Tribal Habits blends the best of the old and the new with powerful SCORM integrations from Rustici Software

An important concept in online learning is the technical standard of SCORM. SCORM, which is an acronym for Shareable Content Object Reference Model, has long been the de facto 'format' for elearning files which need to be shared between learning platforms.

SCORM allows elearning content to be hosted by a SCORM compatible learning platform. Learners can access the SCORM file while the learning platform receives data about the learner's progress (such as assessment results and course completion).

As such, SCORM is a standard file format, somewhat akin to a PDF document. It is a 'wrapper' applied around content which can be developed in many different platforms and software (in the same way you can create a PDF of an Excel spreadsheet, Keynote presentation or Google Doc).

SCORM is not a design standard. It does not specify the quality of learning materials or instructional design techniques. Furthermore, SCORM is only important to an organisation when it needs elearning content in a common – shareable – format. This is typically in three situations.

1. The organisation uses elearning content from a third-party – it might be a purchased module from an external library or content developed by an elearning consultant for the organisation.
2. The organisation has developed elearning content of its own using traditional elearning authoring tools that export its content in SCORM format. This might be a library of legacy training developed over the years.
3. The organisation needs to share its elearning content with a third party. This is typically when an organisation is selling online training modules (so the other party to situation 1).

So how does this relate to Tribal Habits?

Tribal Habits is a modern learning platform which integrates online training development with online training distribution and administration. In legacy terms, this means Tribal Habits is both an elearning authoring tool and a learning management system (LMS).

Tribal Habits uses a proprietary format for its online training modules, allowing seamless integration between the training creator, the learners and the administrations. For example, it can use personal information about the learner within modules, share knowledge between learners of the same module and capture a fantastic range of learning data (far more than the SCORM standard supports).

For organisations working exclusively within Tribal Habits, the platform is an all-in-one solution which goes well beyond the combination of separate elearning authoring software and LMS. It eliminates any reliance on the legacy SCORM format.

However, what if your organisation has legacy content in the SCORM format? Or needs to access third-party content which is only available in SCORM? Or needs to share your unique Tribal Habits training with a third party?

This is where our SCORM element and SCORM links come into play, as we combine the best of legacy standards with the latest elearning technologies.

Bringing SCORM files into Tribal Habits with Rustici SCORM Cloud

If your organisation has legacy SCORM content or needs to access third-party SCORM files, you can do so within your Tribal Habits portal. When creating training in Tribal Habits, you can utilise the SCORM element in our building block editor.

This element allows you to upload a SCORM file for completion by learners within your Tribal Habits module.

• Your Tribal Habits module may contain nothing more than this SCORM file, allowing Tribal Habits to act as a legacy learning management system (LMS).
• However, you can also 'wrap' your SCORM files with Tribal Habits content. For example, you might add some pre-polling, additional downloadable materials or an online assessment before or after your SCORM file.

For learners, they can access this SCORM content the same way they access all Tribal Habits content, making for a seamless experience.

Our SCORM compatibility is backed by Rustici Software, experts in elearning standards support, and SCORM Cloud.

Our integration with SCORM Cloud ensures that you can upload a course package in any learning standard format – not just SCORM. This means you can add external elearning content from:

• SCORM 1.2
• SCORM 2004
• AICC
• xAPI
• cmi5

As learners reach a SCORM (or similar) file in your Tribal Habits module, they can open and complete the SCORM training, with their results passed back to your Tribal Habits module.

This powerful integration gives organisations the ability to support their legacy SCORM content (perhaps until they quickly rebuild an improved version within Tribal Habits) or continue to access third-party training modules side-by-side with customised learning they develop within Tribal Habits.

Sharing Tribal Habits modules in SCORM via Rustici Cross Domain

For organisations which need to share training created in Tribal Habits with other organisations, or with their own legacy LMS, Tribal Habits includes an innovative SCORM link feature.

With SCORM links, you can create a small SCORM compatible file to upload into a legacy LMS. The legacy LMS will treat the file like any other SCORM file and allow users in that LMS to enroll into that module for training.

When a learner starts that LMS module, your Tribal Habits training opens on their screen just as if they were logged into your Tribal Habits portal. Learners can explore your training, accessing the full suite of Tribal Habits features such as learning journals and social sharing activities. When they complete the module, the SCORM link signals the completion (plus any assessment results) back to the legacy LMS.

Instead of sending large, self-contained courses files, our SCORM links are simple, small and secure links back to the content in your Tribal Habits portal. This is a far more secure way to share your training content than a traditional delivery method, where you would have no idea how it is used or how it is shared.

You can also use SCORM links to combine Tribal Habits with your existing LMS. Tribal Habits can become the content engine for your LMS, allowing you to keep using your legacy LMS (if required for specific reasons or features) while tapping into the powerful content creation options in Tribal Habits. Later, if you migrate entirely to Tribal Habits, all your user data and training history will already be in Tribal Habits!

With SCORM links:

• Your Tribal Habits portal records all enrolments via each SCORM link, so you can monitor usage through each link.
• You can deactivate a SCORM link at any time (such as when a licence expires or maximum usage is reached).
• Your Tribal Habits portal still captures all the learning data created by SCORM link users – poll results, answers to Q&A, assessment scores and more.
• If you update your content in Tribal Habits, you do not need to republish your SCORM links. Learners are always linked back to the latest version of your content, so you can make changes and improvements to your training without having to republish or distribute new links.

SCORM links are a secure enrollment method for external learners into individual modules in your Tribal Habits portal. This means you can have both internal and external learners accessing the same module – internal users via your Tribal Habits portal and external learners via SCORM links.

You can issue unlimited SCORM links for each module too, allowing for multiple organisations – plus your own users – to all access the same training module at the same time. As a result, you only need to maintain one version of your training module, eliminating a significant training management burden.

Our SCORM link technology is powered by Rustici Cross Domain that allows Tribal Habits to host our powerful online training modules within our platform, while making that training content securely available to other learning platforms.

• For your organisation, you retain complete control over your training content.
• For other organisations, they can access your training content just like any other SCORM file. The upload, registration and launch processes are the same as a normal SCORM file.

Tribal Habits and Rustici: Online training as you need it

Our integration of SCORM Cloud and Cross Domain technology keeps Tribal Habits at the cutting edge of online training.

Whether it is rapidly creating interactive, branded online training for your organisation, seamlessly combining customised training with modules from external sources or securely and easily sharing your learning with external organisations, Tribal Habits has you covered.

More information

Tribal Habits is a groundbreaking cloud-based platform which makes online training easy to create, engaging to learn and simple to manage. Tribal Habits is fully developed, owned, supported and hosted in Australia, with over 75,000 users and growing. Contact us at tribalhabits.com or hello@tribalhabits.com.

Rustici Software helps companies in the elearning space work well together. As the world’s leading standards experts, they provide the tools and knowledge to help companies create, distribute, manage and play elearning content. Since 2002, Rustici has assisted hundreds of elearning software vendors, organizations and government agencies conform to specifications like SCORM, xAPI, cmi5, LTI and AICC. Rustici Software is part of Learning Technologies Group plc (LTG). Learn more at rusticisoftware.com or info@rusticisoftware.com.