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SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 1st Edition

1. Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 1 Edition 2003 02 28 Carnegie Mellon SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Credits and Redistribution Guidelines The SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers is a publication of the Learning Systems Architecture Lab at Carnegie Mellon University This guide was sponsored by the Technical Support Working Group of the Combating Terrorism Technology Support Office and was created as a service to the e learning community in an attempt to further the adoption of the Sharable Content Object Reference Model SCORM The Learning Systems Architecture Lab at Carnegie Mellon licensor permits others licensees to copy distribute display and create hyperlinks to the SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers the work In return credit must be given to the licensor Licensees may not use the work for commercial purposes without the permission of the licensor The licensor permits others to distribute derivative works under a license identical to the one that governs the licensor s work Except where otherwise noted this work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike License To view a copy of this license visit http creativecommons org licenses by nc sa 1 0 or send a letter to Creative Commons 559 Nathan Abbott Way Stanford California 94305 USA Attribution Noncommercial Share Alike For h
2. In this document and in the sequencing rules we refer to halting the learning in training and requiring manual intervention by the instructor You might want to use this type of an instructional strategy if you need to prevent the learner from seeing additional content because 1 they require face to face interaction with an instructor to ensure they have grasped the material 2 they need assistance beyond that which 1s available in the remaining content or 3 they will be unable to understand the remaining content without a strong understanding of the content they have completed You can accomplish this by creating rules that result in the learner being prevented from seeing any SCO This manual intervention would vary by LMS it is not specified by SCORM 7 2 1 Template 1 Single SCO This is the most basic SCO structure A root aggregation contains a single SCO The SCO may be any size and have any amount of intra SCO branching or an assessment This SCO contains one asset TEMPLATE 1 Single SCO Root Aggregation Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Template 1 Rules SCORM Function 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner must complete the SCO Rollup All satisfied completed Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 40 o
3. 7 2 8 Template 8 Remediating Using Objectives 2 Template 8 allows you to control when the learner can access the post test In this template the learner cannot attempt the post test in SCO 3 until the instruction in Aggregation 1 is complete If the learner fails either objective in the post test the learner will be remediated to the corresponding instructional materials in Aggregation 1 TEMPLATE 8 Remediating Using Objectives 2 Root Aggregation e o o o o o Read OBJe ooo o o Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Template 8 Rules 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner must pass the post Root Aggregation All satisfied test in SCO 3 completed Aggregation 1 isRolledup false SCO 3 isRolledup true 2 The learner must complete Aggregation 1 before attempting Root Aggregation Flow true Deny SCO 3 Forward Progress true 3 The learner can return to SCO 1 from SCO 2 at any time Aggregation 1 Forward Only false 4 Tocomplete SCO 3 both objectives must be passed No unique SCORM function SCO 1 skip if OBJ 1 passed SCO 2 skip if OBJ 2 passed T s 2 3 Allow two attempts for SCO 1 SCO 2 and SCO 3 SCO 1 SCO 2 SCO 3 Attempt Limit 2 8 Ifthe learner fails SCO 3 on the second attempt then halt the No unique SCORM function learner in training and require manual intervention Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie M
4. The objectives and remediation work the same way in Application B as they do in Application A however the learner is now permitted as many attempts as needed to pass the post test in SCO 3 The table below Template 5 Rules Application B has specific details Template 5 Rules Application B 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner must pass the post Root Aggregation All satisfied test in SCO 3 completed SCO 1 isRolledup false SCO 2 isRolledup false SCO 3 isRolledup true Choice true SCO 3 skip if OBJ 1 passed 4 i 2 i 3 2 If the learner fails OBJ 2 in SCO 3 then present SCO 2 SCO 3 set OBJ 2 SCO 2 skip if OBJ 2 passed 5 Allow as many attempts as needed to complete SCO 3 No unique SCORM function Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 46 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 2 6 Template 6 Pre and Post Test Sequencing This template presents a sequencing option for pre and post tests of learner knowledge or skills The pre and post tests for this structure exist as individual SCOs Each post test item is an individual asset The testing SCOs are linked to objectives that correspond to test items within the SCO Based upon the learner s response to the pre test item the OBJ is either set to passed or failed
5. without assistance Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 23 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 4 2 Moving from a Traditional Course Structure to SCORM Traditional course structures tend to follow a hierarchical scheme with a course being composed of various modules and each module being composed of lessons Each lesson then has one or more objectives The lesson may or may not have a learner assessment The diagram below shows a traditional course called Types of Fruits and Vegetables Assume this hypothetical course was designed for growers to give them detailed information about all aspects growing harvesting selling nutrition of different types of fruits and vegetables There are three lessons in each module each represented by a different color scheme In this format a grower who wants to learn specific information about eggplants would have to complete at a minimum the entire lesson on Solanaceae Vegetables to see the information on eggplants Likewise if the grower wanted to learn about eggplants and pineapples she would have to see at a minimum both the entire Solanaceae Vegetables lesson and the entire Herbaceous Fruits lesson This limits the ability of learners to access only the content they desire or the crucial objectives and al
6. 3 isRolledup false SCO 4 isRolledup true 2 The learner must complete the pre test in SCO 1 before attempting Root Aggregation Flow true SCO 2 or SCO 3 Choice false 3 ime The learner can return to SCO 1 from SCO 2 at any time Root Aggregation Forward Only false SCO 2 skip if OBJ 1 passed SCO 3 skip if OBJ 2 passed 6 To complete SCO 4 both test items must be passed No unique SCORM function 7 If the learner fails SCO 4 then the learner is halted in training and No unique SCORM function requires manual intervention 7 2 7 Template 7 Pre and Post Test Sequencing 2 Template 7 shows a simple way to construct a pre and post test course the root aggregation without remediation The pre test sets the objectives OBJ 3 and OBJ 4 to passed or failed depending upon the learner s response to the individual test items If you assume the learner fails OBJ 3 in the pre test then the learner would be presented with a list in the LMS showing SCO 3 The learner would select SCO 3 to view the instruction that was not passed in the pre test The rules for the diagram require the learner to master the post test by passing both OBJ 1 and OBJ 2 TEMPLATE 7 Pre and Post Test Sequencing 2 Root Aggregation Set OBJ at Pre Test Set OBJ e e oo oo Read OBJe oe eo oo Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved NOTE Not all links betwe
7. Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Diagram 4 2 SCOs created from the existing course depicted in Diagram 4 1 In this format however some of your SCOs may be too large and the content too comprehensive to meet the needs of an audience outside of growers For example the SCO called Avocado might include instruction on growing avocado trees pests that infest avocado trees harvesting avocados selling avocados nutritional information on avocados etc These topics could possibly reach a wider and different audience Review the content very carefully Often the topics covered in a SCO such as Avocado can become enabling objectives that you could design as smaller SCOs thereby making them more reusable Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Diagram 4 3 Additional SCOs created from the existing Avocado SCO shown in Diagram 4 2 Assume the content on Avocados in Diagram 4 2 does have numerous enabling objectives Diagram 4 3 above shows how you could further divide that content into SCOs that correspond to the enabling objectives As you will learn in Section 7 this content can be Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 27 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers sequenced in a number of ways to me
8. Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 22 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers A Identifying and Designing Sharable Content Objects SCOs 4 1 Ensuring the Instructional Integrity of SCORM Content Many instructional designers express concerns about the reusability and context free aspects of SCORM Instructional designers wonder how you can maintain the instructional integrity of SCORM content when you don t know who will use it when they will use it or with what other materials they will use it As a best practice one of the easiest ways to ensure the instructional integrity of SCORM content is to make each SCO a stand alone lesson or instructional unit Since a SCO is intended to be inherently small it should represent a single instructional objective and all of the related materials and resources required to support that objective Structured in this manner the effective completion of the SCO will impart the knowledge or skill for which it was designed This guide will not attempt to define how you should write learning objectives whether they should be terminal or enabling objectives whether they should be performance or knowledge based objectives etc Keep in mind however that well written objectives containing a behavior a condition and a criterion will most effectively determine and track whether t
9. For SCORM sequencing purposes an objective is a global variable that allows the learning management system LMS to share status values between sharable content objects SCOs This gives designers greater flexibility in structuring the content under SCORM guidelines Depending on the designer s requirements for the instruction the objective may or may not track actual learner objectives skills or abilities Organization The organization is the part of a content package where SCOs are ordered into a tree structure and sequencing behaviors are assigned to them The organization outlines the entire structure you have created for your content The organization provides order to the otherwise unordered collection of SCOs and their metadata Each organization has one top level aggregation which we refer to as the root aggregation in this document Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 74 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Sequencing Sequencing is similar to the CBT term branching in that it describes and prescribes the manner in which the learner receives the content In CBT much of the branching or sequencing occurred within a lesson or course as the learner completed different tasks However in SCORM the learning management system LMS sequences al
10. OK If OBJ 3 Score 0 5 Skip If OBJ 3 Score 1 Skip eee SCO 9 Set OBJ 3 gg em mm mm mmm mmr mmr rr rrr ror orrrrrere a Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved ows one possible path learner takes through organizatio NOTE In this model the learner always sees a yellow SCO at each layer in the tree because content can only be contained in a SCO and not in an aggregation Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 63 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 4 Creating Display Names Each root aggregation aggregation and SCO will appear on a list in the learning management system LMS for the learner so each item requires a title visible to the learner and a unique identifier not visible to the learner Refer to Section 3 2 Naming and Storing Your Files for tips on creating these titles and identifiers If you create a content structure diagram similar to the templates and models above you may choose to include all of this information on the tree so your developer or programmer can work from one diagram or you may create multiple documents to better meet your needs Growing Fruit Asset Asset apple mpg orange mpg Asset Asset climate jpg florida gif 77777 SSUES A Read OBJe eee Copyright
11. Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 61 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 3 4 Model 4 Traditional CBT Branching with Multiple Decisions Suppose that your course the root aggregation teaches customer service skills You want the learner to have an adaptive scenario based learning experience You decide to create a scenario in which the situation changes based on the learner s decision In this model SCO 1 presents the learner with a customer situation After reading or viewing the scenario in SCO 1 the learner decides how to handle the customer NOTE The colors of the aggregations in Model 4 were changed to show the recurrent structure of the rules assigned to each aggregation for three way branching Each aggregation color represents a unique set of rules that would be programmed for the ageregation The learner chooses Choice C in SCO 1 and then is directed to Aggregation 1 Aggregations can contain rules but not content so the rules of Aggregation 1 direct the learner to SCO 2 SCO 2 presents more information about the customer situation The learner must decide what action to take If the learner chooses B in SCO 2 then the learner would go to Aggregation 5 The rules on Aggregation 5 send the learner to the next situation with this customer SCO 3 Assuming the learner selects choice A from SCO 3 the learner would go to Aggregation 9 In t
12. SCO _A 3 1D o O Location in SCO ARID Location in SCO AIDS Location in SCO Location in SCO A 7 ID Description Location in SCO A 8 ID Description Location in SCO Carnegie Mellon Description Description Description Description Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 70 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 9 2 LSAL Template for Aggregation Design Specifications Aggregation Metadata Title Keyword Agg Description Agg Catalog Agg Entry Classification Description Purpose Contribute Entity Version Classification Keyword MD Catalog MD Entry Learning Resource Type Cost Copyright amp other restrictions Rights Description Interactivity Type Interactivity Level Typical Learning Time Location Objective Information Objective Use only if Aggregation has a unique objective Objective Identifier identifiers for Children C 9 ID C 10 ID C 11 ID C 12 ID C 13 ID C 14 ID C 15 ID C 16 ID Aggregation Structure insert diagram of content structure use children as numbered above ex Cx 12 ID C 1 ID C 2 ID C 3 ID C 4 ID C 5 ID C 6 ID C 7 ID C 8 ID Sequencing Behaviors Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mell
13. SCORM The SCORM content package is a standardized way to exchange digital resources between different learning management systems LMSs authoring tools content repositories and operating systems In traditional instructional design terms the content package would be everything needed to deliver the course module lesson etc to the learner The size of your content package will depend on the structures you ve created for your particular content and the manner in which you want them to be delivered to your learners In SCORM the content package contains two principal sections 1 A manifest that lists all of the resources or assets you want to include in the package the content structure diagram you created called the organization the sequencing rules and all of the metadata for the SCOs the aggregations and the package itself 2 All of the actual SCO and asset files for the content package Content Package r e e e e e e e J e e e J J e e e e C C O O Manifest Organization O Including the structure with sequencing behaviors rules All the physical files needed for this package Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University All Rights Reserved Diagram 8 1 Sections of the content package Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved ur
14. Web client Assets like the sharable content objects SCOs in which they appear are highly reusable In order to be reused assets are described using metadata so that they are both searchable and discoverable in online content repositories Compliance vs Conformance The words compliance and conformance which are often used interchangeably in regular English to convey accordance have distinct meanings when used in the context of the adherence of something to a specification or standard While there is a formal certification program to test for strict conformance of any product to the SCORM guidelines it is not assumed that the products derived from the processes or procedures in the guide will automatically pass the conformance tests Thus this document uses SCORM compliant to refer to the development of materials that comply with the written SCORM guidelines but that are not certified as SCORM conformant Content Package The content package is a standardized way to exchange collections of digital resources between different learning management systems LMSs authoring tools content repositories and operating systems In traditional instructional design terms the content package would be everything needed to deliver the course module lesson etc to the learner The content package contains two principal entities 1 a manifest file that lists all of the resources or assets you want to include in the package the conten
