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pipwerks SCORM API wrapper: Custom LMS, non SCORM.. catpure data to SQL database

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    • CommentAuthorjwaskovich
    • CommentTimeApr 22nd 2008
     
    I am sorry if I am a newbie to SCORM but you have been the best resource so far in accomplishing an interaction with a scorm course we have and our custom LMS. One issue I am having is that we have our own custom built LMS that is not scorm complianet at all, nor do I know how to have it work or a workaround. We just need some way to take the scorm calls/interactions from our online course and put them into our SQL database. I downloaded your demo and tried it out but I keep getting Can't Find the API error. If there are any documentation sources that would help that would be great. I downloaded your wrapper and it looks like it is something that I can use. Is this something that I can pull off? I would just like to capture the SCORM calls back from the online course and put them in the DB. I apologize again for the newbie questions. I just want to get good at SCORM. if we can pull this off then It would be huge for our company. Any help is greatly appreciated. We are using articulate Presenter to build the class. It makes the manifest and all the required files.
    • CommentAuthorphilip
    • CommentTimeApr 22nd 2008
     
    Hi Justin

    The SCORM wrapper won't work for you unless one of the two conditions is met:

    1. Integrate the SCORM Run-Time Environment in your LMS (which is beyond my technical expertise... you can read more at www.adlnet.gov)

    2. Edit the wrapper to work with your own custom DB system. Instead of using the SCORM API, you would need to create your own JavaScript-based API that bridges communication between the database and your course.


    I've done a custom API myself using an ajax approach. In the wrapper, you'd edit the functions to look for your custom functions instead of SCORM functions.

    For instance, SCORM.data.get() could be changed to LMS.get(), which would send the query to your custom JavaScript API then return a result. (It goes without saying that you shouldn't use the term "SCORM" if you're not using the SCORM API!)

    The process looks something like this:

    In the top-level HTML page:

    var myCustomLMS_API = {};
    myCustomLMS_API.get = function (value){
    var result;
    //ajax call to ASP/PHP on server, asking for value to be returned
    return result;
    }


    The server-side processing occurs in ASP or PHP (or similar) page.

    The course contains something like this:

    //Assuming you've already 'found' the API and named it 'lms'
    var studentName = lms.get("name");


    ..and that's the general idea. But I'm advocating standards here, which means you shouldn't create your own API system if you can help it, because it would lead to incompatibilities with every other system on Earth! :bigsmile:

    You can look at what some of the other open-source LMSs have done to incorporate SCORM... moodle and ilias use PHP, Sakai uses server-side Java.

    Sorry, but I can't give out my custom API.
    • CommentAuthorjwaskovich
    • CommentTimeApr 22nd 2008 edited
     
    First off, thanks for the quick response.

    The thing is with our LMS the way it is we are currently knee deep in an old asp based LMS that has really no standards implementation and is basically a poorly written system that I had to put band aids all over to work. We are making our own php based LMS from the ground up but this will take several months to a year or two to build.

    We bought this new product called articulate and it actually makes it's output in scorm compliant flash files (SWF). It has its own manifest and lms api in it but again I have never worked with SCORM so I am at a roadblock.

    In regards to having it not work with any other system on earth, for the time being, i'd hate to say, it doesn't have to. If someone else wants to sell our training we can simply give them the zip file that is created when we publish our online content which is in SCORM compliance.

    I Think the AJAX solution will have to be the current solution. We have such custom modifications done to our current LMS that it would be impossible to move over to a different LMS. Once we get to the PHP side of our LMS I will look at moodle or ilias and see what we can grab from their in order to utilize scorm in our LMS. I am 100% in agreement that we need to move to a more standards based LMS but that time will come and I have to put a band-aid on our system to make it work.

    I will try to look into the API of the online course and see if I can somehow have it call my own functions. I will let you know what I find out. Even though this was not that answer I wanted to hear at least this is a start.:bigsmile: Thanks again for the prompt response.
    • CommentAuthorphilip
    • CommentTimeApr 22nd 2008
     
    I see... that's certainly a tough situation to be in.

    So you're trying to catch the SCORM calls sent by 3rd party SWFs and have it work in your non-SCORM LMS... SCORM translation, I guess you could say. Obviously, trying to write something that can translate SCORM to your custom DB format is a huge task.

    What makes things more complicated is that most of these programs (Articulate's suite, Captivate, etc.) can output to two versions of SCORM: SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 (1.3); these two versions of SCORM use very different syntax, and SCORM 2004 contains much more functionality (many more 'methods' to support) than SCORM 1.2.

    Since you don't know for sure which SCORM calls are being made by the SWF, you'd basically have to create translators for the entire SCORM specification! Ouch. (BTW, check the SCORM "Run-time Env" docs on www.adlnet.gov for a listing of all SCORM calls)

    FYI, my SCORM wrapper is only useful if you're making your own course; if you're using Articulate products or other 3rd-party software, they use their own SCORM wrappers, not mine.

    Good luck!
    • CommentAuthorjwaskovich
    • CommentTimeApr 22nd 2008
     
    I can force the output of the flash course to be in SCORM 1.2 so that at least gives me a little less to work with when it comes to the translator side of things. I have attached one of the lessons API LMS folder from the online class. Feel free to take a look at it if you want. If not it is not a big deal. I just wanted to show you what I was working with. I will keep looking into solutions and let you know if I find anything
    • CommentAuthorantmuzic
    • CommentTimeJun 21st 2008
     
    jwaskovich - I don't know if you're still reading this, but I have a few tips.

    1. I'm working on an open-source project that will help people with exactly your problem. It's in it's formative stages though - email me at apz@socialtrain.net, and I'll keep you informed of my progress.

    2. You may have better luck implementing an AICC wrapper for Articulate rather than a SCORM wrapper. AICC is seriously easier to implement, especially in a classic ASP environment, IMHO. AICC is not as great of a standard and seems to vary more from implementation to implementation, but it's less complex than SCORM.

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