Support from FASE's Education Technology Office

How do I upload a SCORM package to my Quercus course?

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This guide details how to upload a SCORM package to your Quercus course. It provides the steps for enabling the SCORM tool, for uploading the SCORM package, and for preparing the content for sharing with your students. This guide is intended for instructors who are uploading content that has already been created and packaged as a SCORM zip file.

What is SCORM? SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model; see our blog post "What is a SCORM package?") is a way of packaging content created with elearning authoring software so that it can run on a Learning Management System (like Quercus/Canvas).

How do I use SCORM in Quercus? The SCORM tool in Quercus allows you to upload online learning content created using a variety of e-authoring software (e.g., Storyline, Rise, Camtasia, Captivate). You can then share that content as an assignment or a page in your Quercus course.

Before you begin

  1. Export your content to a .zip file. Use your e-authoring tool to export your content into a SCORM package; this is a different process for each tool, so check your tool's support documentation for information.
  2. Decide if you want to report activity within your module. If you are planning to track student activity in your SCORM package, read our blog Troubleshooting Reporting for your SCORM Module. We recommend using data collected from SCORM only for low stakes assessments. Use this feature sparingly and test thoroughly before implementing.

How to administer SCORM in your course

Do you have SCORM packages? If you are creating the content yourself using e-authoring software and need information about selecting and troubleshooting export settings for your SCORM package, please read our blog post: Troubleshooting Reporting for your SCORM Module or contact us at [email protected].

1. Enable SCORM in your course

Navigate to the Quercus course in which you'd like to upload the SCORM package and then:

  1. In your course navigation menu, select Settings.
  2. Open the Navigation tab.
  3. Search for "SCORM" from the list of applications and select the settings menu (three vertical dots) to enable the app.
  4. Save to confirm your changes.

1.1. Confirm that SCORM appears on your course menu

If you complete the above step, and SCORM still does not appear on your course menu, try once more and ensure that you've selected the Save button. This often is not visible, as it appears at the end of a long list of applications.

2. Upload your SCORM package

Locate your saved SCORM zip file (this could be locally saved on your computer, saved in a cloud folder, etc.) and then:

  1. Select the SCORM link in the Course Navigation menu.
  2. Select Upload button on the SCORM page.
  3. Find the desired SCORM package (ZIP file) on your computer and select Open. The file may take several seconds to upload, depending on its size. A progress bar will indicate upload status. When upload is complete, the new upload appears at the bottom of your list of SCORM packages.

The SCORM package must be imported as a ZIP file to work. Please do not unzip the file!

3. Select an import type for your SCORM package

When importing your SCORM package, you can choose from one of following three import types. Your choice will depend on whether you want to track completion status:

Import Type Description Tracking Recommended uses
Graded Assignment

Creates an unpublished Assignment in Quercus and uploads the SCORM content to the assignment,


By default, the Assignment will be out of 100 points.


An associated Gradebook column is also created.


For additional information, review the Canvas instructor guide: How do I import SCORM files as an assignment? 

Completion is tracked.

Scores appears in the Gradebook column according to:

  • the option you have selected under the Assignment setting options for Display Grade as
  • reporting options selected when the SCORM package was created

You will typically see the following in the Gradebook: 

  • - (dash): not yet started
  • 0 (zero) or X: in progress
  • 100 (a hundred) or a checkmark: completed to the set percentage or number of slide views inside the SCORM package
Best for cases where you want to track and/or assign points for completion of the SCORM content.  

Note: A SCORM assignment will reflect only a student's most recent attempt. If a student re-enters a SCORM assignment they have already completed and then exits it without completing it again, it will reset their score to in progress or not yet started.
Ungraded Assignment

Automatically creates an unpublished Assignment in Quercus and uploads the SCORM content to the assignment.


By default, the Assignment will be out of 0 points.


An associated Gradebook column is created.


For additional information, review the Canvas instructor guide: How do I import SCORM files as an assignment?

Completion is not tracked. 

No scores appear in the Gradebook column that is created.

Not recommended - having an assignment out of zero points can be confusing for learners, especially since completion is not tracked in the Gradebook. 


If you are not tracking completion, sharing the content as a Page is a better alternative.

Page

Uploads content into a Quercus page, which can then be shared in a Module.


No Gradebook column is created.


For additional information, review the Canvas instructor guide: How do I import SCORM files as a page?

Completion is not tracked.  

Best for cases where you do not want to track completion of the SCORM content and want to share the content as a resource that can be accessed many times.

3.1. Select your import type

The import type selected when importing a SCORM file is permanent and cannot be changed in Quercus. To change the import type, you will need to re-upload the file and select the new import type. The original file can then be deleted.

  1. Select your desired import type from the Choose import type dropdown menu.
  2. Select the Go button to generate your Assignment or Page.

4. Preview, edit, or delete your Assignment or Page

Once the import is completed (this should only take a few minutes), you can preview and edit the Assignment or Page you created for the SCORM package. You can also delete the uploaded content if you need to make changes to the import type.

SCORM Package settings include:

  1. Access the Assignment or Page for editing and publishing.
  2. Preview the Assignment or Page.
  3. Delete the Assignment or Page (i.e., if you have selected the incorrect import type).

Adding Assignment details: After importing an Assignment, you can edit the assignment by changing the total points value, selecting a grade display option, adding assessment instructions, due date, availability dates, and other important information. For information on editing assignment details, review the Canvas instructor guide How do I add or edit details in an assignment?

Previewing your Assignment or Page: Be sure to preview the content in your Assignment or Page before publishing it.

5. Publish and share the Assignment or Page in your course

Once you've completed editing and previewing your Assignment or Page, you can publish it and share it with students by adding it as a module item.    

When sharing SCORM content in Quercus, you need to share the Page or Assignment where the content will be opened. If you share the link to the open content directly (i.e., a link starting with https://yul.scorm.canvaslms.com/), students will receive an error message.

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