If you are an eLearning professional or if your company is engage in the selection of a Learning Management System (LMS), it is likely that you have come across the eLearning standards you should be aware of. And while there are various eLearning standards supported by the different authoring platforms and learning management systems on the market today, they all offer advantages and disadvantages. In the end, you will need to determine which standard best supports your goals (or the goals of your client), and account for such factors as the format for delivery, activity tracking, and the manner in which the course will be consumed by users.
In this article, we will explore two specific standards: AICC and SCORM.
AICC
The Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee (AICC) standard was introduced in 1993 in an effort to drive down the costs associated with computer-based training. A Learning Management System (LMS) that accepts AICC-compliant eLearning content is able to host and deliver content that is AICC compliant. The AICC standard utilizes the HTTP AICC Communication Protocol (HACP) to establish communication between course content and an LMS. This straightforward methodology uses an HTML form and simple text strings to send data to and from the LMS.
Today, while the original AICC standard is still used by many organizations, this is mostly for legacy reasons. The AICC standard is phasing out over time.
SCORM
The Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) is a set of technical standards for eLearning software products that serves to guide programmers to write their code so that it can work and communicate with other eLearning software. Today, SCORM serves as the de facto standard for eLearning interoperability. While several versions of SCORM have been introduced over the years, the two that are most relevant are SCORM 1.2 (released in 2001) and SCORM 2004 (released in 2004 to enhance and expand the 1.2 version).
SCORM serves to allow content authors to distribute their content more easily to a variety of LMSs with minimal hurdles. Some of the specific benefits of SCORM compliance include the ability for:
Accessibility
Identify and access instructional elements from one location for delivery to multiple other locations.
Adaptability
Customize instruction based on organizational needs.
Affordability
Enhance efficiency and productivity by minimizing the time and costs involved in delivery.
Durability
Endure technology evolution without a need for costly redesign.
Interoperability
Repurpose instructional components across locations using a different set of tools or platform.
Reusability
Incorporate instructional elements in multiple applications and contexts.
About LMS Portals
LMS Portals is a cloud-based, multi-tenant Learning Management System (LMS) that provides our clients with the ability to launch and manage multiple private eLearning environments, all from a centralized administrative console. LMS Portals is SCORM-compliant and includes robust supporting features, including corporate branding, user onboarding, messaging and collaboration, detailed analytics, and more.
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