ILIAS open source Forums

Dear all,

I am exploring scenarios how SCOs can be used in a LMS. I'd like to store my learning modules (SCO) somewhere (in a repository or just on a webserver), and not inside the SCORM package.

My SCOs are working also standalone, they don't need a SCORM RTE.

The SCOs should be referenced in the imsmanifest.xml e.g. as follows:



The SCO should then find the RTE and be able to communicate regardless where they are (depending on security settings?).

This important due to the following reasons:

• I can use the same SCO over different LMS.
• I can provide the SCOs outside a LMS environment (and without the use of a SCORM player).
• I can use the advantages of a repository (e.g. indexes) or a webserver (easy to upload).

I use the packager RELOAD 2004 Editor, which also has a preview function in which this works fines. But I tested with Clix and ILIAS, and both do only internal referencing (means attaching my URL to a path inside the LMS directory).

Now my questions:

• Am I wrong to assume that this should work?
• Shouldn't ILIAS be able to do this?
• Is there anybody who can help me?

Best regards and many thanks in advance,
Michael.

Hi Michael,

I don't think this is going to work.

Due to security restrictions, a script can only communicate with the server it originated from.
This is to prevent cross-site scripting attacks.

Best,
Werner

Hi Werner,

thank you for the fast reply, even if I don't like its message . I still hope there's a way.

Michael

Is it possible to enable cross-site scripting?

Yes, but this is a client-side setting which needs to be enabled on every single browser which accesses your learning content.
In some organisations - for example in ours - users are not allowed to change security-sensitive settings of their browsers.
I don't even know, whether such a setting is available in all browsers.


In your original post, you stated that your SCORM SCO does not need server communication at all.
How about changing your learning object into a SCORM Asset?
Unlike a SCO, Assets don't need to perform a handshake with the server.
So, - I guess -, they can be served from an external server.

In case this doesn't work. You may consider creating a SCO which consists of a frameset (or an iframe).
The frame contents can be serverd from an external server.
Assuming that no communication needs to take place between the frame contents and the SCO.

Best,
Werner

Dear Werner,


Ok, this is a severe restriction.



The SCOs don't need communication to act as a WBT, but the tracking data and the success_status are important when in a formal learning environment (i.e. in the LMS). Therefore I can't change it into an asset.



For the same reason I can't use frames (with secure client settings). But at least, this is a way to reference the external resources.

So, thank you for your help. I will try it out with the frames and how difficult it would be for users to get these settings changed (I don't know yet how to do it ...), but I probably have to discard this idea of external resources in general.

Is ILIAS able to index SCORM metadata and to search and display by categories? And if then the SCORM player was slightly faster, I wouldn't need those extra-repositories or webservers anyway.

Best regards,
Michael.