15. When the pre test in SCO 1 is completed the LMS shows the learner the SCOs corresponding to the missed test questions so the learner can complete the instruction before taking the post test Suppose the learner passes both pre test items in SCO 1 OBJ 1 and OBJ 2 would be set to passed The learner then has the choice to either skip or complete the instructional SCOs SCO 2 and SCO 3 However the learner is required to pass the post test so once the pre test OBJs OBJ 1 and OBJ 2 are passed the post test SCO 4 becomes available to the learner Set OBJ 2 at Pre Test Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved To further expand upon the use of objectives in this template suppose the learner fails a pre test item in SCO 1 OBJ 1 used as a variable would be set to failed and the LMS would show the learner SCO 1 the corresponding instruction Once the learner completed the instructional content in SCO 1 the learner would be able to take the post test Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 47 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Template 6 Rules 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner must pass the post Root Aggregation All satisfied test in SCO 4 completed SCO 1 isRolledup false SCO 2 isRolledup false SCO
16. are applied This diagram you must carefully specify the actions and behaviors you should be followed by a list of the behaviors the instructional designer intends for the learner desire for each SCO and aggregation all the way back to the root aggregation If you fail to do this the actions and behaviors of your content will be the default values defined by SCORM Specifying the actions and behaviors l Objective OBJ requires the creation of a content structure diagram For SCORM sequencing purposes an objective is a global variable that allows Some terms you may have used to signify a specific the LMS to share status values function of instruction may have different meanings in Pea eee a y 8 greater flexibility in structuring the SCORM One example is an objective OBJ In content under SCORM guidelines traditional instructional design an objective is used to Depending on the designer s ien requirements for the instruction the measure the attainment of a knowledge skill or ability in objective may or may not track actual accordance with a predefined behavior a prescribed learner objectives skills or abilities condition and an achievement standard In SCORM a SCO can pass two different MasteryStatus parameters for an OBJ to the LMS PassFail and NormalizedScore You determine the criteria the SCO will use to report the objectives PassFail or NormailzedScore values which will be passed to the LMS PassFail simply
17. documentation However the numerous organizations have created guidelines and recommendations for navigational controls audio visual controls and student support functions Whichever type of navigation you choose within your SCOs be sure to apply it across all of your SCOs for the most effective learner experience Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 33 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers This Page Intentionally Left Blank Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 34 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 Sequencing Your Content In traditional CBT branching enabled or sometimes forced learners to move from one piece of content to another relatively seamlessly Learners may or may not have known they were moving from one lesson to another or one module to another This was possible because robust authoring systems gave designers nearly limitless programming options for structuring and branching their content The functionality within a lesson or between lessons was hard coded whether based on a linear or an adaptive model One of the goals of SCORM is content reusab
18. edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 11 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers a Content Repository 1 COURSE 1 Growing Fruit Trees 0010 StS Guide to Produce COURSE 3 Preparing Fresh Produce S a Content Repository 2 a A Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Diagram 2 1 Multiple courses created from sharable content objects SCOs located in different repositories This ability to reuse sharable content objects for many different purposes can generate significant time and cost savings When an organization discovers an education or training need it can search an online content repository for existing instructional materials The organization can then retrieve content created by different organizations that is stored in different locations and configure or sequence the content to meet its own specific training needs This custom course can then be delivered by a SCORM compliant learning management system when it is needed just in time training without waiting for weeks or months of development Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Sequencing Sequencing is similar to the CBT term branching in that it describes and prescribes the manner in which the learner receives the content In CBT much of the branching or sequencing occurred within a lesson or course as the learner com
19. field This results in about 70 possible metadata fields Since the metadata field options are numerous your Style Guide should define which of these fields will be required for your projects and which fields will be optional The metadata required for SCOs and aggregations is identical however assets have different metadata requirements in SCORM Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 16 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Metadata should only reference one item so if you make multiple versions or revisions to an item each iteration should have its own unique metadata You can accomplish this by using different globally unique identifiers and the version field in the Life Cycle element Remember that your GUID will be divided into two separate metadata fields in your metadata record catalog and entry Specific information about metadata fields is located in Table 3 4 Recommended Metadata Fields for SCOs and Ageregations Relating a GUID to Metadata Fields Catalog Entry Po urn x lsal cmu ed aRU IT VEGS SCO 915678f9 ddb2 4a8a a585 fba6c1 AA Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved When creating your metadata always remember the knowledge base search habits and search vocabulary of those seeking your content and
20. for each iteration of the SCO Assets may also have GUIDs assigned to them GUIDs can be obtained from a number of services However a GUID by itself is just an alpha numeric scheme It will have no inherent meaning to you or anyone else In order to give some logical meaning to your GUID create a scheme for customizing it Customizing your GUIDs Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 15 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers will ensure that you are able to locate your own materials quickly and easily The customization of a GUID may require a manual process that you apply once you have obtained the basic GUID The information you choose to put into the GUID structure should be standardized in accordance with your Style Guide Below is one suggested structure for a GUID Sample GUID Structure Customized data identifier obtained entered manually from a service urn x Isal cmu edu 1 2 F RU IT VEGS SCO 91 5678f9 ddb2 4a8a a585 fba6c15464c2 Prefix Name Affiliated Item space Course Type Version and Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Name 3 4 Locating Your Instructional Materials While creating standardized file naming conventions and using GUIDs help you to track and locate your materials SCORM has an additional req
21. other SCOs you created You can also create additional SCOs to augment other audiences as needed or assume others who wish to use your content will develop their own SCOs that will work with your SCOs One way to approach the creation of SCOs in a context neutral way is to make each of the existing objectives into individual SCOs This will not only help you ensure that as a stand alone item your SCO is instructionally sound it is also likely to be the solution that gives you the most flexibility when you are ready to sequence your content Diagram 4 2 following shows the individual objectives from the Types of Fruits and Vegetables Course from Diagram 4 1 divided into individual SCOs rather than created as comprehensive lessons This diagram is not intended to show the structure of the content but rather how you can take existing courses and lessons and create SCOs from them Each SCO in the diagram represents one objective from the existing course structure The SCOs can now be sequenced in any manner desired by the instructional designer Section 7 Sequencing Your Content shows numerous ways you can structure the content from this example Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 26 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Types of Fruits and Vegetables
22. the ability to equate SCORM structures to the traditional instructional design components you are accustomed to working with and the ability to overlay the templates in this guide you can essentially create limitless structures of your own The rules provided in Application A of Template 4 provide designer controlled learning while the rules in Application B allow for more learner control of the experience The set of rules you choose to apply to any template will depend on the learner experience you are trying to create as well as the tracking and training documentation requirements you have Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 43 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers TEMPLATE 4 Multiple SCOs with Assets Root Aggregation Asset jpg Asset mpg Asset Q 4 gif mpg Q 5 mpg Q 6 mpg Template 4 Rules Application A SCORM Function and SCO 2 the SCOs Forward Progress Only false Template 4 Rules Application B SCO 2 completed the SCOs Choice Asset Asset Asset gif jpg gif Asset Asset mpg mpg Q 1 mpg l l SOS Instance of Template 2 Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Me
23. 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved NOTE This is an application of Template 5 Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 64 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 5 Communicating Aggregation Information to the Programmer Once you have designed your content structure diagram you will have to explain to the programmer how you want the content structure to be presented to the learner An aggregation design specification Agg Spec is a single document you can use to communicate the presentation order and sequencing behaviors of each of the children in a particular aggregation Children may be SCOs or other aggregations within your root aggregation Each aggregation in a root aggregation requires its own aggregation design specification See the Appendix for an example of an Aggregation Design Specification This template is formatted to follow the SCORM best practices in this guide The metadata fields included in the form are based on those in the table of Recommended Metadata Fields The Aggregation Design Specification should include the following information that is specific to the aggregation you are describing 1 An objective if one is required at the aggregation level 2 Metadata 3 A list of all of the children SCOs or other aggrega
24. 3 3 SCO Metadata for SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers To be optimally accessible and locatable your metadata should include the elements in the Recommended Metadata Fields table that follows However your team must decide which specific fields are most appropriate for the type and volume of content you are creating A few CanCore Learning Object Metadata Metadata Guidelines Version 1 1 p 0 9 Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 17 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers well chosen and well implemented metadata elements will enhance resource discovery in a cost effective manner the more elements implemented the greater the chance for error and the higher the cost for a decreasing return on investment with respect to resource discovery Since your developers and programmers will need to include the metadata as XML when they package your content it is important to use a common tool that is useful for both programmers and designers The Style Guide should provide this standard format in the form of a SCO design specification or a design form that specifies only the metadata fields your team requires see the SCO Design Specification Template in the Appendix for one possible format Your Style Guide should also assign responsibility
25. 6638296 Page 77 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers This Page Intentionally Left Blank Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 78 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 12 Summary of Significant Changes in 1 Edition The 1 Edition of this guide incorporates revised and reworded textual explanations that were made to enhance the readability and usability of the guide In most cases these changes from previous preliminary versions were too insignificant to note However this summary lists the significant changes included in the SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 1 Edition so that users of any previous versions can more easily identify the revisions 1 The version tracking system for the guide was replaced by an edition system The First Edition dated January 30 2003 supersedes all previous versions of the guide 2 A description of the usage of compliance versus conformance in this guide was added to the Preface and the Glossary 3 A new section Using This Guide was added to the document before Section 1 This section includes a diagram depicting the processes and products discussed in the guide 4 Section 2 2 Sharable Content Objects now includes additional material to clarify the roles a SCO can play i
26. Best Practices Guide for Content Developers This Page Intentionally Left Blank Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 76 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 11 References Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative Sharable Content Object Reference Model SCORM http www adInet org Canadian Core Learning Object Metadata Application Profile CanCore Learning Object Metadata Metadata Guidelines Version 1 1 p 0 9 http www cancore org index html IMS Global Learning Consortium Inc Simple Sequencing Specification Content Packaging Specification Meta Data Specification http www imsproject org International Organization for Standardization ISO 8601 Data elements and interchange formats Information interchange Representation of dates and times http www iso ch iso en CatalogueDetailPage CatalogueDetail CSNUMBER 26780 amp ICS 1 1 amp ICS2 140 amp ICS3 30 Standard for Learning Object Metadata IEEE SA Standard 1484 12 1 2002 IEEE Standards Department Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc 2002 http www ieee org Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db4
27. For Model 1 the two SCOs are replaced by Aggregation A and Aggregation B that now represent the root aggregation from Template 5 Each aggregation contains three SCOs one of which is a post test The inter SCO remediation for each aggregation 1s tracked by the LMS using objectives OBJs as global variables Each post test item is linked to an OBJ Based upon the learner s response to the test item the OBJ is either set to passed or failed In this example suppose the learner fails a test item in SCO 3 OBJ 1 would be set to failed and the LMS would show the learner SCO 1 the SCO that corresponds to OBJ 1 If the learner passes both test items in SCO 3 then the objectives would be set to passed and the learner would proceed to Aggregation B MODEL 1 Remediating Multiple Aggregations Root Aggregation A Instance of L 4 Instance of Template of Instance of Template 5 This guide shows two possible applications for Model 1 since each template used to create the model had two possible applications However the applications could be combined in any fashion resulting in several more applications for this one model Suppose you want to create a course the root aggregation with two units Aggregation A and Aggregation B each containing two lessons and a post test the SCOs You want the learner to be remediated on a Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon Universit
28. Here are some of the roles a SCO can play in your instructional materials 1 Learning objectives the SCOs in a lesson 2 Segments the SCOs in a lesson 3 Lessons the SCOs in a module 4 Modules the SCOs in a course 5 Lessons the SCOs in a course 6 Units the SCOs in a course A SCO is independent of other instruction so it cannot rely on other SCOs or a particular course structure to give it meaning or place it within a certain context For instructional designers this may pose a concern How do you ensure the instructional integrity of a SCO if there is no supporting course structure and you don t know the context in which it may be used If you are an instructional designer author or content developer accustomed to thinking in traditional instructional design terms 1 e courses units segments lessons and modules then the easiest way to think of a sharable content object might be as a stand alone lesson or a single learning objective Effective completion of the SCO will impart the knowledge or skill for which it was designed Since SCORM says SCOs should be small enough to allow reuse across multiple learning contexts as a best practice a SCO should represent at least a single instructional objective and all of the related materials required to support that objective As such a SCO should be instructionally sound Remember no matter what instructional strategy you employ or delivery medium you use your cont
29. Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 28 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers As discussed in Section 4 3 Designing SCOs from Existing Materials one area of analysis you ll need to consider with SCORM is the audience for whom you target your content When considering all the possible audiences for your content limit your brainstorming to all of the potential audiences you can identify in five to ten minutes rather than endlessly discussing the options The process outlined here is one way in which you can work through the instructional design process to create SCORM compliant instructional materials You can customize this process to best fit your own team s requirements Determine the Instructional Strategy When designing SCOs for new content one of your first tasks will be to determine what type of instructional strategy you plan to implement before you identify your individual SCOs Because it is essential that you have a good understanding of all aspects of SCORM before you attempt to design SCOs for new content you should read this guide in its entirety prior to beginning your design and development process Identify the SCOs Once you ve determined the instructional strategy you think is most relevant to your learners you can decide how many SCOs you will need what content the SCOs will address etc You can do this in a way that will make the individ
30. Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 31 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers your instructional materials and tests or if you want to ensure the validity and reliability of the tests this will not be an effective testing structure If you simply want to quiz the learner to ensure they ve grasped the material but have no further test tracking requirements this may satisfy your testing requirements Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 32 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 6 Navigating in SCORM 6 1 The User Interface In SCORM the learning management system LMS provides the user interface for your SCOs This means that your SCOs will look slightly different when displayed on the screen depending on the LMS in which they are running Typically the LMS interface will include forward and back buttons and a selectable table of contents There are numerous other factors to consider when selecting an LMS If you have access to multiple LMSs test how your SCOs both operate and appear when running in each LMS Do this before you publish your work for access by learners and if possible before you purchase an LMS If you ve followed SCORM principles the SCOs should ope
31. SSON Root Aggregation Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Diagram 7 4 Root Aggregation SEGMENT Diagram 7 5 Root Aggregation Lesson Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 38 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers The sequencing templates in this section describe potential behaviors of SCOs according to various instructional design strategies The templates are designed to assist you in structuring your content to comply with SCORM sequencing guidelines Any template or combination of templates can be overlaid on or combined with another template creating a more complex instructional strategy for a course or a lesson Combining the templates provided here will provide you with viable sequencing models that you can adapt to meet your particular training and educational requirements Section 7 3 shows several models for more complex instructional strategies Depending upon how you apply behaviors to the structures you can achieve a variety of outcomes These templates are not intended to be exhaustive but they should help you begin to identify new ways in which you can construct SCORM content while adhering to sequencing guidelines and the true intent o
32. aims to be pedagogically neutral this guide focuses specifically on a single user self paced e learning pedagogy that is one learner interacting with the instruction The guide s primary focus 1s for the training community however the SCORM definitions and strategies presented in the guide can be easily transferred to the educational community for a wide range of learners including K 12 and higher education The guide can also be applied to developing materials for distance education computer assisted instruction CAI and some forms of classroom instruction There has been considerable debate about what a sharable content object SCO is how big it should be and what it should contain objectives assessments simulations etc There are no concrete answers to any of these questions In many cases you ll need to adapt your SCOs to fit your specific needs This guide attempts to provide a somewhat flexible definition of a SCO while providing some best practices to help you create the types of SCOs that will best meet your organization s specific needs It also provides sequencing templates and models to assist you in creating an effective instructional design that complies with SCORM 1 3 Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 1 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Conten
33. al reference guide designed for public reference could also use the asset ZZ Sharable Content Objects SCOs A sharable content object SCO is a collection of assets that becomes an independent defined piece of instructional material SCOs are the smallest logical unit of instruction you can deliver and track via a learning management system LMS Additionally under the current SCORM SCOs cannot directly access other SCOs So you could not create a SCO with any links to Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 9 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers content in other SCOs Put another way this means a learner cannot access supplemental content from another SCO It is very important to remember that each SCO should be able to stand alone With SCORM all inter SCO sequencing is directed by the LMS through hard coded sequencing behaviors This is significantly differenent from the way most CBT lessons and courses function You can view a SCO as any traditional instructional design component such as a lesson a module a unit a segment or a course As a result you can use them in several different ways The way you use the SCO will depend on the level at which you want to track the learner as well as the type and structure of your specific content
34. als The materials you are asked to convert may or may not have been developed by your organization They also may or may not have been developed by instructional designers Countless people have asked What makes good SCORM content The answer is good content makes good SCORM content When tasked with converting existing materials to SCORM it is essential to ensure the content is instructionally sound in its current form before trying to convert it to SCORM The easiest way to do this is through a process of content reverse engineering Additional considerations for designing SCOs for new instructional materials are addressed in Section 4 4 Evaluate the existing content Does the content teach its stated objectives You may find after thoughtful and unbiased evaluation that the objectives are unrelated to the content or the content does not teach the required objectives If this occurs you should determine a if you need to add content to teach the existing objectives b if you should remove or rewrite the actual objectives c if you should remove irrelevant content or d if you should re design the organization of the content For any of these options there may be impacts to your schedule budget and resources If you are in the proposal process proposing to complete the conversion of existing content to SCORM then consider the impacts of these issues in your costing model since they may be significant Analyze the poten
35. alue or entry in the catalog listing 1 0 pie sco 915678f9 ddb2 4a8a used to locate and access the metadata This a585 fba6c15464c2 entry is different than the entry used for the item itself Y 3 3 Metadata SCORM references the IEEE Learning Object IEEE LOMv1 0 Metadata LOM v1 0 for metadata Some fields are required by SCORM that may not be required by IEEE LOMv1 0 Scheme NOTE Other metadata schemes do exist Some examples include DublinCore and CanCore 4 TECHNICAL Y Technical requirements characteristics and This is summary level element only structure of the resource The fields you complete are below it 4 1 Format Y Technical data type and the software needed to MIME non digital display or access the resource 4 2 Size N The actual not compressed size of the 532 bytes resource in BYTES not MB or GB 4 3 Location Y Access point or internet location of the actual http www crfg org pubs ff avocado html resource 5 EDUCATIONAL N Describes the educational characteristics or This is summary level element only philosophies of the resource The fields you complete are below it 5 1 Interactivity Type N Describes the type of interaction the resource Uses existing IEEE LOMv1 0 provides to the learner vocabulary value 5 2 Learning N Describes the most dominant instructional Uses existing IEEE LOMv1 0 Resource Type strategy of the resource vocabulary value 5 3 Interactivity Level N Describes the amount of in
36. and expectations will be crucial to the programs or procedures the team will success of SCORM content development projects ee pie ean eine i proceaures and Cnecklists the team WI Instructional designers authors and content developers use The Style Guide should be should not feel as if they should understand all of the minimally impacted by SCORM specific technical nuances of aSCORM implementation This conventions guide should provide them with the basic knowledge they need to design and author instructional materials that are SCORM compliant Their primary responsibility should remain developing effective instructional materials that work within the evolving technical standards Programmers and system developers should focus their efforts on the technical implementation of SCORM They should advise the instructional designers on the technical constraints that govern how SCOs are created so that the content functions optimally both technologically and instructionally It is essential that the two groups work together from the initial planning stages of the project through project delivery Table 3 1 outlines the responsibilities of each of the team member roles mentioned above Your organization may refer to these roles using different names As design related questions such as Can I do this with the content and still make it SCORM compliant arise instructional designers authors and content developers will rely on the technical ex
37. and their metadata Each organization has one top level aggregation which we refer to as the root aggregation in this document Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 35 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers However a comprehensive score for the learner s performance on the SCO as a whole may be reported to and stored in the LMS The scores reported to the LMS include passed failed or a normative score between 1 and 1 SCORM prescribes nearly all functionality that occurs outside of the SCO itself This inter SCO sequencing is how the designer specifies what is presented to the learner when it is presented and the attributes or functions the SCO entails This is also how SCORM allows designers to monitor and record the learner s choices and performance 7 1 Understanding Sequencing Terminology Content Structure Diagram The instructional techniques you traditionally employ may eee aerate pte te have to change slightly as you create SCORM compliant diagram is a tree diagram created by instruction Since the sequencing of the content 1s now the instructional designer for the being controlled by the LMS which will generally be programmer IO Snow ine merane nyonto which the sequencing rules for the programmed by someone other than the content designer SCOs
38. arnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 57 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 3 2 Model 2 Mastery Testing Multiple Aggregations Model 2 demonstrates how Templates 4 and 5 can be combined into multiple assessed aggregations with a mastery test SCO F for the entire root aggregation The links to objectives for remediation within Aggregations 1 2 and 3 are not shown in this model but they are identical to those shown in Template 5 MODEL 2 Mastery Testing Multiple Aggregations Root Aggregation gpm Instance of Template 4 Instance of Template 5 Instance of Template 5 Instance of Template 8 Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved NOTE Links to objectives within Aggregations 1 2 and 3 are not shown Refer to Templates 5 and 8 for specific details Suppose you wanted to create a course the root aggregation with several critical lessons Aggregations 1 3 Each lesson builds upon the instruction of the previous lesson so the lessons must be completed in order Each of the lessons has several objectives the SCOs that are tested and remediated independently You decide to allow the learner two attempts in each lesson to pass the post test by providing remediation between the attempts If the learner successfu
39. ation A for specific details TEMPLATE 5 Remediating Using Objectives Asset Asset 7 Set OBJ es ee eee Read OBJe ee ees jpg git Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 45 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Template 5 Rules Application A 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner must pass the post Root Aggregation All satisfied test in SCO 3 completed SCO 1 isRolledup false SCO 2 isRolledup false SCO 3 isRolledup true 2 The learner must complete SCO 1 before attempting SCO 2 The Root Aggregation Flow true learner must complete SCO 2 before attempting SCO 3 Choice false 3 To complete SCO 3 both objectives must be passed No unique SCORM function SCO 1 skip if OBJ 1 passed SCO 2 skip if OBJ 2 passed Limit 2 7 Ifthe learner fails SCO 3 on attempt 2 the learner is halted in training and requires manual intervention Some templates can be applied in different ways using different behaviors In Template 5 Rules Application B we ve given the learner more control over the learning experience The learner now has the choice to view the content in any order The learner could even complete the post test in SCO 3 without first viewing SCOs 1 and 2
40. cccsccccceeesssssessessssssssesssssessssesseeeeeeeees 36 7 2 Beginning with Simple Sequencing Templates ccccccccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 37 kad CMV a ae rsttec edicts asa tec a e n 40 7 2 2 Template 2 SCO with Assets nnnen0n0000ee0eeeeneetteeereseesretttrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrren 41 Taoa Lamae ene EDO e E A E A 42 7 2 4 Template 4 Multiple SCOs with Assets ccccccccccccccccceccecccseeesssesseeeeeceeecceeeeeeeeeeaaaaas 43 iz Template 5 Remediatine Using ODjectiyESnoreninsersien a a 45 7 2 6 Template 6 Pre and Post Test Sequencing n sennnnsesssssseoesettererennsssssssssseeerrereeene 47 Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn 1stEd SCORMGUIDE LSAL CMU EDU b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 111 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 2 Yemplate 7 Pre and Post Lest Sequencin 2 acisctestazsctosacavsassgencsivasioassdeadssasieteteyesmiaunies 48 7 2 8 Template 8 Remediating Using Objectives 2 ccccccccccccccccccccsceeeeeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 50 7 2 9 Template 9 Basic Three Way Branching isccccicnsccmecessasesdiex senna viareenieesasterietstarserereexe 51 7 2 10 Template 10 Pre and Post Test Sequencing with New Content for Remediation 52 7 3 Building Instructional Models Using the Templates ccc eeeeeseeeeeeeessesesss
41. d Content does not require modification to operate as software systems and platforms are changed or upgraded Content can be identified and located when it is needed and as it is needed to meet training and education requirements Example Content developed by a refinery to train its employees to respond to a petroleum spill could be reused by the fire department as part of a hazardous materials training program Content developed in one authoring system where the delivery platform is a CD on a non networked Macintosh will also operate over the Web on a PC using both Internet Explorer and Netscape equally well Upgrading an operating system from Windows NT to Windows 2000 has no impact on the delivery of content to the learner A manager can conduct an online search for training on sexual harassment and identify appropriate materials for her specific organizational needs based on information provided in the content metadata Table 1 1 SCORM Concepts and Definitions Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Metadata Metadata is data about data It is the information that describes what your content is both the individual pieces the assets and SCOs and the content packages Metadata enables instructional designers searching for content or assets to locate them with relative ease and determine whether they will be useful before downloading or requesting rights to your SCOs or assets See Sectio
42. d for remediation Both the pre and post tests are required Based on the learner s responses to the pre test in SCO A OBJ 1 and OBJ 2 will be set to passed or failed Assume the learner fails OBJ 2 A typical LMS will then show SCO 2 on a list The learner will choose SCO 2 and then take a post test SCO C to ensure they understand the content from both SCOs 1 and 2 If the learner passes both OBJ 3 and OBJ 4 from SCO C then the learner will complete Aggregation B thereby completing the root aggregation Assume the learner failed OBJ 4 in SCO C The LMS will present the learner with SCO 4 SCO 4 contains new instructional material remediation that is an enhancement of the content from SCO 2 Since the learner initially struggled with the content and the learner is required to master the content the learner must now pass the post test in SCO B to complete the root ageregation If the learner fails SCO B then the learner will be halted in training according to these rules You could also structure the rules such that the learner passed after a defined number of attempts Ifthe learner passes the post test in SCO B then the root aggregation is considered complete Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 52 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers TEMPLATE 10 P
43. develop your metadata with these things in mind This includes using the most specific and descriptive terms possible For example Table 3 3 shows how you could complete some metadata fields if this guide were to be used as a SCO Metadata Title SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Version 1 Edition Keyword SCOR M content developers ADL SCORM metadata simple Status Final sequencing SCO Description The SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers describes processes and procedures for designing and developing SCORM compliant content SCO Catalog x Isal cmu edu Classification Description SCORM Content Development Size 8400000 bytes Purpose Discipline Classification Keyword SCORM Content Development Contribute Learning Systems Architecture Lab Role Author MD Scheme LOMv1 0 Entity Learning Systems Architecture Lab Carnegie MD Catalog x lsal cmu edu Mellon University Pittsburgh PA USA www Isal cmu edu MD Entry 1sted scormcdgmetdata e7054c26 92df 4dbb 9acb afd9bf7a9ca3 Learning Resource Type Narrative Text Interactivity Type Expositive Copyright amp other restrictions Yes Interactivity Level very low Rights Description Redistribute or reprint is Typical Learning Time 4 hours allowed Credit must be given to Carnegie Mellon Location University LSAL May not be used for commercial http www sal cmu edu Isal expertise projects developersguide index html purposes Table
