Moodle is now certified SCORM 1.2 compliant
If you’re a regular reader of the the E-Learning Curve Blog, you’ll have seen the recent discussion on e-learning specifications, accredited standards, and SCORM; in the discussion Moodle’s founder Martin Dougiamas himself took the time to contribute on the topic of courseware interoperability. It seems that the debate was timely.
Now read on…
It was just announced on Moodle.org that 
Moodle 1.9.5 is now “100 per cent” SCORM 1.2 compliant to conformance level LMS-RTE3 (Learning Management System – Run-Time Environment 3). If you want to find out more about the SCORM module in Moodle, you can check out Moodle’s SCORM FAQ and the SCORM module forum.
Here’s some refresher information about SCORM. The Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) integrates a set of related technical standards, specifications, and guidelines designed to meet ADL’s functional requirements–accessibility, interoperability, durability, and reusability (the “ilities”).
SCORM emerged from the US Department of Defense (DOD), which established the ADL Initiative in 1997 to standardize and modernize training and education management and delivery. The ADL Initiative created an 
international community to collaboratively develop a cost-effective distributed learning model that is consistent across national and organizational borders.
ADL works with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Aviation Industry CBT (Computer-based Training) Committee (AICC), the IMS Global Learning Consortium, Inc., and the Alliance of Remote Instructional Authoring & Distribution Networks for Europe (ARIADNE). These organizations develop guidelines and specifications that make learning software accessible, interoperable, durable, and reusable.
According to the Advanced Distributed Learning initiative’s website:
The vision of the ADL Initiative is to provide access to the highest-quality learning and performance aiding that can be tailored to individual needs and delivered cost-effectively, anytime, and anywhere. The ADL Initiative developed SCORM and the ADL Registry to address ADL’s functional requirements–accessibility, interoperability, durability, and reusability (the “ilities”) within the DoD training, education, and performance support communities, as well as in government, academia, and industry.
When possible ADL adopts, clarifies, harmonizes, synchronizes, and applies the documentation that these standards organizations develop. ADL promotes the application of standards with reference implementations and tools to assess compliance to the requirements. The ADL website again:
There are numerous benefits to adopting SCORM, and all are related to ADL’s functional requirements for SCORM.
- Accessibility:The ability to locate and access instructional components from multiple locations and deliver them to other locations. For example, a content author can search the ADL Registry and identify relevant content that has already been developed by another organization and deploy that content on any LMS that complies with the same version of SCORM to learners anywhere in the world.
- Interoperability: The ability to take instructional components developed in one system and use them in another system. For example, content packaged for delivery in one SCORM-compliant LMS could be loaded into another LMS that complies with the same version of SCORM for delivery to learners.
- Durability: The ability to withstand technology evolution and/or changes without costly redesign, reconfiguration, or recoding. For example, upgrading to a new computer operating system should have no impact on the delivery of content to learners.
- Reusability: The flexibility to incorporate instructional components in multiple applications and contexts. For example, e-learning content designed for one organization can be redeployed, rearranged, repurposed, or rewritten by other organizations that have similar learning needs.
I want to offer my congratulations to all at Moodle for attaining their conformance certificate, especially as they work with only limited funding, but obviously with great heart, skills and expertise.
I’ll return to the topic of developing e-learning using open source software next time.
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References:
Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative. (2009). Frequently Asked Questions about SCORM. [Internet] Available from: http://www.adlnet.gov/Documents/SCORM%20FAQ.aspx Accessed 23rd October 2009
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October 23 2009 03:30 pm | e-learning
2 Responses to “Moodle is now certified SCORM 1.2 compliant”
maninder on 01 Sep 2010 at 7:23 am #
hello sir,
I want to know about interoperability of moodle and xerte
can the content developed through xerte be placed in moodle?
Michael Hanley on 08 Sep 2010 at 3:34 pm #
Maninder,
Yes, content developed in Xerte can be deployed via content management systems like Moodle.
Regards,
Michael
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