SCORM. It’s not just the latest Internet acronym. It’s a powerful standard that enables the interoperability of learning content.

Short for Sharable Content Object Reference Model, the SCORM standard is spearheaded by the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) initiative of the Department of Defense. Officially, SCORM “aims to foster creation of reusable learning content as ‘instructional objects’ within a common technical framework for computer and Web-based learning. SCORM describes that technical framework by providing a harmonized set of guidelines, specification and standards. Borrowing from work of other specification and standards bodies, ADL developed a model for creating and deploying e-Learning.”

In other words, SCORM-compliant content and systems can talk to one other. Why is this important? Why am I writing about SCORM here?

First, the easy answer: I’m writing about SCORM because Articulate Presenter is a SCORM-compliant authoring tool. Publish your e-learning content to SCORM and easily plug it in to Articulate Knowledge Portal or any SCORM-compliant Learning Management System (LMS).

SCORM is important because it lets Articulate Server or your LMS know how your users are interacting with your content. Without a common method of exchanging data, your content is just your content. It stands alone. Leveraging the SCORM standard, you can track who accesses your content when, whether they’ve completed a course, and more. SCORM is the framework that tells you about your learners as they navigate through your training content.

In short, you need a minimum of three elements to roll out a functioning e-learning program:

1. Content.

2. Learner management.
3. A way to connect content with learner management.

Leveraging SCORM is one way to establish this connection.

For a good primer on learning standards, refer to Making Sense of Learning Specifications & Standards: A Decision Maker’s Guide to their Adoption, published by the Masie Center.