How to create a SCORM Course

Use SCORM content to ensure your Team Members get a taste of this different interactive learning material.

Lulu Dermeche avatar
Written by Lulu Dermeche
Updated over a week ago

SCORM stands for Shared Content Object Reference Model and is a very fancy way of explaining to eLearning software, that what it's looking at, is a Course.

Think of SCORM as the PDF of the eLearning world - it's interoperable and works across lots of eLearning platforms, but it definitely serves a different purpose to a PDF!

1. Within the Studio select SCORM.

2. In the Information step, complete the following fields:

  • SCORM Course Name - the title of the course, shown on the content card.

  • Short Description - a brief overview of the content, visible on the content card.

  • [Long] Description - more details about the course content and benefits.

  • Channels - one or multiple Channels assigned to the SCORM Course.

  • Skills - the Skills Users will gain after completing this learning.

  • Language - the language(s) the Course is in. Shown via the insights data tables.

  • Collaborators - responsible for helping the Author create and edit the content.

  • Verifier and Verification Interval - the User who checks the relevance of the content, after the time-frame chosen.

3. Upload your chosen SCORM file in Step Two: Upload SCORM, by clicking on the (+) icon.

  • A pop-up to your computer files will appear. From here, select your SCORM file (which must end in ".zip" and not exceed 1 GB in size).

  • You can upload multiple SCORM Courses, by individually selecting the files, each time you click the (+) icon.

  • Give your SCORM file(s) a custom name too!

Note✨: You can use special characters within your file's name, except an ampersand "&".

4. Your chosen files will appear in a list form, on the page. Click Save & Continue, on the top-right, to confirm the upload.

5. Assign your Learners, individually or as Groups.

Note✨: In the Release & Deadline step, you'll have the option to choose (via Content Visibility) whether you'd like your SCORM Course to be available solely from within a Pathway, or as Existing Content in another content type. If you do this, by choosing the Visible in Existing Content option, then upon returning to the Assign Learners step later, you'll click Assignment via Pathways, to see in which Pathway(s) it has been used.

You can identify which users have been assigned/have access to it, via the Course directly or the Pathway, by viewing the Assigned Via column, in the table below.

Note✨: Once your SCORM Course is published, you'll be able to quickly assign Users, Custom Rules and Groups, via the the Content insights page, using the Assign Learners step shortcut.

  • Select the 3-dot menu for your SCORM Course and choose Assign Learners.

  • This will open the assignment slide-out screen, revealing the same details as shown in the editor. Some exceptions include:

    • Email notifications toggle: this will need to be controlled within the editor

    • Assignment via Pathways: this will show the number of Pathways your content is featured in, but to expand the list, you will need to go into the editor.

  • Select Update Learners to make your changes. A notification will appear in the bottom-right of the screen, confirming your assignment as updated.

6. Release & Deadline Step enables you to set:

  • Content Visibility - this option allows you to choose how your SCORM Course is made visible to (or is hidden from) your Users, while they navigate across their workspace.

To understand more about Content Visibility, check out our article: How to control Content Visibility

  • SCORM Course Availability - whether access is immediate or scheduled.

  • Duration - the time it should take Users to complete the content (in hours and/or minutes).

  • Course Deadline - Users must complete the Course by the given date.

  • Completion Tracking - useful for Compliance training, and multiple SCORM files. Two options:

    • When all lessons are complete - Users must finish all SCORM files added inside the Course.

    • When one lesson is complete - Users can finish just one of the multiple SCORM files added.

  • Discussions - turn on the comments, to enable social learning and share ideas.

  • Renewal Cycle (Expiry Date) - used for compliance training. Set the recurring date when Users must re-complete the Course.

  • Rewards - provide Users with Badges and Certificates.

  • Reviews - this allows you to turn on the Reviews option for Users to leave their feedback about the content.

7. Click Save & Publish to set your Course live.

Watch our tutorial for the steps, in this video:

Note ✨: Some additional points to remember include:

  • SCORM Courses can only be retaken by Users, only if these parameters are set by the SCORM creator themselves (this is not done via HowNow).

  • If a SCORM file is deleted from the SCORM Course, and a new file is uploaded in its place, Users' Completion Status and Date will remain, while the Assessment Score will be removed.

  • We've updated how your SCORM files open: in a new window. Some Users may face a "pop-up blocker" message beforehand, but this will provide the option to launch the course.

    • You can can always remove pop-up blocker, by selecting the settings from your browser.

HowNow supports the following SCORM types:

  • SCORM 1.2

  • SCORM 2004

  • AICC

  • xAPI

  • cmi5 content

For more on the expectations for tracking SCORM Courses compliance, read: Understanding SCORM Course Compliance.

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