Introduction

In our last presentation, SCORM: A Beginners Guide, we outlined the basics of SCORM in

simple terms.

This presentation is part 1 of 3 and will walk you through the basics of the first

specification book, known as CAM - or Content Aggregation Model

Inside a SCORM Package:The Content Aggregation Model

SCORM Content Aggregation Model:

(SCORM CAM) This book defines the technical methods involved in the process of creating and delivering eLearning content. Specifically, the

aggregation of electronic assets into a resource, and the organization of those resources to create a

defined sequence for delivery.

The Content Aggregation Model enables assets to be organized into learning

resources, describes those assets and delivers them in a pre-set sequence. This

promotes consistent storage, labeling, packaging, exchanging and discovery of

content.

The CAM book is designed to assist in the creation, editing and use of SCORM content

model components, SCORM content packages and metadata.

The SCORM CAM gives designers and implementers of instruction neutral means to gather learning

resources and aggregate them to create and deliver a learning experience. These learning experiences consist of various activities supported by learning

resources. One of these activities involves the creation, discovery and aggregation, of assets into

more complex learning resources and then the organization of those resources into a predefined

sequence of delivery

This activity is defined in the SCORM CAM and consists of the following...

The Content Model

Content Packaging

Metadata

and

Sequencing and Navigation

First, Lets talk about The Content Model

The Content Model describes the SCORM components (nomenclature) that create a learning experience, and defines how lower level learning

resources are aggregated into high-level units of learning instruction.

The components found in the content model are:

Assets SCOs

ActivitiesContent OrganizationContent Aggregation

What are Assets?

Assets are electronic representations of media, such as text, images, sound, Web pages or other pieces of data that can be delivered using the Web. Assets can be described with metadata which allows for search and discovery of assets within repositories to allow reuse and easy accessibility. Assets alone do not

communicate with the LMS.

What are SCOs?

Sharable Content Objects (SCOs) are a collection of one or more assets that represents a single

launchable resource that can communicate with a learning management system (LMS) using the SCORM Run-time Environment . A SCO represents the lowest

level of granularity of learning resources that can communicate with an LMS using the SCORM RTE.

While SCORM doesn’t not impose size restraints on SCOs, they are intended for reuse (so a single SCO can be used in various learning experiences to fulfill multiple objectives) so they are more beneficial to your content if

restricted to small units.

SCOs are required (as defined in SCORM Run-Time) to have the means to communicate with

an LMS using the minimum API methods, “initialize” and “terminate”.

What are Activities?

Activities are described in the SCORM CAM book as “meaningful units of instruction.”

A learning activity can presented as a learning resource to the learner (SCO or Asset) or a learning activity can be

comprised as a collection of sub-activities.Activities found in a content organization can be

referenced via metadata for search and discovery.

What is Content Organization?

A Content Organization is a representation that shows how activities relate to each other,

and defines their intended use through sequencing evaluations. This is done by

structuring activities relative to one another, and then correlating sequencing information with

each structured activity.

It is the responsibility of the LMS to interpret and define the sequencing information

found in the content organization and to apply and control the set behavior of the

learning resource at Run-Time. This is important to the concept of SCORM as it

allows learning resources to be independent and self contained, thus making them

reusable.

What is Content Aggregation?

The Content Aggregation is an organization of assets and SCOs that form a unit of instruction. It describes the link between contentobjects (Lessons) and their relation to each other (Sequencing).

The aggregation can then be used to deliver the content and content structure,to be transferred between systems or stored in a repository.

In general terms, the content aggregation is the users experience and the flow at

which they take an Aggregation (course). Content Aggregation is the

imsmanifest.xml file and it is the aggregation that is read by systems (LMS)

Now that we have talked about the Content Model, Lets dive deeper into

Content Packaging

SCORM Content Packaging is a set of specific application profiles of the IMS Content Packaging

Specification; SCORM adheres strictly to this specification while also providing additional requirements and

implementation guidance for packaging assets, SCOs and content organization. The IMS Content Packaging

Specification is the means by which content can be presented to a learner or exchanged and shared between

systems or tools in a standardized way.

The content package according to SCORM is the collection of all files required to run the content in an

intended manner, and contains two major components: the and physical files. (The actual

content, media, assessment etc) According to SCORM specifications, the Content Packaging must be

packaged in a self contained package, and must allow itself to be disaggregated or aggregated once it

arrives at its destination. This method of delivery is called a Package Interchange File (PIF).

In simplistic terms, the content package contains the files found within the content model, zipped into one

interchangeable file.

Now lets discuss Metadata

Metadata is descriptive data about the content structure or organization, and can be used to describe how individual learning

resources are intended for use in a particular content organization. While

metadata is not mandatory according to SCORM, it is necessary for the reuse of

content. Metadata allows for search and discovery of learning resources, and gives

you enough information upon discovery that opening the actual resource is not

necessary.

There are three types of metadata you can apply:

Context-specific: This is metadata that describes the relation a resource has to a

particular learning strategy. E.g. Why Resource A is being used by Activity D, and why it is

inserted in this particular section in an instructional sequence.

Context-independent: This means the metadata given is immutable metadata that describes digital assets, content objects or

collections of objects.

Context dependant: Context dependant metadata is descriptions that will only make

sense in the context of a particular content organization.

Metadata as described by The IEEE LOM Information Model is divided into nine categories. Each category describes

different aspects of the SCORM Content Model Component.

General: Describes general information regarding the SCORM Content Model Component as a whole.

Life Cycle: Describes features related to the history and current state of the SCORM Content Model Component and features that have affected the component during its evolution.

Meta-metadata: Describes the actual metadata record itself.

Technical: Describes SCORM Content Model Components technical requirements and characteristics

Educational: Describes the components educational and pedagogic characteristics.

Rights: Describes the conditions of use and the intellectual property rights of the SCORM Content Model Component.

Relation: Describes the features which defines the relationship between this component and other targeted components.

Annotation: Is used to comment on the educational use of the component. -also provides a timestamp and user signature.

Classification: Describes where the component falls within a particular classification system.

And finally, lets talk about Sequencing and Navigation

SCORM Sequencing and Navigation defines how learning content can be sequenced through a set of

learner-initiated or system-initiated navigation events, and the behavior and functionality that an

LMS must implement in order to process sequencing information at run-time.

That is the basics of the SCORM Content Aggregation Model.

We hope you found this presentation helpful.

For more information on SCORM in a language you can understand.

Visit our SCORM resource section at: www.thinkingcap.com/SCORM

Stay tuned for part 2, SCORM Run-Time Coming Soon!