What is SCORM and how does it work in e-learning?

If you have ever been involved in creating online courses, you have probably heard this abbreviation. So, what is SCORM? In simple terms, SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is an international set of technical standards for e-learning that guarantees your educational content will work flawlessly in any learning management system (LMS).

Imagine that SCORM is a USB memory stick. Regardless of what computer you have (Mac or Windows), you can plug in the memory stick, and it will work. SCORM does the same for online courses. Thanks to this, you can guarantee that your training materials will play correctly and learners' progress will be accurately tracked.

What problems does SCORM solve in e-learning?

SCORM solves the main problem of e-learning: the incompatibility of content and platforms. It acts as a "common language" between the course and the LMS.

Without this standard, companies would have to rewrite the course code for every new learning platform. According to statistics, using SCORM allows organisations to save up to 37% of their content development budget.

The main tasks performed by SCORM:

• Content import: The course is packaged into a standard ZIP archive and uploaded to the system in one click.

• Progress tracking: It transmits data on how much time a learner spent on a page, what scores they received whilst taking tests, and whether they completed a module.

• Reusability: You can create a single training module and use it across dozens of different LMSs.

How does a SCORM package work inside?

From a technical perspective, the operation of a SCORM package is based on a manifest file and a JavaScript API.

A SCORM course is delivered as a ZIP archive (PIF). Its "brain" is the mandatory imsmanifest.xml file, which is located in the root of the archive. It describes the structure of the course, all HTML pages, videos, images, and the order in which they are shown. When a user opens the course, the module finds the API object of the LMS platform, initialises the session (the LMSInitialize command), and begins transmitting progress data (the LMSSetValue command).

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using SCORM in an LMS?

The advantages of SCORM lie in its versatility and cost savings; however, it also has technical limitations related to the age of the technology.

As experts in developing learning solutions, we encounter various formats every day. Here is an honest look at the pros and cons.

Advantages of SCORM:

1. Interoperability: You create a course once and run it on any of the 90% of existing LMSs.

2. Investment protection: You are not tied to a single platform provider. Decided to change your LMS? Your courses will "move" with you without any losses.

3. Detailed reporting: The ability to see not just a "Passed" status, but also the number of attempts, time spent, and specific errors in tests.

Disadvantages of SCORM:

1. Browser dependency: SCORM works poorly in offline mode and has limitations when used in native mobile applications.

2. Limited analytics for complex actions: It cannot track complex and detailed analytics; this requires xAPI support.

3. Outdated architecture: It relies on outdated browser APIs, which sometimes causes cross-domain access issues.

SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004: Which SCORM version should you choose?

The main difference between the versions lies in the memory capacity for saving a learner's progress (the suspend_data parameter) and navigation flexibility.

If you are creating simple linear courses, version 1.2 will be sufficient. But if your course contains complex gamification, branching scenarios, and large tests, you need SCORM 2004.

Feature	SCORM 1.2	SCORM 2004 (4th Edition)
Year of release	2001	2004 (updated in 2009)
Data limit (suspend_data)	4,096 characters	64,000 characters
Type of learning	Linear (slide by slide)	Adaptive (complex transition rules)
Popularity	Supported by 100% of LMSs	Around 60% of new corporate requests

💡 Smart Way's experience: We sometimes see clients trying to upload a large interactive course in version 1.2, and users' progress suddenly stops saving. Solution: Always export bulky courses in SCORM 2004 (4th Edition) format to avoid exceeding the memory limit, or even better, in xAPI or cmi5.

Which is better: SCORM, xAPI, or cmi5?

xAPI and cmi5 are modern alternatives to SCORM that allow tracking learning outside the browser (for example, in mobile applications or VR simulations).

Whilst SCORM records only basic things ("Passed", "Failed", "Score"), xAPI (Experience API) collects data in an "Actor – Verb – Object" format. For instance: "Elena completed the VR sales simulation". According to research, implementing xAPI increases analytics efficiency by 20–25%.

cmi5 is the newest standard that takes the best of both worlds: the clear course packaging structure of SCORM and the flexible analytics of xAPI.

How to fix common SCORM course errors?

Around 70% of problems with uploading courses to an LMS are related to the incorrect placement of the manifest file or archiving errors.

Problem: The LMS displays a "Manifest not found" error when uploading a ZIP archive. Solution: Ensure that the imsmanifest.xml file is located in the root of the archive, not inside an additional folder. Often, developers archive the course folder itself, whereas they need to select all the files inside the folder and add them directly to the archive. Also, avoid Cyrillic characters and spaces in file names.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about SCORM

What is the SCORM format? It is not just a file format, but a set of technical standards for e-learning. It defines how educational content should be structured, packaged (in a ZIP), and transmitted to the LMS for correct operation and analytics collection.

How do I create a SCORM course? You do not need to write code manually. Specialised tools (authoring tools) such as Articulate Storyline or Adobe Captivate are used for this. You simply create interactive content, much like in PowerPoint, and click the "Publish to SCORM" button, and the software automatically generates the correct archive.

Does SCORM support inclusivity (accessibility) standards? Yes, but it depends on how you created the content. According to the WCAG 2.2 requirements, which are becoming the standard, your SCORM course must support keyboard navigation and screen readers. We recommend conducting regular accessibility audits of your materials.