TheDesignspace

SCORM in 5 minutes or less, with pictures!

Posted on June 8, 2006 by ellen

Disclaimer: This is intended only to provide only the most basic understanding of what SCORM is.

SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model) is a world-wide standard set of specifications for communication between elearning content and learning management systems.

A learning module using SCORM version 1.2 can communicate the following:

the instruction to launch an elearning module and start communicating.
scoring and tracking information – student data, timing, lesson status, scores, interactions, “pass/fail”
proprietary information that only the module understands. The Learning Management System (LMS) stores and retrieves such data without understanding it.
bookmarking information
the instruction to close communication.

Additionally, a manifest packaged with the module tells the LMS (Learning Management System)

what, if any, modules come next.

Magoo, the world’s smartest goldfish

Posted on May 29, 2006 by ellen

Magoo inspecting the camera.

One of the first fish we ever bought was "Magoo," a little black moor goldfish with big eyes, and loads of personality. We didn’t realize it when we got him, but Magoo was an innovator. Like the famous potato-washing Japanese macaque monkeys, Magoo would invent new behaviors, and teach them to others in the tank.

One characteristic of goldfish as a species is their non-linear thinking. If you ever watch a goldfish try to attain an objective, for instance swimming across the tank to get some food, it may sometimes appear as if the goldfish will forget the goal, then remember, then forget, then remember again, all the way to the other side. They are much more interested in the journey than the goal. In this, Goldfish are the opposite of cichlids, who singlemindedly focus on their agendas better than most people. However this non-linear mental state should not be mistaken for stupidity. Several of our goldfish have been remarkably intelligent. However our orange fantail, Piggum, is not one of them!

Make any web-based Powerpoint presentation scorm compatible

Posted on May 13, 2006 by ellen

It’s easy to export Powerpoint presentations to the web, but they aren’t automatically scorm compatible. To add simple scorm capability to your web-export, do the following:

This will add a button that will allow the user to mark the sco complete.

1. Add this to the head section of outline.htm or the final slide.
 <script type=”text/javascript” language=”javascript” name=”mm_scormRTI” > <!– Inserted by: // SCORM Runtime Wrapper // version 1.2.6 09/09/02 // Copyright 2000, 2001, 2002 Macromedia, Inc. All rights reserved. // —————————————————- // define global var as handle to API object var mm_adl_API = null; // mm_getAPI, which calls findAPI as needed function mm_getAPI() { var myAPI = null; var tries = 0, triesMax = 500; while (tries < triesMax && myAPI == null) { window.status = ‘Looking for API object ‘ + tries + ‘/’ + triesMax; myAPI = findAPI(window); if (myAPI == null && typeof(window.parent) != ‘undefined’) myAPI = findAPI(window.parent) if (myAPI == null && typeof(window.top) != ‘undefined’) myAPI = findAPI(window.top); if (myAPI == null && typeof(window.opener) != ‘undefined’) if (window.opener != null && !window.opener.closed) myAPI = findAPI(window.opener); tries++; } if (myAPI == null) { window.status = ‘API not found’; alert(‘JavaScript Warning: API object not found in window or opener. (‘ + tries + ‘)’); } else { mm_adl_API = myAPI; window.status = ‘API found’; } } // returns LMS API object (or null if not found) function findAPI(win) { // look in this window if (typeof(win) != ‘undefined’ ? typeof(win.API) != ‘undefined’ : false) { if (win.API != null ) return win.API; } // look in this window’s frameset kin (except opener) if (win.frames.length > 0) for (var i = 0 ; i < win.frames.length ; i++); { if (typeof(win.frames[i]) != ‘undefined’ ? typeof(win.frames[i].API) != ‘undefined’ : false) { if (win.frames[i].API != null) return win.frames[i].API; } } return null; } // call LMSInitialize() function mm_adlOnload() { if (mm_adl_API != null) { mm_adl_API.LMSInitialize(“”); // set status mm_adl_API.LMSSetValue(“cmi.core.lesson_status”, “incomplete”); } } // call LMSFinish() function mm_adlOnunload() { if (mm_adl_API != null) { // set status mm_adl_API.LMSSetValue(“cmi.core.lesson_status”, “completed”); mm_adl_API.LMSCommit(“”); mm_adl_API.LMSFinish(“”); } } // get the API mm_getAPI(); // –> </script>

Debugging and troubleshooting HTML and javascript

Posted on May 11, 2006 by ellen

Firefox, the web developer’s debugging tool of choice

The best browser to use to check javascript errors is Firefox, hands down. Other browsers have some error reporting, but none give you anywhere near the detailed information as Firebug, an addon to Firefox. The extensions available allow you to snoop into every aspect of your page, and into the communication between page and server.

You will need to get several Firefox extensions:

Firebug
Firebug is the one extension I can’t live without. It shows errors in javascript, css, allows you to inspect the HTML source, computed style, events, etc.

Boutique fuels? My money is on plug-in Hybrids

Posted on April 26, 2006 by ellen

As amusing as it is to watch presidential speeches about switch grass-based ethanol, it makes more sense to me to think about aquiring a plug-in hybrid car over the next decade. They can be charged

Why doesn’t ‘this.childNode’ work?

Posted on April 22, 2006 by ellen

‘this.childNode‘ not working? If you are trying to get a javascript function to work using this.childNode.foo and it’s not working, it’s because the syntax is wrong. Try this.firstChild.foo instead! Guessing at the correct DOM element