SCORM Cloud in Sakai: The easy route to SCORM compliance

Editor's Notes

• #3: For some people, SCORM is like this dirty little secret no one wants to talk about.
• #4: Many people are hoping if they ignore it, *click* it’ll just go away.
• #5: But SCORM is the de facto standard these days for interoperability. And while it has it’s problems, it also has its benefits.
• #6: And one of it’s problems? It’s hard. Hard to understand, hard to implement, hard to execute.
• #7: That’s where we come in. We don’t do anything but SCORM at RS and *click* our #1 goal is to make it easy. For anyone who needs it. And we know not everyone does. But you’re here. Which means you do. Or think you do.
• #8: So how did we make SCORM easy for Sakai? Well, in the past year, we created and launched a hosted version of our SCORM player called SCORM Cloud, which can be integrated into web services as well as stand-alone LMSs.
• #9: And for ease of use, we went ahead and integrated it into Sakai and packaged it up for installation just like any other module or add-on. (We did the same for Moodle, Dokeos and Ilias as part of an overall proof of concept.)
• #10: Easy for Sakai comes down to three things – first, it takes less than five minutes to install and get running. Second, our player is incredibly tolerant so your people can bring in SCORM packages created in a variety of tools and still have it work. Third, SCORM Cloud is integrated with the gradebook in Sakai so it works seamlessly with your system.
• #11: So yea! SCORM Cloud sounds fabulous. What does it actually do, how does it work, and how can you get it? And can I back up what I just said?
• #13: Three steps for installation – copy over some files, restart your system, configure SC. And you’re done.Extract the .zip file you downloaded from our site. (There’s a pack for 2.5.x and one for 2.6.x.)Copy the scormcloud-pack folder into the components folder in your Sakai installation.Copy the scormcloud-api-0.8.jar into the shared folder of your Sakai installation. (The number is the version number, so that changes.)Copy the scormcloud-tool.war folder into the webapps folder of your Sakai installation.Restart your Sakai, then log in and go to the administration workspace.Create a new worksite and select SCORM Cloud on the list of tools for the site.Go to your new worksite and click SCORM Cloud in the left-side navigation menu.Click configure plug-in on the welcome screen.Add your SCORM Cloud account information that came in your welcome email or click the link within the mod to sign up for a free trial account.
• #14: Video showing installation if want to run. Just click on the vid.
• #15: Download the zip file – available for 2.5.x and 2.6.x and found at scorm.com/sakai
• #16: Once you expand the zip, you’ll several files and folders. *click* You’ll be copying these three guys over to your sakai install. And all the directions are right *click* here in this install file.
• #17: Here’s the install file – *click* lists the three files you need to copy right there and where they need to go.
• #18: Each folder or file set goes into a different folder *click* of your Sakai install. And you’re ready to restart the install and move on to configuration.
• #19: After you restart, you’ll now find SCORM Cloud in the list of options for setting up a new worksite. Select it along with whatever else you want for the workspace just like you normally would.
• #20: Within your new workspace – you’ll now see SCORM Cloud *click* as an option on the left nav. We now have to get it configured so your Sakai install will communicate with SC properly. Handily *click* there’s a link in the top nav there for configure.
• #21: And now – configuration. When you sign up for a SC account, you’re given two very important pieces of info. *click* an AppID, which is sort of your application’s username for SCORM Cloud. The other is *click* a Secret Key, which you can think of as being your install’s password. There’s a lot more to say about those, but only if you’re planning to develop your own SC app or need to run multiple applications off one SC account.
• #23: Discussion of package properties, how to tweak, how easy it is to do so. Basic message is about our tolerance – can get most anything to work with our SCORM. Easy way to make it happen.
• #24: SCORM Cloud is superior to rsmart because SCORM evolves and that evolution will require NO effort on the part of the administrator or user... auto updates
• #26: Video showing course upload and gradebook if want to use.
• #27: We have a new resource type under Add. *click* You should see SCORM Package. You’re going to select that and upload your course.
• #28: If you want SCORM Cloud to report back to the gradebook, you have to make sure you have two things set as you upload the resource – on import *click* select to allow content to contribute to the grade.
• #29: Then when you are going through the other settings, select *click* to add assignment to gradebook under Grading. Without those, SCORM won’t return the data to the gradebook (ask David to make sure that’s true).
• #30: A SCORM package attaches to an assignment just like any other. And if you include multiple resources, they’ll collectively report back to the gradebook with the score.
• #31: Student view of the gradebook – with*click* the course score showing.
• #32: Admin view of the gradebook with the *click* course score showing.
• #33: Reportage w/in Sakai
• #34: Reportage separately. Can see – a lot of the same data we just saw within Sakai itself.