44. e For example it can retrieve non communicative SCO does not necessarily mean that information such as a student name that learner saw all of the instructional material in the SSE EV Uber ee E RER SCO For example the learner may have only seen the first page and then closed the SCO thus marking the SCO complete If you want to or are required to ensure the learner actually sees all of the content then create SCOs that are single pages or do not have multiple assets 7 2 Beginning with Simple Sequencing Templates Continuing with our example from Section 4 you determined how to divide some existing content into SCOs resulting in the diagram below In all of the diagrams in this guide yellow boxes represent SCOs The green boxes below now represent what were considered modules in Diagram 4 2 in Section 4 These boxes are now aggregations of content The red box that previously represented the course now represents a root aggregation Root Aggregation Types of Fruits and Vegetables Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved EE Diagram 7 1 SCOs created from the existing course depicted in Diagram 4 1 Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 37 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Once you have defined your SCOs and c
45. e learner fails SCO 3 on attempt 2 the learner No unique SCORM function is halted in training and requires manual intervention 10 To complete Aggregation B the learner must pass Aggregation B All satisfied completed 5 the post test in SCO 6 SCO 4 isRolledUp false SCO 5 isRolledUp false SCO 6 isRolledUp true 11 The learner must complete SCO 4 before Aggregation B Flow true Choice false 5 A attempting SCO 5 The learner must complete SCO 5 before attempting SCO 6 12 To complete SCO 6 both objectives must be No unique SCORM function 5 A passed 13 If the learner fails OBJ 3 in SCO 6 then present SCO 6 set OBJ 3 5 A SCO 4 SCO 4 skip if OBJ 3 passed i set OBJ A TJ 0 A A 5 A 5 A 5 A 5 A 5 A A 14 If the learner fails OBJ 4 in SCO 6 then present SCO 6 set OBJ 4 5 SCO 5 SCO 5 skip if OBJ 4 passed 15 Allow two attempts for SCO 4 SCO 5 and SCO 4 SCO 5 SCO 6 Attempt Limit 2 SCO 6 16 If the learner fails SCO 6 on attempt 2 the learner No unique SCORM function is halted in training and requires manual intervention Next suppose you want to use discovery learning to teach the learner how to start a new state of the art dishwasher However you want to slightly restrict the learner s control because the content includes both knowledge and a performance based simulation Assume Aggregation A presents knowledge based information about the dishwasher and tests the learne
46. e updated to reflect this change 12 Section 7 2 The narrative in this section was revised to clarify the roles SCOs can play 13 Section 7 2 1 Template 1 Rule 2 was deleted 14 Section 7 2 9 Template 9 All rules were changed to reflect the proper terminology 15 Section 7 2 10 Template 10 The last rule was modified to correct the rule statement 16 Section 7 3 3 Model 3 The note at the end of the rules was removed Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 79 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 17 18 19 20 Section 7 3 4 Model 4 A note was added to the text to clarify the use of different colors in the content structure diagram Section 8 Packaging Your Content was revised to clarify the components of a content package Diagram 8 1 was updated accordingly Section 9 1 The SCO Specification Template was re titled LSAL Template for SCO Design Specifications The metadata section of the specification template was updated to include the mandatory metadata fields Section 9 2 The Aggregation Specification Template was renamed LSAL Template for Aggregation Design Specifications The metadata section of the specification template was updated to include the mandatory metadata fields Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Arc
47. ellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 50 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 2 9 Template 9 Basic Three Way Branching Template 9 shows how you can use simple sequencing rules to accomplish basic adaptive inter SCO sequencing that is similar to the branching you might have used in traditional CBT lessons Based upon the learner s choice or decision represented as a normalized score between 1 and 1 the learner would be directed to another SCO Suppose your course the root aggregation 1s an adaptive scenario that teaches customer service skills SCO 1 is the introductory scenario After reading or viewing the scenario SCO 1 the learner must make a decision about how to handle the situation with a particular customer The learner chooses Choice B which sets the score for SCO 1 to 0 5 Based on the 0 5 score the learner is directed to SCO 3 for further instruction This template could be replicated to create as many learner decision points as you desire For more information on replicating the template see Model 4 The rules for Template 9 Applications A and B have the same behaviors but show two alternatives for programming the behaviors Template 9 Basic Three Way Branching SINTE Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Template 9 Rules Application A 1 To complete the Root Aggregati
48. emplate 4 Aggregation 9 could be the final scenario you designed or you could continue building upon the situation with this particular customer through several more decision levels Aggregations 2 and 3 show other possible routes a learner could take through this instructional material depending upon the decision he made in SCO 1 The objectives in this model are used as global variables They track the learner s decisions and progress throughout the root ageregation The rules for Model 4 are specified within the diagram Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 62 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Model 4 Traditional CBT Branching with Multiple Decisions Root Aggregation Aggregation 1 Aggregation 2 Aggregation 3 If OBJ 1 Score 0 Skip If OBJ 1 Score 0 Skip If OBJ 1 Score 0 OK If OBJ 1 Score 0 5 Skip If OBJ 1 Score 0 5 OK If OBJ 1 Score 0 5 Skip If OBJ 1 Score 1 OK If OBJ 1 Score 1 Skip If OBJ 1 Score 1 Skip Aggregation 4 Aggregation 5 Aggregation 6 follow purple rules If OBJ 2 Score 0 Skip follow green rules If OBJ 2 Score 0 5 OK l If OBJ 2 Score 1 Skip l l l SCO 1 Set OBJ 1 i SCO 5 Set OBJ 2 Aggregation 7 Aggregation 8 Aggregation 9 follow purple rules follow teal rules If OBJ 3 Score 0
49. en SCOs and objectives are shown here Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 48 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Template 7 Rules 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner must pass the post Root Aggregation All satisfied test in SCO 2 completed SCO 1 isRolledUp false Aggregation B isRolledUp false SCO 2 isRolledUp true 2 The learner must complete the pre test in SCO 1 before attempting SCO 1 If not complete Deny Forward Aggregation B or SCO 2 Progress 3 The learner can return to SCO 3 from SCO 4 at any time Aggregation B Forward Only False Flow true Choice true 4 Ifthe learner fails OBJ 3 in SCO 1 then present SCO 3 SCO 1 set OBJ 3 SCO 3 skip if OBJ 3 passed SCO 4 skip if OBJ 4 passed attempted Forward Only true Choice false 7 2 To complete SCO 2 OBJ 1 and OBJ 2 must be passed No unique SCORM function 8 Ifthe learner fails OBJ 1 or OBJ 2 then the learner is halted in No unique SCORM function training and requires manual intervention Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 49 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers
50. ent will only be as effective as the objectives you write Ensure you spend adequate time in advance of the technical implementation determining the types of objectives you want to use for your content the granularity of each objective you write and the conditions and standards your objectives include The SCO should contain the complete instructional content and all assets supporting the instruction As a best practice a SCO should also contain any tests required to sample existing or attained knowledge or skills pre and post tests or embedded knowledge checks or quizzes Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 10 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers However if deemed appropriate tests can be created as individual SCOs separate from the instruction This would enable content only SCOs to be used both with and without tests Section 5 Structuring Tests in SCORM discusses additional considerations for testing in SCORM and Section 7 Sequencing Your Content shows examples of content structure diagrams you can use to achieve the various types of test structures and tracking you require A sharable content object may also contain various sub or enabling objectives that support the primary or terminal objective However the LMS is only required to trac
51. est Practices Guide for Content Developers companies ten fire departments four branches of the military and ten environmental organizations needing the training then these 34 organizations would spend a total of 680 000 for hazardous material training 20 000 each 34 organizations x 10 000 generic 10 000 customized 680 000 If there were a way that all 34 organizations could share the generic training then together they could potentially save 330 000 by having only one organization develop the generic portion of the training at a cost of only 10 000 and then share it with the others 10 000 generic 34 organizations x 10 000 customized 350 000 TOTAL SAVINGS 330 000 From this example it is obvious that hundreds of different organizations around the United States not to mention the world might have redundant training requirements In this example the total cost savings generated by sharing hazardous materials training would be even greater than estimated Unfortunately another factor limits the viability of this solution Despite the substantial cost savings that would result from having one organization develop the training for the 34 other organizations each organization likely uses a different learning management system uses different hardware and uses a different authoring system So what worked technologically with the hardware and software of the developing organization might be useless on another sy
52. et the needs of growers as well as others interested in any of the topics covered by each individual SCO Develop metadata Once you have identified your SCOs and conducted your audience analysis you can begin developing the metadata for your SCOs If you are using a SCO design spec such as the one in Appendix 9 1 you already have a tool with the defined metadata fields for your organization For the SCO in Diagram 4 3 called Growing Avocado Trees you might include the keywords growing avocados and avocado trees You might also include a description that says This SCO provides information about varieties of avocado trees as well as techniques for raising avocados in different climates The content is ideal for farmers and gardening enthusiasts The description and keywords will be useful for other individuals searching online content repositories for relevant content to use in their own courses Metadata Title Growing Avocado Trees Version 1 0 Keyword growing avocados avocado trees Status Draft SCO Description This SCO provides information about varieties of avocado Date 2003 02 07 trees as well as techniques for raising avocados in different climates The content is ideal for farmers and gardening enthusiasts SCO Catalog x lsal cmu edu Structure Linear SCO Entry 1 0 avocado a284b779 eb39 4fd1 931a d7e0c9af3e7e Format portable document format pdf Classification Description Avocado Trees Size 120000 b
53. evices Apples could be used as in Diagram 2 1 for several and to protect data in the event of a disaster different courses created by any number of different organizations to meet their needs In Diagram 2 1 the Types of Apples SCO in Content Repository 1 is being accessed by all three of the courses shown In the Growing Fruit Trees Course the Types of Apples SCO is being used to show the products resulting from different types of apple trees In the Guide to Produce Course the same SCO is being used by grocers to show the complete spectrum of fruits that are available to them and to their customers In the Preparing Fresh Produce Course the Types of Apples SCO is used to help the cook determine the type of apple appropriate for the different dishes he prepares The three courses could be assembled by three different organizations around the world Additionally the SCOs in the repositories could have been generated by separate organizations or by the organization that owns each particular content repository All of the SCO generating organizations could be unrelated to the three companies creating the courses While Course 1 is only pulling SCOs from Content Repository 1 Courses 2 and 3 are pulling SCOs from both Content Repository 1 and Content Repository 2 Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu
54. f 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 2 2 Template 2 SCO with Assets This template represents a SCO composed of multiple pages of assets The SCO in this template might represent a course comprised of several lessons and an assessment If you have no instructional requirement to track the learner s performance in each of the individual lessons the assets then creating your lessons as assets within a single SCO may meet all of your reusability needs Within this SCO the presentation of the assets does not impact SCORM in any way TEMPLATE 2 Root Aggregation SCO with Assets Asset Asset Asset Jpg gif gif mpg Asset Asset Asset Q 2 Mpg mpg mpg mpg Q 3 Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved mpg Template 2 Rules Behavior SCORM Function 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner must complete the SCO Rollup All satisfied completed 2 To complete the SCO the learner must complete the assessment in No SCORM function Asset 4 within the SCO Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 41 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 2 3 Template 3 The Black Box Template 3 contains no sequencing It is a single SCO with intra SCO branching The intra SCO branchi
55. f SCORM creating reusable interoperable durable and accessible instructional materials Each template section includes an introduction of the template a content structure diagram representing the template and the instructional strategy and sequencing rules for the template The rules are presented in both non technical language called Behavior to describe what you want the student to experience and technical language called SCORM Function to describe what will be coded to enable the behavior Designers can follow the behaviors in the templates provided and developers and programmers can follow the SCORM Functions to program the sequencing commands specified by the designer In some instances the SCORM Function says No Unique SCORM Function for the programmers This occurs because the designer specifies a behavior that is either internal to the SCO or is not impacted by SCORM Several templates include multiple applications of the rules so you will understand that identical content structure diagrams or courses lessons etc can be sequenced in numerous ways Template or Rule Model Description Applications 1 Table 7 1 Summary of Sequencing Templates and Models Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 39 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers
56. f a disaster Learning Management System LMS A Learning Management System LMS is a software package used to administer one or more courses to one or more learners An LMS is typically a web based system that allows learners to authenticate themselves register for courses complete courses and take assessments The LMS stores the learner s performance records and can provide assessment information to instructors A learning management system may also perform the following functions authoring classroom management competency management knowledge management certification or compliance training personalization mentoring video conferencing chat and discussion boards Manifest A manifest is a description of everything contained in your content package Your programmer will create the manifest as an XML document The manifest includes your organization and all the metadata for your SCOs Metadata Metadata is data about data It is the information that describes what your content is both the individual pieces the assets and sharable content objects or SCOs and the content packages Metadata enables instructional designers searching for content or assets to locate them with relative ease and determine whether they will be useful before downloading or requesting rights to your SCOs or assets See Section 3 4 Locating Your Instructional Materials for more information on selecting and completing metadata fields Objective OBJ
57. for defining the metadata fields In most instances the instructional designer or developer should define the metadata fields for the programmer in advance A SCO design specification could be created as an interactive tool that would allow you to automatically populate fields create links to services that populate fields or use pull down menus to populate fields Pull down menus will work particularly well for the elements that use vocabularies In addition several commercially available software products now provide users with SCO design templates that automatically generate metadata fields when the asset or SCO is created CanCore Learning Object Metadata Metadata Guidelines Version 1 1 p 0 10 Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 18 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Recommended Metadata Fields for SCOs amp Aggregations i i Element Name ON Explanation GENERAL Traits that provide a reasonable first point of This is summary level element only contact with a learning resource The fields you complete are below it 1 1 Identifier Y A globally unique label that identifies the SCO This is roll up element only The It should be machine generated to ensure fields you complete are below it uniqueness 1 1 1 Catalog Y The name of the catalog
58. fy the SCOs Since you are designing SCOs from existing content assume that you are planning to maintain the existing structure of your content If your content needs to be restructured either for instructional reasons or to adhere to SCORM refer to Section 4 4 Designing SCOs for New Instructional Materials and Section 7 Sequencing Your Content before attempting to identify your SCOs The content structure diagram you create may require modifications or unique SCO structures to achieve the instructional outcomes you desire Once you ve determined who the potential audiences are you can begin to decide how the content should be divided into individual SCOs to make it optimally reusable while still meeting the needs of the audience for whom is was originally intended Assume you are working with the Types of Fruits and Vegetables course depicted in Diagram 4 1 SCORM says a SCO should be context neutral and should stand alone In order to accomplish this with the Types of Fruits and Vegetables course we could structure the content outside of the context of a grower There are certain aspects of fruits and vegetables that are of interest to numerous individuals and organizations regardless of the context Try to create your SCO without specific references to growers If you d like to create a general introduction or overview specifically for growers then create an individual SCO specific to them knowing it may not be as reusable as the
