Breaking Down SCORM: Why It Still Matters in Today’s eLearning Environment

In the ever-evolving world of eLearning, new technologies and standards emerge regularly, promising to revolutionize how we create, deliver, and track educational content. Among these advancements, the Experience API (xAPI) and cmi5 are gaining traction as the next big steps in learning analytics and data collection. However, despite these exciting developments, an older standard continues to hold significant relevance: SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model).

But what is SCORM, and why does it still play such a crucial role in today’s eLearning environment? In this article, we’ll break down what SCORM is, how it works, and why it remains a cornerstone for many organizations and educators worldwide.

What is SCORM?

SCORM is a set of technical standards developed to ensure that eLearning content can be easily shared across various learning management systems (LMS). Developed in the early 2000s by the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) initiative, SCORM enables learning content created on one platform to be compatible with another, promoting reusability and interoperability.

In essence, SCORM is a “packaging” standard for eLearning content, dictating how content should be delivered, tracked, and structured so that it can communicate effectively with LMS platforms. The SCORM standard consists of different versions (SCORM 1.1, 1.2, and SCORM 2004), each building upon the previous one.

Why SCORM Still Matters

While SCORM has been around for over two decades, its relevance persists for several key reasons:

Widespread Adoption Across Industries

One of the main reasons SCORM continues to be important is its widespread adoption. SCORM-compliant content is compatible with nearly every LMS on the market, making it the default standard for many organizations, from corporate training departments to higher education institutions.

Because so many legacy systems still use SCORM, it remains a trusted and reliable method for creating eLearning courses that can be used across multiple platforms. This backward compatibility is a significant asset for organizations with large content libraries that were built using SCORM.

Interoperability and Portability

SCORM allows content creators to develop a course once and use it across multiple LMS platforms. This is a key benefit in environments where organizations might change LMS providers or need to share content across different systems. SCORM ensures that the course material remains functional and accessible, regardless of which system it’s deployed on.

This level of portability makes SCORM invaluable, especially in corporate training settings where multiple systems may be used globally, but the content must remain consistent.

Basic Tracking and Reporting

One of SCORM’s core functionalities is its ability to track learner progress. SCORM enables LMS platforms to capture basic learner data, such as whether a course was completed, quiz scores, and time spent on content. While SCORM doesn’t offer the robust analytics capabilities of newer standards like xAPI, it still provides enough information for organizations looking for basic reporting.

This simplicity is a benefit for organizations that may not require in-depth data tracking but still need to monitor completion rates and other essential learner metrics. You just need an LRS to store the SCORM and xAPI data to analyze them deeply for better data-driven decision.

Learn more about LRS: How Learning Record Stores (LRS) Can Empower Teachers with Actionable Insights.

Ease of Use and Familiarity

For educators and instructional designers, SCORM offers an easy-to-use format that has been well-documented over the years. Its widespread use means that there are plenty of resources, tools, and authoring platforms that can easily create SCORM-compliant content.

This familiarity is a key reason many organizations and educators stick with SCORM — it’s a known entity with well-established practices and workflows. SCORM has become part of the fabric of eLearning, and shifting away from it requires a level of change management that not all organizations are ready for.

SCORM vs. Modern Standards

While SCORM continues to be relevant, newer technologies such as xAPI (Experience API) and cmi5 offer expanded capabilities. For example, xAPI can track learning activities beyond the confines of an LMS, such as on-the-job learning, social learning, and offline activities. cmi5 builds upon both SCORM and xAPI, offering more advanced tracking and reporting features.

However, despite these advantages, the transition from SCORM to xAPI or cmi5 isn’t always straightforward. Many organizations simply don’t require the advanced features offered by newer standards, or they may lack the infrastructure and technical expertise needed to implement them.

For many, SCORM provides just enough functionality to meet their needs without requiring a complete overhaul of their content and LMS.

The Path Forward: Combining SCORM with Newer Standards

As eLearning evolves, we don’t necessarily need to see SCORM and modern standards as competitors. In fact, many organizations use a hybrid approach, utilizing SCORM for its simplicity and compatibility while adopting xAPI or cmi5 where more advanced tracking and data insights are needed.

This blended approach allows organizations to take advantage of the best aspects of both worlds: SCORM’s widespread compatibility and ease of use alongside xAPI’s ability to track detailed learning experiences across multiple platforms.

Conclusion: SCORM is Here to Stay — For Now

While xAPI and other newer standards are undoubtedly the future of eLearning, SCORM remains a relevant and widely-used tool in the eLearning landscape. Its simplicity, ease of use, and interoperability make it a valuable standard for content creators and organizations alike. You can learn more bout xAPI and SCORM in this article xAPI vs SCORM: The Future of eLearning Analytics?

For those looking to move forward into more advanced learning analytics and data tracking, SCORM may not always be enough. However, for many organizations, it provides exactly what they need: a straightforward, reliable way to deliver and track eLearning content.

In short, SCORM’s longevity in the eLearning space is no accident. It continues to serve as the backbone for much of the industry’s content delivery — and while it may not offer the sophistication of modern standards, its relevance is far from fading.