Click2learn today became the first vendor to prove its technology is fully compliant with the Advanced Distributed Learning Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORMTM) 1.2. standard.
The final version of the SCORM 1.2 conformance test suite was released on February 15, 2002. Within one business day, Click2learn's quality assurance team verified the Aspen Enterprise Learning PlatformTM met test requirements for both learning management (LMS) and learning content management (LCMS) technologies.
"Working code trumps all theories," says Philip Dodds, ADL's Chief Technical Architect. "Click2learn should be commended for its leadership role in the development of key learning technology specifications in SCORM that enable advanced web-based learning experiences. Even more important, Click2learn is rapidly embracing and implementing these capabilities and bringing them to market. Hats off for transforming theory to practice."
With SCORM 1.2, learning technology providers move to an XML-based packaging of content, providing truly robust portability and interoperability between learning content and learning management systems. The update incorporates LCMS standards previously developed and outlined by the IMS Global Learning Consortium, Inc. With the consolidation of these two key industry standards, the learning technology industry comes considerably closer to a single, unified technology standard.
This consolidation will make it easier for clients to evaluate interoperability between vendors, boost industry-wide development of personalized learning programs, and accelerate growth of the enterprise platform market. Support for interoperability is critical to Click2learn's corporate clients. As enterprises embark on larger, global learning deployments, technology interoperability allows them to reduce the cost of creating, delivering and managing learning content. In addition, standards support protects clients' long-term investments in learning technology, ensuring they aren't locked into a single provider for learning content or technology.
"SCORM is as significant for learning infrastructure as HTML and XML are for the growth of the Internet. When it comes to investment protection, support for interoperability is the key," said Claude Ostyn, Click2learn's learning standards strategist. "With these improved standards, learning content developers don't have to create different content versions for different delivery systems, and learning management systems don't have to be tweaked to run content from each different vendor. This reduces the time and costs associated with improving global learning programs, for a direct, positive impact on our customers' return on their investments."