59. g functions authoring classroom management competency management knowledge management certification or compliance training personalization mentoring video conferencing chat and discussion boards different learning management systems LMSs different operating systems and different authoring systems If an organization upgraded or changed any of its information technologies the training might not operate on the new system Thus the delivery format of the training would have to be revised for the new system A change to one component in a course could impact all of the course components and require the creation and release of entirely new media Suppose that fifty percent of the total hazardous material training required by these organizations was generic to any audience and that this training could be used by any of the organizations Such training could include details about each type of hazardous material the effects of the material on humans protective gear required to handle the material etc Assume that the cost to develop this portion of the training is 10 000 and that each organization spends another 10 000 to develop the portion of the training customized for its audience If there are ten trucking Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 5 of 80 SCORM B
60. halted in training and requires manual intervention 7 3 Building Instructional Models Using the Templates Any template or combination of templates can be overlaid on or combined with other templates creating increasingly complex instructional strategies for courses or lessons The models that follow show unique combinations of the templates presented in the previous section The models show the reusability of the templates by labeling each as an instance of a template In addition the rules for each model specify from which template as well as which application of the template they were obtained Depending upon how you apply behaviors and rules to the structures you can achieve a variety of outcomes These templates and models will provide you with viable sequencing options you can adapt to meet your particular training and educational requirements For very complex instructional strategies you can also apply any model or combination of models to another model as was done with the templates Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 54 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 3 1 Model 1 Remediating Multiple Aggregations Model 1 represents two instances of Template 5 and once instance of Template 4 Template 4 contains two SCOs in a root aggregation
61. he learner is acquiring knowledge or skills and the level at which the knowledge or skills have been acquired Good content makes good SCORM content so the time you spend carefully analyzing desired outcomes and designing learning objectives may make the greatest difference in your ability to create good sharable content objects This section is designed to show you a process for creating sharable content objects The tips and techniques explained in this section will facilitate your development of SCORM compliant training but through your own implementation you will continue to learn more about the ways you can create SCOs and SCORM compliant instructional materials Again since SCOs are intended to be inherently small objectives such as understand how a car operates will likely be too comprehensive to become good SCORM content In this case you might want to consider objectives like in accordance with a user s manual describe the process used to change a flat tire without assistance or understand the nutritional value of the avocado in a healthy diet as defined by the US Department of Agriculture If SCOs are limited to a single well written objective then it is easier to make more of them context neutral Where context specific instruction is required you can create context specific objectives like in accordance with the owner s manual describe the process used to change a flat tire on a 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
62. he manifest or a SCO may be a combination of SCO files and metadata when creating the content package In addition you will hear terms such as learning object LO and reusable learning object RLO used almost synonymously with SCO but also defined differently than SCO 1s defined here It is important for your organization to define and adhere to your own unique interpretation of a SCO for your SCORM implementations This guide provides a somewhat flexible definition of a SCO It also provides instructional design guidelines and sequencing models that will assist you in creating an effective instructional design that complies with SCORM while meeting the needs of your specific organization 2 1 Assets Assets are electronic representations of media text images sounds Web pages assessment objects and other pieces of data that can be delivered to a Web client Assets like the sharable content objects SCOs in which they appear are highly reusable In order to be reused assets are described using metadata so that they are both searchable and discoverable in online repositories Assets may be reusable in many contexts and applications A digital photograph of a Himalayan cat may be catalogued in an online repository by an animal shelter in New York When creating an online course for veterinarians on different breeds of cats a university in Iowa might search the repository identify the photograph and utilize it in their LO An online anim
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64. hoice true 3 4 To complete Aggregation A the learner must pass the Aggregation A All satisfied completed post test in SCO 3 SCO 1 isRolledup false SCO 2 isRolledup false SCO 3 isRolledup true 5 The learner can complete the SCOs in any order Aggregation A Flow true Choice true 6 7 If the learner fails OBJ 1 in SCO 3 then present SCO 3 set OBJ 1 SCO 1 SCO 1 skip if OBJ 1 passed 4 B 4 B 4 B If the learner fails OBJ 2 in SCO 3 then present SCO 3 set OBJ 2 SCO 2 SCO 2 skip if OBJ 2 passed Allow as many attempts as needed to complete No unique SCORM function SCO 3 8 9 To complete Aggregation B the learner must pass the Aggregation B All satisfied completed 5 post test in SCO 6 SCO 4 isRolledup false SCO 5 isRolledup false SCO 6 isRolledup true 10 The learner must complete SCO 4 before attempting Root Aggregation Flow true SCO 5 The learner must complete SCO 5 before Choice false attempting SCO 6 12 Ifthe learner fails OBJ 3 in SCO 6 then present SCO 4 SCO 4 skip if OBJ 3 passed 13 If the learner fails OBJ 4 in SCO 6 then present SCO 5 SCO 5 skip if OBJ 4 passed 14 Allow two attempts for SCO 4 SCO 5 and SCO 6 SCO 4 SCO 5 SCO 6 Attempt Limit 2 15 Ifthe learner fails SCO 6 on attempt 2 the learner is No unique SCORM function 5 halted in training and requires manual intervention O1 5 B 5 B 5 B 5 B A 5 A 5 A 5 A 5 A 5 A A C
65. iatives SCORM promotes efforts in four areas reusability durability accessibility and interoperability These areas will be addressed throughout this guide Perhaps the easiest way to understand the need for SCORM is with an example Many career fields require individuals to complete some type of hazardous materials training For example truck drivers firefighters and military and environmental personnel all require the training Typically each organization with these particular career fields would design its own hazardous materials training or pay another entity to design training for it This practice resulted in many different organizations paying to develop redundant hazardous material training for audiences that were only slightly different Organizations would invest thousands of dollars developing the training Depending upon the selected delivery format for the training different organizations would use different delivery media videodiscs CD ROMs slide shows etc Learning Management System LMS A Learning Management System is a software package used to administer one or more courses to one or more learners An LMS is typically a web based system that allows learners to authenticate themselves register for courses complete courses and take assessments The LMS stores the learner s performance records and can provide assessment information to instructors A learning management system may also support the followin
66. ic examples in the form of templates and models for ways you can structure your assessments to complement different instructional design strategies for your learners Creating a test as a single SCO is perhaps the easiest way to test in a SCORM compliant system If you choose to build a test within a single SCO then you have the flexibility to use any commercially available authoring or testing software to design and develop the test structure the test in any manner you desire and determine if and how the test was completed all internal to the SCO The SCO containing the test will be delivered directly to the learner via the LMS The SCO will then report the final score for the test to the LMS If you want to link individual test items to learning objectives for remediation purposes you can use variables called objectives in sequencing Objectives are stored in the LMS and enable you to make sequencing decisions as shown in Section 7 Sequencing Your Content However when testing within a SCO SCORM limits the set of information that can be sent back to the LMS As a result your ability to collect information about how the learner performed on the test is limited The SCO will simply report a passed failed status or single score for the SCO to the LMS If you are required to perform formative summative or operational evaluation on Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some
67. ification you can customize for your SCORM projects This template follows the SCORM best practices in this guide The metadata fields included in the form are based on those in the table of Recommended Metadata Fields above Depending on your particular needs you can create your own spec in several ways If you work in a Web based development and storage environment create the spec as an online form If you prefer to work in a word processing environment store the files on a common development server so the entire team can access them Again you could create your spec as a simple document or an interactive tool that includes links to services that automatically populate information such as globally unique identifiers GUIDs The fields could also be represented as pull down menus particularly for those metadata elements that use vocabularies If you prefer to use a software application to design and develop your SCOs choose from several commercially available products that provide users with templates that automatically generate metadata fields when the asset or SCO content is created Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 21 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers This Page Intentionally Left Blank Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab
68. ility and hard coding functionality within or between lessons limits the reusability of individual SCOs It also limits the ability to create new or custom content structures from the same instructional materials In SCORM sequencing describes and prescribes the manner in which learners receive individual pieces of content from the learning management system LMS The individual pieces of content the learner receives are sharable content objects SCOs SCORM does not permit one SCO to call or access another SCO directly The LMS controls the movement of the learner from SCO to SCO with inter SCO sequencing The LMS essentially performs all of the branching of the content based upon behaviors defined by the designer and input by a programmer This allows a set of SCOs to be sequenced in many different ways depending upon the designer who structures the content and the learner to whom the content will be delivered This set of SCOs can also be sequenced in a different way in another course Intra SCO branching the navigation occurring inside an individual SCO is not tied to the LMS or to the content package so it does not constitute SCORM sequencing nor is it required to adhere to SCORM sequencing guidelines As aresult intra SCO branching 1s not tracked by the LMS so there is no way to report the learner s progress on individual aspects of the SCO via the LMS Carnegie Mellon Content Package The content package is a
69. ivering instructional materials to students Works closely with instructional designers to ensure content structure and sequencing behaviors meet SCORM technical implementation guidelines Graphic Artist Media Producer Responsible for creating assets graphics video animation etc and inter faces in accordance with requests from IDs and content authors developers Table 3 1 Development Team Roles and Responsibilities 3 2 Naming and Storing Your Files During the design and development process designers authors content developers programmers system developers subject matter experts and quality control personnel handle numerous files of varying types and sizes If you do not have a good content management system then creating a consistent convention for all file names will make it faster and easier for all parties to identify and locate the files they need during the development process At a minimum a file name should include the name and number of the course for which it was created the module or lesson number a description of the item and a version revision number The names should be as intuitive as possible so that developers and programmers can quickly and easily identify files without having to view the contents of each file to ensure they are using the correct file Examples of Standardized File Naming Conventions cs101_0207_mov angry mpg cs101 0207 txt_angry html Describes Customer Service Course 101 a movie De
70. k at the level of the SCO and not any smaller units inside it If an enabling objective warrants additional tracking in the LMS it must become a distinct SCO 2 3 SCOs and Reusability A well designed sharable content object should serve Content Repository numerous audiences in achieving multiple outcomes A content repository is a software across many contexts making it ideal for courses and uses Package designed to manage content i SPOP Ea in the form of text files images etc in addition to the ones for which it was originally throughout its lifecycle including designed A sharable object may be any size but since authoring versioning control and sharable content objects are inherently small they are not AIS IMOLAN ONNE coment A comeni i ne repository typically includes the ability only reusable in more contexts than a traditional course to attach motadata to Is Assets or would be but they are also easier to maintain and update content and to search for assets or as content requires changes or customization Since the Content gased on termalanata a i i content repository also typically SCO 1s delivered via an LMS it can also be configured in includes security services that allow many different ways to meet many different needs access to assets by authorized individuals Content repositories may n be distributed to reduce the costs of For example a sharable content object called Types of acquiring large scale storage d
71. l activities between the sharable content objects SCOs and the learner essentially performing all of the sequencing of the content based upon rules created by the designer Sharable Content Object SCO A sharable content object SCO is a collection of assets that becomes an independent defined piece of instructional material SCOs are the smallest logical unit of instruction you can deliver and track via a learning management system LMS Refer to Section 2 Defining Sharable Content Objects SCOs for more details Style Guide A style guide is the set of established criteria processes and procedures a team follows throughout the process of creating instructional materials It should serve as the handbook or primary reference material for most questions concerning design layout and standardization that arise during the content development cycle Items addressed by the Style Guide may include standardized file naming conventions required metadata fields a discussion of the production process roles of team members job aids for programs or procedures the team will follow and the quality control procedures and checklists the team will use The Style Guide should be minimally impacted by SCORM specific conventions Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 75 of 80 SCORM
72. lds for SCOs and Aggregations Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 20 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 3 5 Using Tools to Design Your SCOs A SCO design specification spec is a single document or tool you can use to centralize several aspects of the design and development process If you are creating a design specification it should include space for a complete outline of the text or content for each SCO a list of all assets you will use in the SCO and the metadata you want to have assigned to the SCO With all of this information in one place designers will have a central place to develop the content Having the metadata in the same place as the instructional content planned for the SCO also makes it easier for programmers to locate assets and resources quickly and easily when packaging the content Specs should be standardized for your team with each spec having the same information in the same location A spec should also have standard formatting fonts etc This makes it easier for the programmers to locate pertinent information when creating a package thereby making your development process more efficient Each SCO will require a unique SCO design specification with unique metadata The appendix of this guide includes a template of a SCO design spec
