Overwrite SCORM Packages

[bruce-drummond]

We are using SCORM packages as graded assignments for compliance courses.  As it happens the content has been changed and needs to be updated.  We have not found a way to replace or overwrite the current SCORM package with the new content and maintain the current records of learners.

How can I overwrite SCORM packages without effecting the grades?

[bruce-drummond · Accepted solution]

With a couple of caveats this appears to work.  The caveats are about updating the SCORM content using Storyline 360:

• Make no changes to file names
• Overwrite existing files
• Export zip using same name as original file

To replace SCORM in Canvas here is a procedure that appears to work:

• Download and save grades (.csv)
• On the SCORM page (access SCORM from menu) delete SCORM package. This removes the SCORM package from assignments and the associated grade item at the same time
• Upload revised SCORM package and import as graded assignment and publish the package
• In grades import saved grades, select correct assignment, and follow onscreen prompts

[awilliams]

Hey  @bruce-drummond ‌, I don't have enough experience to answer this for you, but I think  @dhulsey ‌ uses SCORM quite a lot and maybe he'll be able to provide some assistance. Stay tuned!

[dhulsey]

Who, me? I used to, but I do not have extensive experience with the SCORM LTI tool in Canvas. My advice is to play around on the beta server and try different stuff, but you might need to export grades, make changes and then import the grades back in. Maybe that would work? 

[bruce-drummond]

Thanks for the hint!  I'll try the download/upload to see if that will maintain the gradebook.

[william_creger]

I have a SCORM/Storyline question....

Trying to get a Storyline360 output to pass grades to the Canvas grade book.

Output as SCORM 2004 (3rd edition) - also tried SCORM 1.2

Tracking by the result slide

Have set the LMS reporting to "Passed/Failed"

Have imported to Canvas as graded assignment

Changed assignment details from percentage to points

Went to Student view did assignment (and the included quiz)

No grade in gradebook

Can you see what I am missing in this process?

Thanks!

Bill

[bruce-drummond · Accepted solution]

With a couple of caveats this appears to work.  The caveats are about updating the SCORM content using Storyline 360:

• Make no changes to file names
• Overwrite existing files
• Export zip using same name as original file

To replace SCORM in Canvas here is a procedure that appears to work:

• Download and save grades (.csv)
• On the SCORM page (access SCORM from menu) delete SCORM package. This removes the SCORM package from assignments and the associated grade item at the same time
• Upload revised SCORM package and import as graded assignment and publish the package
• In grades import saved grades, select correct assignment, and follow onscreen prompts

[aschuster]

This seems very clunky. Just being able to upload to the server and have it replace the old Storyline would be much easier. Is this possible?

[carrie4]

I know the original post was from a few years ago but I wanted to share an experience I just had following these instructions and perhaps it will help someone else that runs into the same issue.  

I followed the steps but didn't realize that since our courses are based off a Blueprint template and we locked the SCORM packages, that when you delete the package from the SCORM menu, it doesn't delete the associated assignment from the module.  So when I went back to the module the assignment was still in there.  However since that particular SCORM package was deleted it gave me an error message when I clicked on the assignment.  

But then I realized that Canvas treats the SCORM packages as "external tools" and has a link to the actual package.  So I went back to the SCORM navigation and opened up the "new" SCORM package.  Copied its link.  Went to the "old" assignment and pasted in the new link and it seems to have worked.  Now when you click on the assignment it plays the SCORM package. And I didn't have to import the CSV file since it never really deleted the assignment from the gradebook.  It still showed the grade for the assignment if anyone had earned one. 

One other caveat you can't publish a new assignment with the new SCORM package otherwise that one will also show up in the gradebook.  

Just wanted to share in case any one experienced the same thing with the SCORM assignment being locked content. I'm not 100% confident yet in the workaround.  Going to see if anything else pops up but from the small testing I did (only 1 student in a class of 5 completed the assignment), it seems to work.  

[khaled_al-ankar]

Hi Carrie, 

Just a quick one. Did you manage to find out if the above process works on another example?

I'm toiling over the idea in once circumstance that I have in a course and would like to know if this fix/workaround works.

[bruce-drummond]

Khaled,

I wish I could answer your question, but we stopped using SCORM packages about 3 years ago. The reasons we stopped were twofold:

· ADA 508 compliance issues

· Storyline support (not fully supporting SCORM and generating SCORM reports, just the ability to play and forward scores)

Bruce

[dqfelix]

Hi Khaled, have you tried this process as yet?  Did it work?

