SCORM 2004
4th Edition
Run-Time Environment
[ RTE ]
Paul Jesukiewicz, Director
Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative
Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Readiness and Training, Policy and Programs
Version 1.1
August 14, 2009
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Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL)
SCORM® 2004 4th Edition
Run-Time Environment (RTE)
Version 1.1
Available at ADLNet.gov
For questions and comments visit
Ask The Experts at ADLNet.gov
Technical Editor
Angelo Panar
SCORM® is a registered trademark of the Department of Defense, an agency of the United States
government, located at The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301.
SCORM® 2004 4th Edition Run-Time Environment (RTE) Version 1.1
© 2009 Advanced Distributed Learning. Some Rights Reserved.
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© 2009 Advanced Distributed Learning. Some Rights Reserved.
SCORM® 2004 4th Edition Run-Time Environment (RTE) Version 1.1
INTENDED AUDIENCE
The SCORM 2004 4th Ed. Documentation Suite contains technical information for a
variety of audiences, but product vendors needs to know which specific information is
critical to making their learning products SCORM 2004 4th Ed. compliant.
The target audiences for this document are LMS vendors, content providers, content
package creators and those building tools to support these activities.
CONFORM, COMPLY, AND CERTIFY
Since SCORM 2004 was published, several specifications in SCORM documentation
have been accepted as IEEE standards. When using standards, the appropriate term is
compliance. You either comply with the standard, or not. The path to certification is
compliance. Conformance is not an option. Accordingly, ADL is amending and
updating publications to reflect SCORM-compliance. The SCORM Test suite has been
renamed the SCORM Test Suite. This change will be reflected in a future reissuance of
DoDI 1322.26. ADL recognizes that there are many documents within our archives that
cite compliance. Most are in .pdf or other file formats that cannot be changed. The
SCORM 2004 4th Ed. Documentation Suite reflects this change in terminology.
A product that is SCORM certified has been independently tested by one of the ADL
Certification Testing Centers and after passing the SCORM Test Suite, becomes “ADL
Certified.” ADL certification assures consumers of distributed learning content and
systems that certified products have successfully implemented SCORM’s requirements.
COPYRIGHT, LICENSING, AND REDISTRIBUTION GUIDELINES
Copyright 2009 Advanced Distributed Learning. Some rights reserved.
SCORM® 2004 4th Edition documentation suite reprinted with permission from IEEE Std. 1484.11.1-2004 IEEE
Standard for Learning Technology – Data Model for Content to Learning Management System Communication,
Copyright 2004, by IEEE; IEEE Std. 1484.11.2-2003 IEEE Standard for Learning Technology – ECMAScript
Application Programming Interface for Content to Runtime Services Communication, Copyright 2003, by IEEE; IEEE
Std. 1484.12.1-2002 IEEE Standard for Learning Object Metadata, Copyright 2002, by IEEE; and IEEE Std.
1484.12.3-2005 IEEE Standard for Learning Technology – Extensible Markup Language (XML) Schema Definition
Language Binding for Learning Object Metadata, Copyright 2005, by IEEE. The IEEE disclaims any responsibility or
liability resulting from the placement and use in the described manner.
SCORM® 2004 4th Edition documentation suite contains material reprinted with permission from IMS Content
Packaging v1.1.4 Copyright 2004, by IMS Global Learning Consortium (IMS GLC) and IMS Simple Sequencing v1.0
Copyright 2003, by IMS GLC. IMS Global Learning Consortium has made no inquiry into whether or not the
implementation of third party material included in this document would infringe upon the intellectual property rights of
any party. Recipients of this document are requested to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent
claims or other intellectual property rights of which they may be aware that might be infringed by any implementation
of the document set forth in this document, and to provide supporting documentation to IMS. This material is being
offered without any warranty whatsoever, and in particular, any warranty of non-infringement is expressly disclaimed.
Any use of this material shall be made entirely at the implementer’s own risk, and neither the IMS GLC nor any of its
members or submitters, shall have any liability whatsoever to any implementer or third party for any damages of any
nature whatsoever, directly or indirectly, arising from the use of this material.
SCORM® 2004 4th Edition Run-Time Environment (RTE) Version 1.1
© 2009 Advanced Distributed Learning. Some Rights Reserved.
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You may distribute this document only if the document, its images and examples are:
1. Used for non-commercial, educational, or informational purposes only.
Intact, complete and unmodified. The complete cover page, as well as the COPYRIGHT,
LICENSING, AND REDISTRIBUTION GUIDELINES sections, are included.
You may reproduce this document completely or in part only if:
1. The reproduction is for non-commercial, educational, or informational purposes.
2. The source document is properly cited as follows:
Source: Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL), Sharable Content Object
Reference Model (SCORM®) 2004 4th Edition Run-Time Environment (RTE)
Version 1.1, 2009.
For additional information or questions regarding copyright, distribution, or reproduction,
contact:
ADL Initiative | 1901 N. Beauregard Street, Suite 600 | Alexandria, VA 22311 USA | +1.703.575.2000
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© 2009 Advanced Distributed Learning. Some Rights Reserved.
SCORM® 2004 4th Edition Run-Time Environment (RTE) Version 1.1
Table of Contents
1.1.
2.1.1.
2.1.2.
2.1.3.
3.1.1.
3.1.2.
3.1.3.
3.1.4.
3.1.5.
3.1.6.
3.1.7.
3.2.1.
3.3.1.
3.3.2.
