Introduction

As an instructor, have you ever wanted to create a slide presentation that contains interactive options such as multiple-choice questions, video, or true-false questions on your current LMS or website? Do you want to use the same slide project in other LMS platforms? Perhaps, the solution to these questions is Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM).

SCORM is a set of standards and specifications, and its primary goals are interoperability, reusability, and durability of content in Learning Management Systems. Most current LMSs are SCORM compliant. For instance, Blackboard supports SCORM 2004 version while Moodle supports SCORM 1.2 version. For more information about SCORM, visit https://adlnet.gov/projects/scorm/

After completing this short multimedia tutorial, you will be able to:

1. Download and Install eXe (a free and open-source editor to create Educational Sources on your computer);
2. Create your first project: an interactive slide presentation;
3. Test your project, and
4. Import your project as SCORM content (or website).

Technology Requirements and Proficiency

At a minimum, you will need the following:

• A computer with macOS 10.14 or later*
  • *This tutorial can also be followed in a computer with Windows 8.1 or later or the latest Linux distribution version with similar steps.
• The most recent release of Chrome or Firefox is recommended
• Internet connection
• Optional: Access to an LMS. To verify what SCORM version is supported in your LMS, contact your IT provider or office.

You should be proficient in the following:

• Basic computer skills such as using operating systems such as Windows, macOS, or Linux
• Using a web browser and finding resources through search engines
• Downloading and installing software

Thoughts on creating this tutorial

Clark & Mayer (2016) not only recommend that “e-learning courses include words and graphics than words alone” (p.70), but they also explain that multimedia presentations involve active learning (p. 71). The authors called this finding the multimedia principle (p. 78), and it is supported by several studies, such as the study conducted by Mayer (2009). Although, we do not know the long-term effects of graphics (p. 84).

Therefore, when I was considering creating this tutorial, I included graphics and text. Other factors that I took into consideration: 

1. Time. I planned that this tutorial would take me one day to finish. However, I realized that there is always room to improve and review the tutorial. This is the second day that I am working on this tutorial.
2. Level of the tutorial. The target audience for this tutorial are instructors without previous knowledge about SCORM but have basic IT skills. Clark & Mayer (2016) observes that the multimedia principle is more useful or essential for novice learners (p. 80). 
3. Graphics. For creating and editing graphics, I used the Screenshot app from the macOS. That software is included in any Mac computer. With this software, I was able to integrate text into the screenshots. This integration goes along with the contiguity principle, which seeks to eliminate the extraneous process of searching which parts of the graphic correspond to which words, “…so learners can use their processing capacity to make sense of the material” (Clark & Mayer, 2016, p. 90). Clark & Mayer (2016) present two principles to follow:

• Contiguity Principle 1: Place Printed Words Near Corresponding Graphics
• Contiguity Principle 2: Synchronize Spoken Words with Corresponding Graphics.

For this tutorial, I followed Principle 1, and I was careful not to violate that principle. For instance:

• Each text box (instructions) has an arrow.
• There is a specific order to follow.
• Each instruction is tied to a particular learning outcome (goal).
• I chose a readable font for the screen: Roboto Slab.
• I used a responsive web template. In that way, each slide renders well in different electronic devices and screen sizes.

There are still some variables to consider to review the design of this tutorial. Some of those variables are:

• Learners have different IT skills levels. This tutorial was a step-by-step tutorial. However, there is the option to add extra steps for each step.
• Perhaps, I can improve the writing instructions and graphics design. A potential solution is to ask learners to provide feedback on the tutorial and implement those feedback on the tutorial’s latest iteration.

Reference:

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. Wiley. 

^{January 2021}