How can you best use SCORM in blended learning programs?

At its core, SCORM is a set of standards for learning content that lets an LMS or platform display it without additional work needed beyond supporting the standard. I like to think of it as similar to .mp4 for video sites/players. Basically every good player can handle it.

SCORM's impact lies in its capability to: Facilitate Reusability: Content developers can create courses that can be reused in different systems and contexts without redevelopment. This saves time and resources. Enable Accessibility: SCORM-compliant content can be accessed by learners across different platforms and devices, ensuring a wider reach. Track Learner Progress: SCORM standards allow for the tracking of learners' progress, scores, and completion rates, providing valuable data for educators and learners to improve the learning experience. Provide Consistency: Learners can expect a consistent learning experience regardless of the LMS they are using, which is particularly important for organizations with a large number of learners.

To best use SCORM in blended learning programs, customize your SCORM content and track your learners’ progress. Steps to follow: - Customize your SCORM content by setting the launch mode, completion criteria, grading method, and feedback options. - Use your LMS reports and analytics to monitor and evaluate your learners’ performance and progress on your SCORM content. - Provide feedback, support, and guidance to your learners based on this data. - Improve your SCORM content and blended learning program using this data. A well-designed LMS is a vital component of employee training. SCORM is an important tool for developers and vendors of eLearning content for its flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and time management.

Here is the thing. SCORM should not be used in any modern learning project. Blended or full e-learning. SCORM as a standard was last updated in 2009, with the standard itself disbanded a few years later. Reasons to stay clear are mostly around how SCORM limits your ability to make personalized experiences for the users.

SCORM has been around for many years, making it a strong standard for LMS in ensuring elearning content development and compatability across platforms.

We've found that Articulate Rise creates great SCORM files. We output them into our LMS to provide a more robust and well-designed experience for our users. Another benefit is that the content can be easily ported to another LMS.

I agree I have found articulate, specifically Storyline to be excellent in providing me with a platform to build interactive content. I have also started using it to add gamified elements to learning.

I have found this guidance really insightful. For anyone looking to create an effective learning platform, checking this detail with your developer is you’d key to success

Creating SCORM content for blended learning efficiently requires a strategic approach that leverages technology to complement traditional instruction. Here’s a process to develop SCORM materials for blended education: Online Components: Develop interactive e-learning modules with multimedia, quizzes, and simulations. Classroom Materials: Prepare in-person lesson plans, activities, and discussions. Develop Assessments: Craft tests that align with your objectives and can be tracked for performance. Integrate with In-Person Learning: Link online modules with classroom sessions to form a coherent blended learning experience. Pilot and Revise: Trial the course with a select group, gather feedback, and refine the content.

What I love most about SCORM is that using any authoring tools, you can import your content into most LMS systems. The best bang for the buck is for activities and hands-on practice and exercises. In addition to instruction, students need to interact with the content through an activity, knowledge check, or other learning interaction.; it is vital to be doing something, not just seeing something. SCORM content can be used in any environment to enhance the learning experience. An instructor can teach virtually, in-person, or both....and still use the SCORM content for the hands-on component. Thoughtful interactions also provide feedback for the student, which is equally vital when trying to personalize learning.

I completely agree ensuring you are maximising the learning opportunities for learners through SCORM creates a better experience for the users. I also think that everyone learns differently and as such the ability to customise helps a lot .

SCORM is only useful if you want to share your content with other LMSs. If you don't have that need don't bother with SCORM, it will be an added unnecesary complexity. If you are someone that wants to receive content others have created in their LMSs, or in SCORM compatible or compliant authoring tools, then SCORM provides you with a means to do that, whether bringing all Sharable Content Objects (SCO) ftom one source or mamy. Just remember SCORM does not do anything to your content except allowing you to share it to or from other LMSs.

Compatibility: With SCORM, content created once can be used across various platforms without the need for modification, ensuring consistent learning experiences for all users regardless of the LMS. Tracking and Reporting: SCORM enables detailed tracking of learner progress, time spent on modules, assessment scores, and completion status, which can inform personalized support and interventions. Efficiency: Educators and trainers can easily update and distribute content without technical issues, saving time and resources. Flexibility: SCORM-compliant content can be accessed by learners at their convenience, which is ideal for the self-paced component of blended learning.