SECTION 1 THE SCORM® RUN-TIME ENVIRONMENT (RTE) ....................................................... 1-1
INTRODUCTION TO THE SCORM RUN-TIME ENVIRONMENT (RTE) BOOK .................................. 1-3
1.1.1. What is Covered in the SCORM RTE Book?...................................................................... 1-3
Using the SCORM RTE Book............................................................................................. 1-3
1.1.2.
1.1.3.
Relationship with other SCORM Books.............................................................................. 1-4
1.2. RUN-TIME ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW ......................................................................................... 1-6
SECTION 2 MANAGING THE RUN-TIME ENVIRONMENT (RTE)................................................. 2-1
2.1. RUN-TIME ENVIRONMENT (RTE) MANAGEMENT ........................................................................ 2-3
Run-Time Environment Temporal Model........................................................................... 2-4
Launching Content Objects ................................................................................................. 2-7
Taking Content Objects Away ............................................................................................ 2-9
SECTION 3 APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACE (API)................................................... 3-1
3.1. APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACE (API).......................................................................... 3-3
API Overview...................................................................................................................... 3-3
API Methods and Syntax..................................................................................................... 3-5
Session Methods.................................................................................................................. 3-6
Data-Transfer Methods........................................................................................................ 3-7
Support Methods ................................................................................................................. 3-9
Communication Session State Model................................................................................ 3-11
API Implementation Error Codes ...................................................................................... 3-12
3.2. LMS RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................................. 3-26
API Instance ...................................................................................................................... 3-26
SCO RESPONSIBILITIES.............................................................................................................. 3-28
3.3.
Finding the API Instance ................................................................................................... 3-28
API Usage Requirements and Guidelines.......................................................................... 3-31
SECTION 4 SCORM® RUN-TIME ENVIRONMENT DATA MODEL............................................... 4-1
4.1. DATA MODEL OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................ 4-3
SCORM Run-Time Environment Data Model Basics......................................................... 4-4
4.1.1.
4.2.
SCORM RUN-TIME ENVIRONMENT DATA MODEL.................................................................... 4-18
Data Model Version .......................................................................................................... 4-21
4.2.1.
Comments From Learner................................................................................................... 4-22
4.2.2.
Comments From LMS....................................................................................................... 4-28
4.2.3.
Completion Status ............................................................................................................. 4-33
4.2.4.
Completion Threshold....................................................................................................... 4-37
4.2.5.
Credit................................................................................................................................. 4-38
4.2.6.
Entry.................................................................................................................................. 4-40
4.2.7.
Exit .................................................................................................................................... 4-41
4.2.8.
4.2.9.
Interactions ........................................................................................................................ 4-44
4.2.10. Launch Data ...................................................................................................................... 4-81
4.2.11. Learner Id .......................................................................................................................... 4-82
4.2.12. Learner Name .................................................................................................................... 4-83
4.2.13. Learner Preference............................................................................................................. 4-84
4.2.14. Location............................................................................................................................. 4-90
4.2.15. Maximum Time Allowed .................................................................................................. 4-91
4.2.16. Mode.................................................................................................................................. 4-92
4.2.17. Objectives.......................................................................................................................... 4-93
4.2.18. Progress Measure............................................................................................................. 4-112
4.2.19. Scaled Passing Score ....................................................................................................... 4-113
4.2.20. Score................................................................................................................................ 4-114
SCORM® 2004 4th Edition Run-Time Environment (RTE) Version 1.1
© 2009 Advanced Distributed Learning. Some Rights Reserved.
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4.3.
4.2.21. Session Time.................................................................................................................... 4-119
4.2.22. Success Status.................................................................................................................. 4-120
4.2.23. Suspend Data ................................................................................................................... 4-124
4.2.24. Time Limit Action ........................................................................................................... 4-126
4.2.25. Total Time ....................................................................................................................... 4-127
INTER-SCO STORAGE DATA MODEL EXTENSION .................................................................... 4-128
Defining Shared Data Stores............................................................................................4-128
4.3.1.
Data Store Access and Persistence .................................................................................4-129
4.3.2.
APPENDIX A ACRONYM LISTING.................................................................................................... A-1
ACRONYM LISTING ............................................................................................................................... A-2
APPENDIX B REFERENCES................................................................................................................ B-1
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................... B-3
APPENDIX C DOCUMENT REVISION HISTORY............................................................................. C-1
DOCUMENT REVISION HISTORY........................................................................................................ C-2
List of Figures
Figure 2.1a: Conceptual Content Structure Illustration .............................................................................2-3
Figure 2.1.1a: Temporal Model Relationships for a Specific SCO ...........................................................2-5
Figure 2.1.1.1a: Single Learner Attempt with one Learner Session .......................................................... 2-6
Figure 2.1.1.1b: Learner Attempt Spread Over Several Learner Sessions ................................................ 2-6
Figure 2.1.1.1c: Successive Learner Attempts, Spread Over Several Learner Sessions............................2-6
Figure 3.1.1a: Illustration of API, API Instance and API Implementation................................................3-4
Figure 3.1.6a: Conceptual API Instance State Transitions ...................................................................... 3-11
Figure 3.2.1a: Permitted DOM Locations of an API Implementation.....................................................3-27
Figure 3.3.1a: Illustration of Finding the API.......................................................................................... 3-29
Figure 4.1.1a: Illustration of Using the Data Model with the API.............................................................4-3
Figure 4.2.9a: Interactions and Interaction Data...................................................................................... 4-44
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© 2009 Advanced Distributed Learning. Some Rights Reserved.
SCORM® 2004 4th Edition Run-Time Environment (RTE) Version 1.1