Deciding between or switching course-package types

Note: If you will be using OpenSesame CourseCloud Legacy and learners will be taking courses directly on OpenSesame, you do not need to worry about file formats. In that case, set your delivery preference to "CourseCloud" from your dashboard or via the "Deliver Course" options on a course's details page.

OpenSesame can generate course packages in two elearning file standards: SCORM 1.2 and AICC. These file types were originally created to ensure that any course, from any publisher, can be compatible with any Learning Management System (LMS), as long as the standards are followed. (If you are unfamiliar with LMSes, this article will fill you in.)

Deciding on a package type

Please take a moment to confirm which file type best suits your needs and Learning Management System (LMS). Some LMSes only support one of the two; some LMSes support both and more. Please do not toggle between the two, for the reasons outlined in the next section. If you want or need to do that, check in with support@opensesame.com.

To get started,

• Refer to your LMS documentation or LMS Support team to confirm which standards are options for your LMS
• If you will be using an OpenSesame integration, confirm which standards are supported by the integration*
• Finally, determine whether your learners will be taking courses on mobile devices

While our system defaults to SCORM 1.2, if you expect your learners to take courses on smartphones or tablets—now or in the future—we recommend using AICC if your LMS supports it. AICC uses server-to-server communication, which is a reliable method that allows for more consistent performance across apps. This is especially true if an LMS has created its own mobile app. The SCORM standard uses server-to-browser-to-server communication.

If your LMS supports both file types and you're still not sure which one to choose, feel free to reach out to support@opensesame.com for advice from an implementation specialist.

Switching package types

If you have been using either SCORM 1.2 or AICC files and want to swap out for the other type, please check in with OpenSesame Support before changing them. Depending on the LMS, switching out package types could involve significant manual work on the LMS side—such as disabling and replacing earlier versions of the same course.

If you are using an LMS integration and will be re-sending familiar courses with a new file type, OpenSesame Support will also need to allow duplicates for you. (Duplicate syncs are disabled by default.)

If you are using a stand-alone LMS, where you manually download packages from OpenSesame and then upload them to the LMS, the handling of duplicates will depend on the LMS. It may allow as many duplications as you create, or it may recognize a course and prevent its upload until the original is removed or disabled.

*Integration notes:

The Ceridian Dayforce, Docebo, Meridian LMS, Oracle Taleo Learn, SkyPrep, and TalentQuest LMS integrations do not support AICC. 

For Bridge integrations, AICC packages may be marked as "SCORM" after sending.

The SAP SuccessFactors integration will always default to AICC. If needed, SCORM 1.2 packages may be uploaded manually.

For Totara Learning integrations, encoding for AICC must be set to UTF-8 without BOM. If you are not sure how to update that in your OpenSesame dashboard, please reach out to support@opensesame.com and we'll be glad to assist.