73. llon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 44 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 2 5 Template 5 Remediating Using Objectives Template 5 presents a sequencing option for learner remediation when you have multiple instructional SCOs This inter SCO remediation is tracked by the LMS using objectives OBJs The test for this structure exists as a single SCO with two test items the assets The post test SCO 3 uses objectives to link each test item to its corresponding instructional SCO Based upon the learner s response to the test item the OBJ for that item 1s set to passed or failed For failed objectives the LMS shows the learner the list of corresponding instructional SCOs and the learner can select the SCO to view the remediation Suppose the learner fails OBJ 1 and passes OBJ 2 Once the post test in SCO 3 is complete the LMS would show the learner the SCOs that should be seen again in order for the learner to retake the post test In this example the learner would only see SCO 1 the SCO corresponding to OBJ 1 listed in the LMS since the learner passed the objective for SCO 2 The learner should then select SCO 1 to complete the remediation and retake the post test In the rules we allowed the learner two attempts to complete this Root Aggregation Once the learner passes SCO 3 the Root Aggregation is complete See Template 5 Rules Applic
74. lly passes each of the lessons thereby completing Aggregation A then you allow the learner to attempt the mastery test SCO F in Aggregation B Ifthe learner passes the mastery test then you consider the course complete However since each of the lessons are critical if the learner cannot pass one of the lessons Aggregations 3 after two attempts you decide they should be automatically halted in training and require manual intervention to proceed The rules for Model 2 would apply Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 58 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Model 2 Rules emplate 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner must All satisfied completed 5 A pass the mastery test SCO F in Aggregation B Aggregation A isRolledup false Aggregation B isRolledup true 2 The learner must complete Aggregation A before Flow true attempting Aggregation B Deny Forward Progress true 3 To complete Aggregation A the learner must complete Flow true Aggregation 1 Aggregation 2 and Aggregation 3 in Deny Forward Progress true order 4 Tocomplete Aggregation 1 the learner must pass the All satisfied completed post test in SCO A SCO 1 isRolledup false SCO 2 isRolledup false SCO A isRolledup true 5 The learner must complete SCO 1 befo
75. n 3 4 Locating Your Instructional Materials for more information on selecting and completing metadata fields Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 7 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers This Page Intentionally Left Blank Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 8 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 2 Defining Sharable Content Objects SCOs It is important to understand that the term sharable content object SCO means different things to different people Depending on your specific training and education needs your SCOs may consistently be large or small or they may vary depending on the type of instructional materials you are creating The composition of your SCOs may vary as well They may contain single learning objectives collections of learning objectives tests scenarios simulations etc The term SCO also means different things to instructional designers than it does to programmers Instructional designers authors and content developers focus on the actual instructional material in the SCO so for them a SCO is content For a programmer a SCO may merely be the pointer to the actual SCO file when creating t
76. n x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 67 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Preparing your content package 1s an excellent time to organize all the files you ve used during the development process including your SCO and aggregation design specifications Delete or move any incomplete or unused materials confirm all file names adhere to your naming conventions and verify that all required metadata fields are complete Once you ve organized all of the files ensure that the programmer can access them with relative ease Depending on your process use either a common file server or a CD R Once the programmer has all of the necessary files the programmer will create a manifest with your root aggregation and sequencing rules and will store your metadata in the format required for SCORM Finally the programmer will create the package with the manifest and all of your SCO content files Once the package is ready you can and should test the package in any LMS to ensure it functions the way you had intended If you have access to multiple LMSs then test your content in as many of them as possible before releasing it There are tools that will perform the packaging functions described above In fact some authoring tools will not only help you deploy your SCOs but will also create the entire content package This guide assumes you are not using a tool that is SCORM 1 3 compliant Ca
77. n your content 5 Section 3 4 Locating Your Instructional Materials was rewritten In addition Table 3 4 Recommended Metadata Fields for SCOs and Aggregations has changed Specific changes are noted below a The title of the second column Required was replaced by Required by SCORM to clarify that the metadata field is mandatory for SCORM compliance b The following fields were added to the table as SCORM required fields 1 3 1 3 1 1 3 2 9 9 1 9 3 and 9 4 C The Required by SCORM value changed for fields 1 6 2 1 and 2 2 6 Section 3 5 Using Tools to Design Your SCOs was rewritten to clarify the role of aSCO design specification in the development process 7 Diagrams 4 2 and 4 3 were simplified and the narrative surrounding them was revised accordingly 8 Diagram 4 4 was revised to match the additions to the recommended metadata fields 9 Section 5 Structuring Tests in SCORM was expanded to include more information about the pros and cons of testing with SCORM 10 Section 6 Navigating in SCORM was expanded to include more information on the navigational issues you may face with SCORM and different LMSs 11 Section 7 Sequencing Your Content In all sequencing templates models and textual descriptions the word Organization was changed to Root Aggregation to reflect the language found in the sequencing documents and to more clearly show how the structures can become part of a larger structure Rules wer
78. ner and programmer must determine which variables they want the SCO to report to the LMS and how the SCO will compute the values of those variables Like the SCOs you create your tests can be structured in a variety of ways to achieve a number of different outcomes Sometimes tests can be created as single SCOs essentially as one object with multiple test items At other times to support the instructional strategy or the learner tracking you desire you may need to create test items as individual SCOs in one or more aggregations Remember that with the current version of SCORM the LMS will only track at the level of the SCO So if you create a test with ten items and want or are required to know the learner s responses to specific test questions 1 e the individual distractors selected or the pass fail status of each distractor then you will have to create each test item as a separate SCO within an aggregation Creating each test item as a single SCO means that the learner will be transferred back to the LMS between each test item creating a minor disruption in the learner s testing experience Future versions of SCORM may address testing by providing more capabilities for capturing learner inputs and outcomes Below are some potential testing structures you may want to use and the instructions on how you will have to create them for your assessments to work in a SCORM compliant manner Section 7 Sequencing Your Content will give specif
79. ng may be as complex or as simple as the designer defines With this type of intra SCO branching the learning management system LMS does not know what happens inside the SCO This means the LMS cannot track or report the learner s progress through the content While this is an effective way to control the learner s instructional experience it does not permit the flexibility SCORM seeks to provide TEMPLATE 3 Root Aggregation The Black Box Asset gif Asset Asset Jpg gif Asset Asset mpg Mp mpg ee Remediation e e e e oeo ecc ooooocooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooo mpg All remediation occurs as intra SCO branching so there is no impact to inter SCO sequencing Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved This template could be viewed as a CBT lesson packaged as a single SCO None of the behaviors occurring inside the black box is tracked by the LMS To complete the lesson the learner must receive a score of 100 on the assessment The learner is remediated from the missed question to the corresponding asset if Q 1 1s missed the learner remediates to Asset 1 etc The learner is allowed two attempts If the learner fails attempt two the learner receives the correct answer and the SCO is marked as passed Again this template does not require SCORM sequencing so these behaviors are not described in the table below Template 3 Rules SCORM Function 1 To complete the Roo
80. nstructional designers tasked with creating The words compliance and new instructional materials that comply with the Sharable conformance which are often used Content Object Reference Model SCORM or converting I enone eo aren ewe ae convey accordance have distinct existing instructional materials into SCORM compliant meanings when used in the context of materials However writers programmers and subject the adherence of something to a matter experts will also find the guide a useful companion Spe clic sven or Standard WAIE tere is a formal certification program to test to the SCORM documents for strict conformance of any product to the SCORM guidelines it is not The guide provides a systematic process for using SCORM assumed that the products derived from the processes or procedures in and tips to make your SCORM implementation easier It is the guide will automatically pass the not intended to replace the SCORM documents nor is it conformance tests Thus this _ intended to be all inclusive The tips and techniques Soe UPS ECORI ony ie eae refer to the development of materials explained here will facilitate your entry into SCORM that comply with the written SCORM compliant training but through your own implementation guidelines but that are not certified as you will continue to learn more about the ways you can SCORM conformant efficiently create effective SCORM based instructional materials While SCORM cl
81. ntent This section explains Simple Sequencing by using templates and models that instructional designers and programmers can use to create intentional learning strategies in SCORM Section 8 Packaging Your Content This section explains the process to create the SCORM content packages the last step in preparing your content for use in LMSs Section9 Appendix The appendix includes the Learning Systems Architecture Lab LSAL templates of the SCO Design Specification and the Aggregation Design Specification Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 3 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers The following diagram depicts the processes and tools described in this guide and how they relate to the instructional systems design process as well as to the roles of team members in the process As you read and use the guide you may want to return to this diagram to see how each step fits into the overall process This diagram also introduces the color coding scheme used throughout this guide In all of the diagrams in this guide yellow boxes represent sharable content objects SCOs The green boxes always represent aggregations of content The red boxes always represent a root aggregation organization of content INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER PRODUCT PROGRAMMER Evaluate E
82. on the learner must pass two SCOs Root Aggregation Completed if at SCO 1 and the one other SCO that is chosen by the sequencer Rule 2 least two children completed will ensure that SCO 1 is one of the two that is completed 3 Based on the learner s performance on the pre test branch to only one Root Aggregation Choice false of the other three SCOs SCO 1 set OBJ 1 SCO 2 skip if OBJ 1 score gt 0 SCO 3 skip if OBJ 1 score lt 0 5 or OBJ 1 score gt 0 5 SCO 4 skip if OBJ 1 score lt 1 Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 51 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Template 9 Rules Application B Behavior 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner must pass two SCOs Root Aggregation At least two SCO 1 and the one other SCO that is chosen by the sequencer completed completed 3 Based on the learner s performance on the pre test branch to only one Root Aggregation Choice false of the other three SCOs SCO 1 set OBJ 2 OBJ 3 OBJ 4 SCO 2 skip if OBJ 2 passed SCO 3 skip if OBJ 3 passed SCO 4 skip if OBJ 4 passed 7 2 10 Template 10 Pre and Post Test Sequencing with New Content for Remediation Template 10 provides a more complex pre and post test structure that enables learners to remediate to content that 1s hidden until neede
83. on University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 71 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers This Page Intentionally Left Blank Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 72 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 10 Glossary Aggregation In this document an aggregation is defined as a parent and its children in a tree structure Aggregations are used to group related content so that it can be delivered to the learner in the manner you prescribe Sequencing rules allow you to prescribe the behaviors and functionality of the content within the ageregation as well as how the aggregation relates to other SCOs or aggregations within the same root aggregation Application Program Interface API The SCORM API is a standardized method for a sharable content object SCO to communicate with the learning management system LMS when a learner is interacting with a SCO There is a specific set of information the SCO can set or retrieve For example it can retrieve information such as a student name or set values such as a score Asset Assets are electronic representations of media text images sounds Web pages assessment objects and other pieces of data that can be delivered to a
84. onsidered some high level groupings for them aggregations or a root aggregation you can begin the process of determining the content structure diagram onto which you will apply content sequencing rules The sequencing rules generated by your programmer will apply the behaviors you describe for your instructional materials This guide provides best practices for how to build your SCOs and content structure diagrams to ensure the instructional integrity of your content However it is important to remember that a SCO an aggregation or a root aggregation could represent any number of traditional instructional design components such as lessons modules units segments or courses as shown in the diagrams that follow In all of the diagrams in this guide the red boxes represent the root aggregation the green boxes represent aggregations the yellow boxes represent SCOs and the light blue and dark blue boxes represent any combination of assets inside of a SCO To provide a frame of reference for how traditional instructional design components can be translated into a SCORM compliant content structure diagram consider the diagrams that follow UNIT Root Aggregation COURSE Root Aggregation Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Diagram 7 2 Root Aggregation Course Diagram 7 3 Root Aggregation Unit SEGMENT Root Aggregation LE
85. pertise of programmers and system developers to explain the technical precepts under which they are working Likewise as programmers and system developers begin the technical implementation of the instructional materials they will need to confer with designers authors and content developers to ensure that the materials are functioning in a SCORM compliant LMS as the designer intended Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 13 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Development Team Roles and Responsibilities Instructional Designer ID Conducts the needs and audience analysis Designs basic content structure Creates design documents and design specifications and initial content outlines Works with other team members to ensure instructional integrity of final materials Subject Matter Expert SME Works with IDs and authors developers to ensure the instructional materials are technically accurate and appropriate for the audience in accordance with client needs and requests May work directly for the client and writes all instructional text or scripts May request or design assets Programmer Developer Responsible for creating the content package required by the design in accordance with SCORM guidelines May program the LMS Ensures LMS functions properly before del
86. pleted different tasks However in SCORM the LMS sequences all activities between the sharable content objects SCOs and the learner essentially performing all of the sequencing of the content based upon rules created by the designer Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 12 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 3 Planning for SCORM Since both the sharable content objects SCOs and assets Style Guide A style guide is the set of established are intended to be reused in SCORM following standard criteria processes and procedures a conventions is an important factor in facilitating your team follows throughout the process of design and development process particularly as designs creating Instructional materials It should serve as the handbook or are passed to developers and programmers for SCORM Po ee ene eres packaging Standardization also simplifies the creation of questions concerning design layout metadata and standardization that arise during _ the content development cycle Items addressed by the Style Guide may 3 1 Building Your Development Team include standardized file naming conventions required metadata fields a discussion of the production process A strong and well balanced development team with clearly foles of team members job aids for defined roles
