Learn how to integrate your ebook with an LMS (Learning Management System) with the help of Kotobee Author.
Kotobee Author supports the two latest SCORM versions and the wide-spreading Tin Can API that will help you add ebooks to your LMS, if you're using an LMS in your organization.
SCORM
SCORM is a standard for e-learning content. Although SCORM 1.2 is not the most recent version of SCORM, it is widely used and supported by most Learning Management Systems. SCORM 2004 (also known as SCORM 1.3) is the current version of SCORM. It is based on new standards and resolves errors experienced with previous versions. If your LMS supports both, we recommend that you use SCORM 2004.
In the following steps, we will be using Moodle as our benchmark. To add a SCORM component, enter the course page under your Moodle administration account.
- Click on Turn editing on at the top right side of the page.
- Click on Add an activity or resource.
- Select SCORM package from the activity selection dialog and click Add.
Fill all the information about the package. The required information is the Name and the Package file.
Add your Package file that was exported from Kotobee Author under the Package section.
Click on Save and display after the file has uploaded.
You will be taken to the package's start page, which will be visible to students. You can open the SCORM ebook by leaving the check on Normal and clicking on Start. From the Reports tabs, you will be able to see all the interaction attempts happening for this session.
Objectives
SCORM also supports what's known as Objectives. It is the grouping together of interactions to give a grouped score for a specified objective. Kotobee Author supports objectives, and they may be added from the Book Manager.
When adding rich media (i.e. video, audio, 3D) or question modules, you will optionally be able to add the element to a certain objective from your list. The LMS will show you all the objectives and the report for each one.
Tin Can
Tin Can API (also known as Experience API or xAPI) is the latest trend in e-learning systems. Tin Can API allows client applications such as interactive ebooks to provide experiential data in the form of statements and store them into a data store called a Learning Record Store (LRS). The LRS gives the LMS information about the user's activity and performance. Tin Can API is supported by cloud ebooks and libraries since they are the only formats that may keep track of users. Go to the settings section for any cloud ebook or library to enable Tin Can. You will need to provide the following information, to store the Tin Can statements at the appropriate location.
- LRS: Tin Can LRS endpoints, which will store the TIN Can statements.
- Username: The username to access the LRS.
- Password: The password to access the LRS.
- TCAPI Version: The Tin Can API version.
Troubleshooting
Every LMS has its own method of adding SCORM components. You will need to follow their guidelines carefully. Note that you will need to add the exported SCORM (zip file) as a component and not as a file. This way, the LMS understands that the zip file is to be unpacked and displayed to the student.
In case the ebook gives a "Network Error" when running, make sure that your LMS is not restricting any of the following file extensions from loading:
- OPF
- NCX
- JS
- HTML
- XHTML
These are file standards (mostly XML-based) that are used in EPUB ebooks and are harmless to your system. They must be whitelisted for your ebook to work. This issue was faced particularly with Desire2Learn LMS.