Tracking your learning program efficacy through the use of SCORM is essential to growing your learning program. You need metrics within that data to track engagement, assessment, completions, and even learning objectives. This data can and should be used to drive the improvement of your program and can be integrated from your LMS into PowerBI to track with other operational data. This is so easy with off-the-shelf development tools like Storyline, Rise, and so on. Without this, all you are really tracking is superficial clicks from your portal sites, meaning you can’t get to a granular level of identifying your training effectiveness or needs, in my opinion.

Before you embark on SCORM look at all angles, SCORM has its benefits but also its challenges. If you are creating content and want to share it with other LMSs and get data back, or if the content needs frequent updates and you will share the full course as a single unit vs SCOs, there are better approaches than SCORM. Another issue is that if you create your course with SCOs from many sources, your course might start looking a bit like a "Frankenstein", an arm from here, a leg from there... be mindful of course voice, tone, and consistency. There is a lot to unpack before you go the SCORM way. Again, make sure you look at all angles and if SCORM fits that"s great. If it doesn't, there are other ways to share content effectively.

I can see the benefits of SCORM and how it can assist with ensuring content is in a format users can relate to. I am looking forward to exploring this topic further.

In my experience, using SCORM in blended learning rocks! It improves content quality, offers flexibility, engages learners with multimedia, eases assessments, saves time and money, and tracks progress.

Technical Complexity: Implementing SCORM can be technically complex, requiring a certain level of expertise to ensure content is compatible and functions correctly across different LMS platforms. Development Costs: Upfront costs for developing SCORM-compliant content can be high, especially for institutions transitioning from non-SCORM materials. Updating Issues: Keeping SCORM-compliant content current can be challenging. Updates may need extensive testing to ensure compatibility with various LMSs. LMS Dependency: SCORM content requires an LMS for deployment. If an institution's LMS is outdated or lacks full SCORM support, it can hinder the use of SCORM-compliant materials.

Making sure teachers feel heard, understand and effectively use SCORM content within the blended learning environment. They should understand well how to monitor student progress and offer support. To achieve enough participation and understanding, good training and good trainers are necessary (but scarce!). Teachers should do some basic training (face-to-face instruction in the mandatory team meetings), and be fairly compensated and encouraged to participate in further development.

In my experience and opinion having a developer support after your learning platform is created means you are always keeping up to date with requirements and technical considerations .

Join E-Learning Communities: Participate in forums and online communities like eLearning Guild, eLearning Industry, and LinkedIn groups. Engage in discussions, ask questions, and share experiences related to SCORM. Attend Webinars and Conferences: Regularly attend e-learning webinars, virtual conferences, and industry events. Organizations such as ATD (Association for Talent Development) and Learning Technologies often cover the latest trends in SCORM and e-learning. Subscribe to Industry Blogs and Newsletters: Follow e-learning thought leaders and organizations that publish articles, blogs, and newsletters. Websites like eLearning Industry, Learning Solutions Magazine, and Training Magazine are valuable resources.

I'd like to offer a different perspective beyond SCORM to consider. xAPI (Experience API) and cmi5. These newer standards offer more flexibility and capabilities for tracking and reporting on learner activity and performance. xAPI allows for tracking of a wider range of learning experiences beyond traditional e-learning courses, such as simulations, games, and even real-world experiences. cmi5, on the other hand, combines the best of SCORM and xAPI to provide a standardized way to track learning in a variety of contexts. As the e-learning industry continues to evolve, it's important to consider these alternative standards to ensure your training programs remain effective and relevant.

The best feature of SCORM for blended learning programs is its interoperability. This refers to SCORM's ability to work seamlessly across different learning management systems (LMSs) and e-learning platforms.

Using SCORM in blended learning is a must for creating compatible, trackable, and reusable online content. This article discusses how to maximize SCORM's potential in your blended learning programs, highlighting the benefits and challenges it brings to the table. It's the key to seamless integration of online and in-person education.