87. r s knowledge of the components Assume Aggregation B shows two different procedures for starting the dishwasher 5 5 Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 56 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers cycles SCO 4 and SCO 5 The learner can select Aggregation A or Aggregation B in any order since they can attempt to start the dishwasher before completing the basic instruction The learner will have to see both aggregations in order to complete the course In Aggregation A the learner can select the presentation order of the SCOs or take the post test in Aggregation A at any time because the order in which the materials are presented 1s not crucial to the understanding of the instruction Since Aggregation B teaches a procedure it is important for the learner to see the procedures in a predefined order so the learner must see SCO 4 before SCO 5 and SCO 5 before SCO 6 the post test simulation The rules for Model 1 Application B apply to this example Model 1 Rules Application B Template 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner must complete Aggregation A and Aggregation B completed completed 2 To complete each Aggregation the learner must No SCORM function complete the post tests within the Aggregations See eee rules 4 and 9 C
88. r service See angry customers 3 H a Assets re ie References a SCOs ee Specifications Fl basic _phone_skills H Assets ERRE References H E SCOs H a Specifications J l Diagram 3 1 Sample file storage hierarchy for development of multiple course projects In this example each course has a unique file directory with a standardized set of subdirectories With standardized directory structures and file names any team member can locate a given file for any course at any time If anyone on the team has concerns about other individuals accessing or changing commonly stored files consider using a content management product that enables version control allows the owner of the files to set access levels and track access to the file and requires the individual accessing the file to check out the file There are a number of these products available and they can be easily customized to suit your team s needs 3 3 Identifying Your Materials A globally unique identifier GUID like the international standard book number ISBN used on books is one way of tracking objects as they are created and later identifying and locating them when they are stored in a content repository A GUID should be included in your SCO metadata in the catalog and entry fields The GUID on a single instance of an item should never change so if you make modifications to your SCO for example version changes or updates you will need to obtain a new GUID
89. rate effectively However depending on the color and style you selected for your SCOs they may not appear as well as you would like them to appear There may be contrasting color schemes unusual fonts etc Some LMSs allow you to customize the appearance of the user interface to show your own logo information and color schemes Others preclude any customization If you plan to purchase learning management system software consider the customization options that will be available to you before committing to a particular system 6 2 SCORM Navigation SCORM does not permit direct SCO to SCO navigation This means one SCO cannot call or access another SCO without going through the LMS The LMS controls all activities between the SCOs and the learner with inter SCO sequencing essentially performing all of the sequencing of the content based upon rules created by the designer Intra SCO branching the navigation occurring inside the SCO itself is not tied to the LMS or to the content package so it does not constitute SCORM sequencing nor is it required to adhere to SCORM sequencing guidelines This means that a single SCO could consist of several html pages with navigation between each page A SCO could also be developed in an authoring system and have numerous interactions simulations remediations or tests within it with all of the navigation occurring as intra SCO branching Intra SCO branching like testing is not addressed by current SCORM
90. re and Post Test Sequencing With New Content for Remediation Root Aggregation SS eS Template 10 Rules Behavior SCORM Function 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner must pass the post Root Aggregation Satisfied if one child test in SCO C OR the post test in SCO B satisfied SCO A isRolledup false Aggregation A isRolledup true Aggregation B isRolledup true 2 The learner must complete the pre test in SCO A before attempting Root Aggregation Flow true Aggregation A The learner cannot return to the Pre Test from Choice false Forward Only true Aggregation A 3 Ifthe learner fails OBJ 1 in SCO A then present SCO 1 SCO A set OBJ 1 SCO 1 skip if OBJ 1 satisfied SCO 2 skip if OBJ 2 satisfied 6 Tocomplete Aggregation A SCO C must be passed SCO 1 isRolledup false SCO 2 isRolledup false Aggregation A rollup rule All satisfied then satisfied All completed then completed Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 53 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Template 10 Rules 7 The learner will skip Aggregation B if Aggregation A is passed Aggregation B skip if OBJ 1 satisfied and OBJ 2 satisfied SCO 3 skip if OBJ 3 satisfied SCO 4 skip if OBJ 4 satisfied 10 If the learner fails SCO B then the learner is
91. re attempting Flow true SCO 2 The learner must complete SCO 2 before Deny Forward Progress true attempting SCO A time Aggregation a is attempted 1 SCO 1 skip if OBJ 1 passed 2 SCO 2 skip if OBJ 2 passed 11 If the learner fails SCO A on attempt 2 the learner is halted in training and requires manual intervention post test in SCO D SCO 3 isRolledup false SCO D isRolledup true SCO D Deny Forward Progress true attempted 3 SCO 3 skip if OBJ 3 passed D A A 16 Allow two attempts for SCO 3 and SCO D 5 17 If the learner fails SCO D on attempt 2 the learner is 5 halted in training and requires manual intervention post test in SCO C Aggregation a isRolledup false SCO C isRolledup true attempting SCO C Progress True time 4 SCO 4 skip if OBJ 4 passed 5 SCO 5 skip if OBJ 5 passed 3 Allow two attempts for SCO 4 SCO 5 and SCO C SCO 4 SCO 5 SCO C Attempt Limit 2 24 Ifthe learner fails SCO C on attempt 2 the learner is No unique SCORM function halted in training and requires manual intervention o al Al o Es es ne a 5 A 5 A 5 A 5 A 5 A 5 A 5 A O1 2 N Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 59 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 3 3 Model 3 Pre and Post Test Seq
92. represents whether the SCO was passed or failed NormalizedScore reports a value for an OBJ to any decimal value between 1 and 1 With either of these parameters you can choose to set their values based on a response to a single question a complete assessment or simply whether the SCO has actually been viewed Each SCO can set or read multiple objectives and a single objective can be set by or read by multiple SCOs Another example of a term with different meanings in SCORM is complete Traditional use of this word would mean the learner had seen all of the content related to a given topic For SCORM purposes complete can have a different meaning Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 36 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers For a SCO that uses the Application Program Interface API you can decide the criteria that must be met for the APPlication Program Interface API The SCORM API is a standardized SCO to be complete For a SCO that does not use the method for a SCO to communicate with API a non communicative SCO the LMS will the LMS when a learner is interacting with a SCO There is a specific set of automatically set the SCO to complete as soon as the a say era 0 eg learner starts the SCO As a consequence complete for a retriev
93. rnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 68 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 9 Appendix Sections 9 1 and 9 2 contain the LSAL templates for SCO Design Specifications and Aggregation Design Specifications These tools as well as how to use them in your development process are described in detail in Section 3 5 Using Tools to Design Your SCOs and Section 7 5 Communicating Aggregation Information to the Programmer respectively Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 69 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 9 1 LSAL Template for SCO Design Specifications Metadata Title Keyword SCO Description SCO Catalog SCO Entry Classification Description Purpose Contribute Entity Version Classification Keyword MD Catalog MD Entry Learning Resource Type Interactivity Type Cost Copyright amp other restrictions Interactivity Level Rights Description Typical Learning Time Location Objective Information Objective Objective Identifier Content Outline Asset Information A 1 ID Description Location in SCO Description Location in
94. rved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 60 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Model 3 Rules Behavior SCORM Function From Template 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner must Root Aggregation All satisfied pass the post test in SCO B completed SCO A isRolledup false Aggregation B isRolledup false SCO 3 isRolledup false SCO B isRolledup true gt a Sueno Te before attempting Aggregation B or SCO 3 Choice false Eisgean SOA rann oaan rescore B or SCO 3 at any time Aggregation B Aggregation B skip if OBJ 1 passed SCO 3 SCO 3 skip if OBJ 2 passed 6 Tocomplete Aggregation B the learner must pass Aggregation B All satisfied completed 5 A the post test in SCO C SCO 1 isRolledup false SCO 2 isRolledup false SCO C isRolledup true 7 The learner must complete SCO 1 before Aggregation B Flow true 5 A attempting SCO 2 The learner must complete Choice false SCO 2 before attempting SCO 3 passed SCO 1 SCO 1 skip if OBJ 3 passed SCO 2 SCO 2 skip if OBJ 4 passed Limit 2 12 If the learner fails SCO C on attempt 2 the learner 5 A is halted in training and requires manual intervention 13 If the learner fails SCO B then the learner is halted No unique SCORM function in training and requires manual intervention Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some
95. scribes Customer Service Course 101 SCO about dealing with angry customers number 02 07 text about dealing with angry customers sales_coldcall_txt_leads html sales_coldcall sco spec doc Describes a Sales Course SCO for the Cold Describes a Sales Course SCO for Cold Calling Calling content text about how to get sales leads content This is the SCO design specification Table 3 2 Examples of Standardized File Naming Conventions Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 14 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers In addition to standard file names and conventions ensure that during the development process files are stored in a central location such as on a common server accessible to the entire production team The folders where the files are stored should also have standard names and structures This enables team members to quickly and easily locate specific items for any of the courses or projects on which they are working It also eliminates emailing files back and forth and having redundant files stored on individual team member s computers Once development is complete the metadata defined during the design process can be applied to the asset SCO or spec and the files can be archived or moved to a content repository new COUrsSes eee custome
96. senadedaenns 9 2 3 DOs ERES ADI a E E N E TA E 11 3 Planning for SCORM 0 ieee ekia 13 3 1 Building Your Development T Canny seein eaten 13 z2 Namin and One YoUr T lle cater aenne nee a oseee Sere ver nctrer ents nr eereer eheee Teter an 14 3 3 Kent 1 VOU IVA CTI aE E E E E E E E T TES 15 3 4 Locating Your Instructional Materitals ccccccccccccccceeeeeeeceeeeeeseseseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaas 16 33 Using Tools To Design Your SCOS sicrete oaa a eiei 21 4 Identifying and Designing Sharable Content Objects SCOs 23 4 1 Ensuring the Instructional Integrity of SCORM Content cccccccccccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 23 4 2 Moving from a Traditional Course Structure to SCORM ccccccccccccececcceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 24 4 3 Designing SCOs from Existing Instructional Materials cccsssessssseeeeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaees 25 44 Designing SCOs for New Instructional Materials cccccccceeeccecceeeeeeeeeeeeaeseeeeseseeees 28 5 Structuring Tests in SCORM cc cceccccccecceeceeeseeeeeeseeeseeeeeeseeeseesaees 31 6 Navigating IN SCORM cccccccccecceecseeceeseeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeseeeseeseeeseeseeeas 33 6 1 Toe User TS ACS setae es ap sseet E E A E E 33 6 2 SCORM Naviga ON seeriana een E aN EEEE EER ENE EEEE E E AE EEE EE 33 7 Sequencing Your Content cccccc cece secceecceeceeeceeeseeeeeeseeeeeeseeeaeeeeees 35 7 1 Understanding Sequencing Terminology cccccccc
97. so limits the reusability of the instructional materials COURSE Types of Fruits and Vegetables LESSON 1 1 LESSON 1 2 LESSON 1 3 LESSON 2 1 LESSON 2 2 LESSON 2 3 Evergreen Trees Herbaceous Vines Compositae Solanaceae Leguminoseae OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE Avocado Banana Grapes Lettuce Tomato Lima Beans OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE Pineapple Kiwi Pepper ate eas Papaya Eggplant Assessment Assessment Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Diagram 4 1 Example of a Traditional Course Content Structure Diagram Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 24 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers With SCORM 1 3 you can still achieve the basic functions of a hierarchical instructional scheme like the one above by apply simple sequencing behaviors and rules to your content Simple sequencing will be addressed in Section 7 The remainder of this section will show how to define and create SCORM content so that both you and your learners will have far greater flexibility in defining and creating learning experiences 4 3 Designing SCOs from Existing Instructional Materials As SCORM becomes more prevalent you will likely be asked to convert existing training materials to SCORM compliant materi
98. ssteeeeeeens 54 7 3 1 Model 1 Remediating Multiple Aggregation cccccccccccccccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeees 55 7 3 2 Model 2 Mastery Testing Multiple Aggregations 00 0 ccecceeesesseeeeeceeeeeeeeeeaaeeeeeseeseeees 58 7 3 3 Model 3 Pre and Post Test Sequencing with Aggregation cccccccccccccscceeeeeeeeeeeees 60 7 3 4 Model 4 Traditional CBT Branching with Multiple Decisions ccccccceccceeseeeeeeees 62 Te Aa Da N I eee ee ee ee re ene nee eee 64 7 5 Communicating Aggregation Information to the Programmet cccccccccccceceeeeeeeeeees 65 8 Packaging Your Content ccccccccceccceeceeceeesseeeeeeeeeeeeceeeeeseeeeeeeaees 67 I APPENA aE RE E E E E 69 9 1 LSAL Template for SCO Design Specifications 000000ooonenennennnsssssssssssseettrereeesssssssss 70 9 2 LSAL Template for Aggregation Design Specifications ccccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 71 10 IOS SAY eea E E EE cee E E 3 H NRCICTCI CCS aera E E EE Tf 12 Summary of Significant Changes in 1 Edition 0 0cceeeeeeeeeeeeseeeeee 19 Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn 1stEd SCORMGUIDE LSAL CMU EDU b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 iV SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Preface This is a best practices guide created specifically for content i Compliance vs Conformance developers and i
99. standardized way to exchange collections of digital resources between different learning management systems LMSs authoring tools content repositories and operating systems In traditional instructional design terms the content package would be everything needed to deliver the course module lesson etc to the learner The content package contains two principal entities 1 a manifest that lists all of the resources or assets included in the package the content structure you created called the organization the sequencing rules and all of the metadata for the SCOs the aggregations and the package itself and 2 all of the actual SCO and asset files for the content package Aggregation In this document an aggregation is defined as a parent and its children ina tree structure Aggregations are used to group related content so that it can be delivered to the learner in the manner you prescribe Sequencing rules allow you to prescribe the behaviors and functionality of the content within the aggregation as well as how the aggregation relates to other SCOs or aggregations within the same root aggregation Organization The organization is the part of a content package where SCOs are ordered into a tree structure and sequencing behaviors are assigned to them The organization outlines the entire structure you have created for your content The organization provides order to the otherwise unordered collection of SCOs
100. stem The training resources could not be reused because they were not interoperable with all the different systems of the other organizations The goal of SCORM is to create flexible training options by ensuring content that is reusable interoperable durable and accessible regardless of the content delivery and management systems used Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 6 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers SCORM Concept Reusable Interoperable Durable Accessible SCORM achieves reusability interoperability durability and accessibility with the use of sharable content objects SCOs composed of assets that launch in a SCORM run time environment Metadata enables managers learners designers programmers and others interested in education and training to identify and locate instructional materials and assets using tools such as an online content repository Definition Content is independent of learning context It can be used in numerous training situations or for many different learners with any number of development tools or delivery platforms Content will function in multiple applications environments and hardware and software configurations regardless of the tools used to create it and the platform on which it is delivere
101. systems being used Library of Congress ISBN DOI This is the existing library or catalog system Dewey Decimal etc used to classify the SCO You may also chose to create a catalog system of your own Entry The unique value or entry in the catalog listing 1 0 pie sco 915678f9 ddb2 4a8a used to locate and access the SCO This entry a585 fba6c15464c2 is different than the entry used for the metadata 1 2 Title This should be the actual title of the content of Growing Avocado Trees the resource Succinct textual description of the resource Provides techniques for growing using primarily keywords three species of avocado trees in several climates 1 5 Keyword Y Textual words or phrases used to identify or Growing avocado trees evergreen define the resource fruit trees West Indian Avocados Mexican Avocados Guatemalan Avocados 1 7 Structure N The manner in which the actual resource Uses existing IEEE LOMv1 0 content is organized formatted or structured vocabulary value 2 LIFE CYCLE Y The history and current state of the resource as This is summary level element only well as those working on the resource The fields you complete are below it 2 2 Status Y The current state or condition of the resource Uses existing IEEE LOMv1 0 vocabulary value 2 3 Contribute N Describes those working on the resource This is a Summary level element people and organizations only The fields you complete are below it 2 3 1 Role N The type of contrib
