SCORM 2004: option to set cmi.exit automatically to suspend

1 Description

Many SCORM 2004-modules are transfered from a SCORM 1.2-version. In SCORM 1.2 data from previous sessions are displayed in an actual session. In SCORM 2004 the value for cmi.exit should be set to 'suspend' ("The learner exited the SCO with the intent of returning to it at the point of exit"). In quite a few cases this value is just missing in the modules or might not be implemented as desired. Unfortunately this has quite a big impact.

Below are the requirements for an LMS to comply with SCORM 2004 4ed regarding the data element cmi.exit.
(SCORM_2004_4ED_v1_1_RTE_20090814; 4.2.8 Exit).

The cmi.exit data model element indicates how or why the learner left the SCO [1].  
This value is used to indicate the reason that the SCO was last exited.

[...]

•  If the cmi.exit is set to “suspend” then the SCOs current learner attempt does
not end.  The SCOs Run-Time Environment data model element values for the
current learner session will be available to the SCO if the SCO is relaunched in a
subsequent learner session.
•  If the cmi.exit is set to “normal”, “logout”,“time-out” or “” (empty
characterstring) then the SCOs learner attempt ends. The SCOs Run-Time
Environment data model element values of the current learner session will NOT
be available if the SCO is relaunched.

[...]

The value is completely controlled by the SCO.  The SCO is responsible for setting this value.  If the SCO does not set the cmi.exit data model element, then the default value (empty characterstring – “”) shall be used.

So no matter how much time a learner spent in an learning attempt, ILIAS will start a new attempt from the beginning (0 points), unless the SCO does set the necessary value: SetValue("cmi.exit","suspend").

If this SCO behavior is not intentional, this would be at least quite inconvenient for the learners, since the requirements will have to be met in a single attempt (single session) and a previous attempt was just deleted. And this will also be quite inconvenient for administrators, since a change to the existing module is usually not an easy task.

So a new option in ILIAS is proposed, to set cmi.exit automatically to suspend if so desired by administrators (and is not correctly supported by the module).

2 Status

3 Additional Information

4 Discussion

JF 2 May 2012: We appreciate the idea and schedule it for 4.3.

JF 29 Apr 2013: We re-schedule this as a usability fix for 4.4.

5 Implementation

In the settings of a SCORM 20004 Module a new option is now implemented, that does exactly as described above: the value for cmi.exit  will be set to "suspend" by ILIAS so the tracking data of the last attempt is saved and the attempt could be continued.