I too need to update a SCORM module and would rather not have to create a new SCORM assignment.

Denise

[bruce-drummond]

When you upload a SORM package it automatically creates an assignment in Canvas.

[dqfelix]

Hi Bruce, I don't believe you understand the problem we are describing well.

• The problem is the SCORM is already linked to an assignment that is up and running.
• I needed to make a correction to one of the slides in the module but do not want to create a new assignment, because this will ruin the grade history etc..
• With Carrie's fix I (1) uploaded the new version of the SCORM file; (2) went into the setting of the new assignment it created and copied the External Tool URL; (3)Went back to the orginal SCORM assignment and pasted the External Tool URL for the new version of the SCORM files; 
• With this fix the grade history of the learners are intact; I am not sure what impact it has though for students with the Assignment in progress though - I'll have to wait and see if the report problems to Support.

But overall the fix that Carrie Albin recommended is the solution I was looking for and I am thrilled!

Denise

[SaraBooker]

@dqfelix Curious how this impacted the students that were already "in-progress" with that assignment, your last bullet indicated you would wait and see if there were reports of problems. Do you know if there is there a way to tell which students have already started the assignment? 

[jacob2 · Accepted solution]

This is the process I've used for updating SCORM packages that are live on Canvas.

This is similar to what's been mentioned here with a few tweaks.  This should work for any type of course but I have not tested inside a blueprint course.

1) Leave the original SCORM package.  Do not delete it as this will delete the assignment in most cases.

2) Upload your new SCORM file with a new name/version

3) Choose Graded assignment IF it will be used to update a graded assignment

4) Go into the assignment settings for the new assignment the SCORM file created

5) Under the Assign section remove EVERYONE and simply assign it to a single faculty member (this prevents the assignment for showing up for all students)

6) In the New Scorm File Assignment settings find the External Tool options and copy the link there

7) Open the Assignment you're looking to correct and replace the existing link with the updated link from Step 6

Presto Chango you've updated your SCORM package without have to re-enter grades or interrupting the assignments for your students.  I've done this several times and tested it to figure out the most optimal way.  This is what I've come up with so far.  Hope it helps someone else!

[ttmcnult]

Does this still work? I ask because I think this option was before the June 2021 update, which started encrypting SCORM packages, that were imported into courses. If your solution still works, then that would be awesome for my purposes. 

[KathyPalm]

I believe it does! We have been using a similar workaround both before and after the update last summer and have not seen any issues here.
When we update a SCORM, we do not remove the old SCORM package, but update the external URL on the original assignment link to point to the newly updated SCORM.

[SaraBooker]

@KathyPalm and @jacob2 I saw someone else said we should not publish the new assignment. How did you handle it?

How does this impact students that could be actively in that module? I am not sure how to tell which students may have started it, and wouldn't want them to have to repeat this module. 

Thanks!

[KathyPalm]

Unfortunately I am not aware of a way to know which students are in progress but it would definitely reset their progress to swap the link out because you are re-directing the current assignment to a new SCORM.

For our setup, we are not publishing the new assignment. We put the updated assignment in a separate assignment group for added clarity. If the new assignment is published and the students have access to the assignments tab in the navigation menu then even if you don't attach it to a module, they would be able to see two separate assignments. If it's a grade assignment, that would also mean both assignments would show in the gradebook.

[JoshuaPope]

I ran across this post while trying to find a solution. I think this is the only LMS I have ever seen that doesn't allow you to overwrite SCORM packages. The problem with either of the options provided is that it would eliminate any suspended data for the activity, so if students are in the middle of doing the activity, they would lose all their work. There has to be a better way to do this. Bridge does SCORM swaps without interruption, why doesn't Canvas? That's so odd. Has anything new come about with this over the last few years that resolves this issue?

[ttmcnult]

As far as I know, there isn't anything new out from Canvas on this. What I can say, is that we have now been following this process for over a year, without any issue. Is it clunky, yes. Does it work, yes. We just have to try and limit applying our changes, to a time when we think the least amount of trainees will be in the eLearning. To help us though, since in the SCORM activity, we have so little detail to tell between our eLearning versions, so we have started to edit the Manifest file when publishing, so we can tell which version to keep, and which one we can delete (we always keep the 1st and last versions, due to the linked assignments).