If you use SCORM courses to deliver online learning, you know how frustrating it can be when your data gets corrupted. Data corruption can cause your courses to malfunction, lose track of learner progress, or display incorrect scores. In this article, you will learn how to fix SCORM course data corruption and prevent it from happening again.
SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model, a set of standards and specifications for creating and delivering online learning content. SCORM courses store data in a file called the SCORM manifest, which contains information about the course structure, resources, objectives, and sequencing. When the SCORM manifest is damaged or altered, the course data becomes corrupted and the course may not work as intended.
The manifest is an XML file in the root of the SCORM package. It tells the course that embeds this SCORM file about its structure and all the contained SCO's, or Shareable Content Objects. If the manifest is damaged, it is unlikely the SCORM package will play properly. Edit: So it isn't necessarily _course data_ that is being corrupted, when I define course data as being data from learners who interact with the learning resource and therefore generate data. E.g., the answers and score in a quiz. If the manifest is damaged, the SCORM will likely not work at all in modern SCORM compliant LMS's.
The manifest describes the structure of the course only. SCORM stores data by LMSSetValue() function throw API on the LMS side. So, generally, we have three potential data corruption places: the structure (manifest), the API and the LMS itself.
SCORM course data corruption can be caused by a variety of factors, such as manually or incompatibly editing the SCORM manifest file, incorrectly or incompletely transferring or uploading the SCORM course files, using an unsupported or outdated SCORM version or LMS, running multiple instances of the same SCORM course at once, or having network or browser issues that disrupt communication between the SCORM course and the LMS.
The symptoms of SCORM course data corruption can vary, but some of the typical indications are a course not launching or loading properly, errors, warnings, or blank screens appearing, lack of tracking or reporting learner progress, completion, or scores, inconsistent or unpredictable behavior, and discrepancies between the original design and content.
In my experience most LMS's will refuse to launch a SCORM package with a broken or incomplete manifest.xml. For instance, Moodle will use several attributes to retain the version of the content and store that information.
The best way to fix SCORM course data corruption is to restore the original SCORM manifest file from a backup or a source file. You can use a tool like the SCORM Manifest Validator to check the integrity and validity of your SCORM manifest file and identify any errors or issues. If you do not have a backup or a source file, you may need to recreate the SCORM course from scratch or use a SCORM repair tool to fix the corrupted data.
When you use an authoring tool like Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, or Lectora you will most likely have a backup file. Otherwise it's as simple as exporting the content again. If you face SCORM course data corruption and you are building your SCORM activities manually, scratch yourself behind your ears and wonder: How can I use industry standard tools which embrace these standards and enable the learning experience for my learners?
To avoid SCORM course data corruption, it is important to follow some best practices when creating, editing, and delivering SCORM courses. This includes using a reliable and compatible SCORM authoring tool and LMS, testing your SCORM courses before publishing and deploying them, making regular backups of your SCORM courses and storing them in a safe location, avoiding editing or modifying the SCORM manifest file manually or with an untrusted tool, transferring or uploading your SCORM courses correctly and completely, using the latest and supported SCORM version and LMS, limiting the number of concurrent instances of the same SCORM course, and ensuring a stable and secure network and browser connection. Following these steps can help fix and prevent SCORM course data corruption, providing a successful learning experience for your learners.