Flash For Learning

I recently answered this question in the ADL Help Desk:

“I am developing an authorware course that I would eventually like to implement into an LMS. I am trying to tag the file with a bunch of SCORM tags, but I’m not exactly sure how to do it. I was wondering if any of the programs on this site to download (like http://www.adlnet.org/downloads/197.cfm) could run my packaged authorware file, and recognize any SCORM tags in it?”

Dependent on the version of Authorware you are using, Macromedia provides SCORM support built into the authoring environment. While I have not used Authorware actively since version 4, I’m confident that as of Version 6, Macromedia provides support for SCORM Version 1.2. That being the case, the learning content you create, when properly marked up and packaged for SCORM Version 1.2, should play in both the Conformance Test Suite, which would provide you with a detailed report of all detected SCORM communications coming from your Authorware content, and the Sample Run-Time Environment 1.2.2, which provides a SCORM Run-Time Environment for you to effectively “play” your content in.

Technorati Tags: macromedia, authorware, scorm

I answered this question on the ADL Help desk:

“I’m a new SCORM content creator. I need to know what steps are needed to send scores via your standard… I’m using drmwvr w/L5 producer & coursebuilder. While these are propriatory apps, do you have any exp. using them? Also- is it possible to get a plain english answer to how a course is set up? From what i understand, after the hmtl is done:

1. i need to detail in the imsmanifest file which pages are needed per sco.
2. i need to pass the score to the tracker frame of the run-time api frame- what object is this?
3. how do i finalize the lesson? do i need to send core data back to the lms?(i think the api does this for me)
4. general question- but what else is needed?”

For information on sending scores to the LMS, you’ll be better served by reading about the Score Data Model Element in the SCORM RTE. This is available on the ADLNet.org website.

As for Dreamweaver with the L5 Producer/Coursebuilder — I know of their existence, but am by no means experienced with the product.

You are absolutely correct that once you’re done creating your content, it is the appropriate time to start integrating your calls for SCORM. You’ve no doubt spent some time considering how you want to break up your content into SCOs — one HTML page can be a SCO, but you may have a group of HTML pages that all will work as one unit of instruction — that’s fine. Let me affirm that you will reflect how your organize your content in the imsmanifest.xml.

I don’t know the specifics of the methods you’re using to pass a value to the API, but (again, use the SCORM RTE for details) you can assign a raw, minimum and maximum score. Typically, in your SCO (not the manifest) you will perform a

SetValue ( “cmi.core.score.raw”, “[your score]” );

You need to determine for yourself if you need to send this information to the LMS. As far as SCORM is concerned, your use of the data model is completely optional.

As I’m ramping up for MAX 2005, I’ve posted a little demonstration on how to prepare a Captivate project for a SCORM-based LMS.

I’ll be cleaning it up as well as preparing a proper portal on the site just for MAX 2005, but if you want the sneak preview, it’s here.