity>

<vcard>
BEGIN:vCard
ORG:Forio Business Simulations
END:vCard
</vcard>

</centity>

<date>
<datetime>2003-05-29</datetime>
</date>

</contribute>

</lifecycle>

<metametadata>
<metadatascheme>ADL SCORM 1.2</metadatascheme>
</metametadata>

<technical>

<format>text/html</format>
<size>67200</size>
<location>launch.htm</location>

<requirement>

<type>

<source>
   <langstring xml:lang="x-none">LOMv1.0</langstring>
</source>

<value>
   <langstring xml:lang="x-none">Browser</langstring>
</value>

</type>

<name>

<source>
   <langstring xml:lang="x-none">LOMv1.0</langstring>
</source>

<value>
   <langstring xml:lang="x-none">Microsoft Internet Explorer</langstring>
</value>

</name>

<minimumversion>5.0</minimumversion>

</requirement>

</technical>

<educational>

<learningresourcetype>

<source>
<langstring xml:lang="x-none">LOMv1.0</langstring>
</source>

<value>
<langstring xml:lang="x-none">Simulation</langstring>
</value>

</learningresourcetype>

<typicallearningtime>
<datetime>2:00:00</datetime>
</typicallearningtime>

</educational>

<rights>

<cost>

<source>
<langstring xml:lang="x-none">LOMv1.0</langstring>
</source>

<value>
<langstring xml:lang="x-none">no</langstring>
</value>

</cost>

<copyrightandotherrestrictions>

<source>
   <langstring xml:lang="x-none">LOMv1.0</langstring>
</source>

<value>
   <langstring xml:lang="x-none">yes</langstring>
</value>

</copyrightandotherrestrictions>

<description>
<langstring>Provided as-is; only to be used as an example.</langstring>
</description>

</rights>

</lom>

Create a Manifest File

The manifest file lists all the asset and XML files that will be uploaded to the LMS. The format should follow the IMS Content Packaging Description, as defined in the SCORM 1.2 Content Aggregation Model. A sample file "imsmanifest.xml" is listed below. Note that this file lists information for these files:

launch.htm
ApiWrapper.js

It also references the "sim.xml" file described above. Download www.forio.com/broadcastdocs/downloads/scorm.zip for these files.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<manifest identifier="SingleSharableResource_MulitipleFileManifest" version="1.1"
xmlns="http://www.imsproject.org/xsd/imscp_rootv1p1p2"
xmlns:adlcp="http://www.adlnet.org/xsd/adlcp_rootv1p2"
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.imsproject.org/xsd/imscp_rootv1p1p2 imscp_rootv1p1p2.xsd
http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imsmd_rootv1p2p1 imsmd_rootv1p2p1.xsd
http://www.adlnet.org/xsd/adlcp_rootv1p2 adlcp_rootv1p2.xsd">

<metadata/>

<organizations default="B0">

<organization identifier="B0">

<title>Simulation Course</title>

<metadata>

  <schema>ADL SCORM</schema>
  <schemaversion>1.2</schemaversion>
  <adlcp:location>sim.xml</adlcp:location>

</metadata>

<item identifier="B1">

<title>My Simulation</title>

<item identifier="S1" identifierref="launch">
     <title>Simulation Launch Page</title>
</item>

</item>

</organization>

</organizations>

<resources>


<resource identifier="launch" type="webcontent" adlcp:scormtype="sco" href="launch.htm">

<file href="launch.htm"/>
<dependency identifierref="wrapper" />

</resource>



<resource identifier="wrapper" type="webcontent" adlcp:scormtype="asset"                 href="APIWrapper.js">

<file href="APIWrapper.js"/>

</resource>

</resources>

</manifest>

Uploading the Launch Files to the LMS

Finally, you will need to upload the files described above to the LMS. This includes

launch.htm
APIWrapper.js
sim.xml
imsmanifest.xml

You will also need to upload these files (in the same same directory).

adl_cp_rootv1p1.xsd
ims_cp_rootv1p1.xsd
ims_md_rootv1p1.xsd
ims_xml.xsd

Examples of all the files mentioned above are in the zipped sample files. Download http://www.forio.com/broadcastdocs/downloads/scorm.zip for these files.

The specifics of how the files get uploaded to your LMS will be different from LMS to LMS. Typically, all the files get zipped together, and the zip file is uploaded through a web interface.