SCORM Watch

Rustici Software’s Test Track First to Achieve SCORM 2004 3rd Edition Certification

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rustici Software's SCORM Test Track application is the first product to be certified as officially conforming to the newest standards for e-learning. The latest release of the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) is SCORM 2004 3rd Edition, launched recently by a joint commission known as the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative. The U.S. Department of Defense initiative is comprised of government, academic and business representatives; its SCORM project consists of specifications that allow shared content and interoperability of online learning.

"ADL is delighted to see Rustici's adoption of the new SCORM 2004 3rd Edition," said Paul Jesukiewicz, Deputy Director of the ADL Initiative. "We're pleased to see Test Track was the first application to be officially certified as SCORM 2004 3rd Edition by one of the ADL Test Centers. Having products such as Test Track will provide the global ADL community the necessary tools to ensure interoperability across e-learning content and learning management systems."

The latest version of SCORM is more robust and complete than the preceding edition in that it corrects issues, resolves ambiguities dealing with interoperability, and incorporates changes based on accredited standards.

"We were pleased to be the first to be certified," said Mike Rustici, co-owner of Rustici Software, the leading provider of products and services that help e-learning clients conform to SCORM specifications. "Third Edition added a number of new requirements for a Learning Management System (LMS), mostly centered around increasing interoperability and providing a usable interface for the learner. These are things we have historically done very well."

SCORM Test Track allows creators of e-learning materials to experience their content exactly as their users will, in a "real" certified LMS. It also allows users to debug content using Test Track's advanced diagnostic information, to demonstrate content's compatibility to clients, and to iteratively develop and test the newest SCORM sequencing rules. Test Track has already surpassed one thousand users. SCORM Test Track is built on the core code found in the SCORM Engine, Rustici Software's flagship product, which has been integrated into more than 45 different LMS systems. It is considered a leader in compatibility and learner experience, in addition to conforming to strict standards.

"Test Track gives content developers an opportunity to create intricate content effectively," Rustici said. "The real power, though, is that content authors and consumers can be certain about compatibility."

For more information about Rustici Software, visit http://www.scorm.com.

SCORM in D2L: A Sharable Experience

Suzanne Skublics delivers SCORM conformant courseware in Desire2Learn for the Defence Learning Network Project at the Canadian Department of National Defence and shares her experiences. Apart from developing and verifying SCORM courseware, her main role within DNDLearn is to support our user community with all issues related to SCORM. When the D2L LMS was deployed as DNDLearn, her first task was to determine its conformance to SCORM, for both versions 1.2 and 2004. Once that was determined, the next step was to analyze how easy the SCORM features are to use. Read the entire article for her challenges and solutions.

E-Learning Standards Body Says SumTotal Officially Certifies Against New Guidelines

SumTotal® Systems’ newly released learning management system – TotalLMS™ 7.5 – conforms to the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM®) Version 2004 3rd Edition, an e-learning standards initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Claimed Jon Ciampi, SumTotal’s vice president of marketing, “We believe embracing the SCORM 2004 standard and receiving ADL’s certification is a critical step in meeting the marketplace’s expectations.”

Making the Grade: Collaborate and Catalog

In the January 2007 CRM Magazine, Coreen Bailer states:

Some contact centers are taking a more collaborative approach to generating e-learning materials by culling information from disparate sources like marketing and human resources. That's where sharable content object reference model (SCORM) compliance comes in. SCORM is a collection of standards and specifications adapted from multiple sources to provide e-learning capabilities that enable interoperability, accessibility, and reusability of Web-based learning. "Things like SCORM compliance are hitting the call center now because [centers are] starting to realize that a lot of this content may exist already somewhere within the company," says Matt Storm, product manager for etalk's e-learning product line.