102. t structure diagram you created called the organization the sequencing rules and all of the metadata for the SCOs the aggregations and the package itself and 2 all of the actual SCO and asset files for the content package Content Structure Diagram In this document a content structure diagram is a tree diagram created by the instructional designer for the programmer to show the hierarchy onto which the sequencing rules for the SCOs are applied The diagram should be followed by a list of the behaviors the instructional designer intends for the learner Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 73 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Content Repository A content repository is a software package designed to manage content in the form of text files images etc throughout its lifecycle including authoring versioning control and distribution of the content A content repository typically includes the ability to attach metadata to its assets or content and to search for assets or content based on their metadata A content repository also typically includes security services that allow access to assets by authorized individuals Content repositories may be distributed to reduce the costs of acquiring large scale storage devices and to protect data in the event o
103. t Aggregation the learner must complete the SCO Rollup All satisfied completed Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 42 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 7 2 4 Template 4 Multiple SCOs with Assets As you saw in the diagrams in Section 7 2 you can view a SCO an aggregation or a root ageregation as any traditional instructional design component such as a lesson a module a unit a segment or a course As a result you could use Template 4 or any other template in this guide in several different ways Template 4 shows two SCOs in a root aggregation Here are some of the ways you could interpret the content structure diagram in Template 4 1 Two assessed learning objectives the SCOs in a lesson the root aggregation 2 Two assessed segments the SCOs in a lesson the root aggregation 3 Two assessed lessons the SCOs in a module the root aggregation 4 Two assessed modules the SCOs in a course the root aggregation 5 Two assessed lessons the SCOs in a course the root aggregation 6 Two assessed units the SCOs in a course the root aggregation SCO 2 in Template 4 is identical to the SCO in Template 2 showing how these templates can be overlaid to create additional functionality or complexity in a given structure So with
104. t Developers This Page Intentionally Left Blank Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 2 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Using This Guide The SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers is organized as eight sections plus one appendix as follows Section1 Introducing SCORM This section provides background information on SCORM and discusses the four SCORM ilities Section 2 Defining Sharable Content Objects SCOs This section defines Sharable Content Objects as well as other key terms that will be used throughout the guide Section 3 Planning for SCORM This section addresses some of the people processes and tools you should have in place before attempting to create SCORM compliant content Section 4 Identifying and Designing Sharable Content Objects SCOs This section explains the design processes for converting existing content to SCORM and for creating new content that is SCORM compliant Section 5 Structuring Tests in SCORM This section discusses how you can assimilate your organization s testing requirements into SCORM Section6 Navigating in SCORM This section addresses the navigation issues that may arise when using SCORM content in different learning management systems LMSs Section 7 Sequencing Your Co
105. teraction between the Uses existing IEEE LOMv1 0 learner and the resource vocabulary value 5 4 Typical N Defines the approximate time required to Refer to ISO 8601 Data Elements Learning Time complete the resource and Interchange Format 6 RIGHTS Y Describes the intellectual property rights and This is summary level element only conditions for use of and access to the resource The fields you complete are below it 6 1 Cost Y Identifies whether or not a fee is charged for use Uses existing IEEE LOMv1 0 of or access to the resource vocabulary value 6 2 Copyright and Y Identifies whether or not there are copyrights or Uses existing IEEE LOMv1 0 other restrictions restrictions on use of or access to the resource vocabulary value 6 3 Description N Textual description or comments regarding use For permission contact of or access to the resource 9 Classification Y Describes the placement of the SCO in a given This is summary level element only classification system The fields you complete are below it 9 1 Purpose Y Describes why the SCO is being classified Uses existing IEEE LOMv1 0 vocabulary value 9 3 Description Y Describes the resource according to it s Prerequisite Must complete SCO classification called Evergreen Trees before seeing this SCO 9 4 Keyword Y Textual words or phrases used to identify or Evergreen Trees Growing Avocados define the resource according to its classification Table 3 4 Recommended Metadata Fie
106. tial audiences One of the goals of SCORM is to create reusable content The same content can frequently be reused in different industries by different learners to achieve different outcomes For example if you are designing the fruits and vegetables subject matter for growers and one of your objectives is identify the nutritional value of avocados determine if nutritional information about avocados is specific to growers or if there is some nutritional information about avocados that other groups of individuals may be interested in regardless of the context Many times you will find that the content can be used by more than the individuals for whom it was originally designed Conduct a short brainstorming session with your team with a goal of identifying three to five types of individuals who might benefit from your training Who are all the possible audiences that might be interested in the subject matter you are converting to SCORM Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 25 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Nutritionists chefs and restaurateurs might all benefit from learning about the nutritional value of avocados Save the list of audiences you identify you will need them later in the process when you create the metadata for your SCOs Identi
107. tions 4 A diagram of the structure to help the programmer visualize the aggregation 5 The sequencing behaviors for the aggregation Each spec will have the same information in the same location and will be formatted the same way for each aggregation This makes it easier for the programmers to locate pertinent information during authoring and packaging thereby making your development process more efficient Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x lsal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 65 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers This Page Intentionally Left Blank Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 66 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 8 Packaging Your Content Once you have developed all of your physical SCO files identified the metadata for each SCO and the metadata for the entire content package and defined your root aggregation you can prepare to package your content for Manifest A manifest is a description of everything contained in your content package Your programmer will create the manifest as an XML document The manifest includes your organization and all the metadata for your SCOs
108. ual SCOs optimally reusable while still meeting the needs of the audience for whom you are designing the material Review the guidelines in the dentify the SCOs portion of Section 4 3 for more considerations about identifying your SCOs and then follow the remainder of the development process outlined in that section Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 29 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers This Page Intentionally Left Blank Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 30 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 5 Structuring Tests in SCORM The current version of SCORM does not address how to build score or structure tests nor does it address how other specification such as the IMS Question and Test Interoperability QTI spec could be used to represent test items and results in SCORM However it does allow you to store on the LMS any combination of the following score passed failed state mastery status for individual objectives and time spent on each task for each SCO It does not address how you determine the score or the meaning of the score or mastery status The desig
109. uencing with Aggregations Model 3 1s a combination of Templates 5 and 6 In this model a single SCO from Template 6 was replaced with the root aggregation from Template 5 That root aggregation is now Aggregation B MODEL 3 Pre and Post Test Sequencing with Aggregations Root Aggregation Instance of Template 6 T SS r Suppose you need to create a course the root aggregation that assigns competencies knowledge skills or abilities to the learner upon successful completion of the instruction To successfully complete the course the learner is required to pass a mastery test SCO B You decide that rather than forcing all learners to complete the instructional material you will allow them to take a pre test SCO A The pre test will enable learners who already possess the competencies to bypass the instruction and proceed directly to the mastery test SCO B One of the lessons Aggregation B in the course is a critical lesson that teaches an ordered process so learners who take the lesson are required to complete a post test SCO C that is a simulation of the process they learned so they can receive credit for passing the competency For the other lesson SCO 3 the learner must only view the lesson to receive a competency 1n that subject area The rules for Model 3 would apply Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Rese
110. uirement for the tracking and locating of materials the use of metadata All assets SCOs aggregations and content packages require metadata in order for others to search for and locate your content The primary purpose of metadata is as a tool to enable those seeking assets and content relevant to their requirements to locate them more efficiently and effectively Metadata is much like the card catalog system in a library Using the card catalog you could find a library resource by using a subject author or title card Each card whether subject author or title card contains the name of the resource the author the publisher the date it was published the Library of Congress number and the location of the resource within the library Metadata is the electronic card catalog for your instructional materials The metadata schema used in SCORM is based on the Standard for Learning Object Metadata IEEE SA Standard 1484 12 1 2002 also called LOMv1 0 LOM as well as other metadata schemas can also be used to help you manage your content more effectively You can use it to assign digital rights describe file formats used to install and store it and track and update version and revision status LOMv1 0 does not require the completion of many fields for compliance However SCORM does require the use of certain categories and fields of metadata SCORM uses nine categories of metadata fields called elements There are several sub categories in each
111. ution made May use existing IEEE LOM vocabulary or best practices 2 32 Entity N The group or organization that contributed to the See the guidelines in Section 2 2 resource most relevant first Metadata of The SCORM Content Aggregation Model since the entry in 2 3 1 Roles impacts the entry here 23 9 Date N The date the resource was created submitted 2002 07 15 YYYY MM DD or versioned META Describes information about the metadata itself This is summary level element only METADATA P created the record when how etc The fields you complete are below it 1 Identifier A globally unique label that identifies this set of This is roll up element only The metadata It should be machine generated to fields you complete are below it 3 1 1 Catalog The name of the catalog systems being used Library of Congress ISBN DOI This is the existing library or catalog system Dewey Decimal etc used to classify the metadata ensure uniqueness CanCore Learning Object Metadata Metadata Guidelines Version 1 1 p 1 1 1 4 Description Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 19 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers Recommended Metadata Fields for SCOs amp Aggregations Required by Element Name SCORM Explanation 3 1 2 Entry Y The unique v
112. xisting Content if applicable Analyze Potential Audiences Design SCOs E Develop SCOs Design Develop Aggregations EE Aggregations Design d 7 ae Develop Content Structure Sa Content Structure Package Content Test the Package Test the Package in an LMS in an LMS Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved Overview of the Design and Development Process and Products for SCORM based instructional materials Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 4 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers 1 Introducing SCORM The Sharable Content Object Reference Model SCORM is part of a strategy called the Advanced Distributed Learning ADL initiative The primary sponsors of the ADL initiative are the United States Department of Labor Department of Defense and the National Guard Bureau The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy established the ADL initiative in 1997 to standardize and modernize the way in which training and education are delivered The ADL initiative and SCORM seek to maximize technology based learning to generate substantial costs savings Government academia and private industry from around the world support ADL and SCORM init
113. y Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormcdg b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 Page 55 of 80 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers lesson by lesson basis so you create test items tied to their corresponding instruction by objectives If the learner fails one of the modules the learner will not be able to complete the course without manual intervention The rules for Model 1 Application A apply Model 1 Rules Application A Template 1 To complete the Root Aggregation the learner 4 A must complete Aggregation A and Aggregation B completed 2 The learner cannot start Aggregation B until Aggregation A If Not Complete Deny 4 A Aggregation A is complete Forward Progress 3 To complete Aggregation A the learner must pass Aggregation A All satisfied completed 5 A the post test in SCO 3 SCO 1 isRolledUp false SCO 2 isRolledUp false SCO 3 isRolledUp true 4 The learner must complete SCO 1 before Aggregation A Flow true Choice false 5 A attempting SCO 2 The learner must complete SCO 2 before attempting SCO 3 5 Tocomplete SCO 3 both objectives must be No unique SCORM function passed 6 If the learner fails OBJ 1 in SCO 3 then present SCO 3 set OBJ 1 SCO 1 SCO 1 skip if OBJ 1 passed 7 If the learner fails OBJ 2 in SCO 3 then present SCO 3 set OBJ 2 SCO 2 SCO 2 skip if OBJ 2 passed 8 Allow two attempts for SCO 1 SCO 2 and SCO 1 SCO 2 SCO 3 Attempt Limit 2 SCO 3 9 If th
114. yperlinks to this document the appropriate URL is http www lsal cmu edu Isal expertise projects developersguide If you are redistributing or hyper linking to this document please notify us so that we may keep you informed of the latest revisions to the guide For more information please contact us Learning Systems Architecture Lab Voice 1 412 268 5322 Carnegie Mellon University Fax 1 412 268 4772 700 Technology Drive Email lsal cmu edu Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA 15219 Web _http www lsal cmu edu Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormguide b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 1 SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers This Page Intentionally Left Blank Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some Rights Reserved urn x Isal cmu edu 1sted scormguide b040ea31 f7c7 40b6 a43f 39db46638296 ii SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers FCT AG E 1 Gona TAS GUO eese E 3 1 Introducing SCORM ccccceccesseeceeeceeeeseeeeeeeeaeeeseueeseeeseueeseeeseeesaaeenaes 5 2 Defining Sharable Content Objects SCOs 0 nannennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnennnne 9 Zl TS SOU yess orcas ned octane yeni gas oleate A E E ETTE 9 22 sharable Content Objects SCOS iccissdesssvascetuasosacenenssiesssosdecsssaaaedassnacanenndeasssaaea
115. ytes Purpose Discipline Classification Keyword growing avocados avocado trees Contribute Learning Systems Architecture Lab Role Author MD Scheme LOMv1 0 Entity Learning Systems Architecture Lab Carnegie Mellon MD Catalog x xyzorg edu University Pittsburgh PA USA www sal cmu edu MD Entry 1 0 avocado s2a0f98jqw3r09efjdsfj0iu0a98s Learning Resource Type Narrative Text Interactivity Type Expositive Copyright amp other restrictions Yes Interactivity Level very low Rights Description Redistribute or reprint in full only Typical Learning Time 0 5 hours Credit must be given to Carnegie Mellon University LSAL May Location http www l sal cmu edu avocado pdf not be used for commercial purposes Diagram 4 4 Metadata for the Growing Avocado Trees SCO shown in Diagram 4 3 4 4 Designing SCOs for New Instructional Materials While it may appear easier to design new instructional materials in accordance with SCORM rather than repurpose existing materials for SCORM the repurposing process has one advantage you know the scope of the task since you already know what the content is how deep the content delves into the subject matter and how the content was intended to be structured When designing new content to be SCORM compliant it will be very important to set some parameters for your design or development team Carnegie Mellon Learning Systems Architecture Lab Copyright 2003 Carnegie Mellon University Some

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