For example, when I first began with TTN I thought I would go crazy with the amount acronyms used, like LMS, NVS, IBS, ACT, and SCORM. Now I find myself spouting off these words in conversation without a second thought.

I’ve decide to start posting the occasional entry that defines and explains some of the words that the e-Learning community uses. Hopefully, whether you are new to training or have been a member of ASTD for 20 years, these posts can provide some new knowledge and insight for you to use at your next training meeting.

Let’s start with SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model)

SCORM is a set of technical standards, requirements, and specifications set by ADL (Advanced Distributed Learning) a group that is sponsored by the by the United States Department of Defense (who knew e-Learning could be so dangerous).

By having these standards, courses are ensured to play, and can be shared across systems (the courses you create and buy will all have the same abilities).

To provide an analogy, having SCORM is like having the euro. Much of Europe has accepted the Euro as a standard of currency. You can go across borders and still have a consistent standard to pay for your gelato, baguettes, and schnitzel. If you went there with the American dollar you would not be following the current standards and would end up a little hungry.