AICC vs SCORM Explained: Which is Right for Your LMS?

Whether you’re a veteran in online content creation or just a beginner, you already have heard of AICC and SCORM. They’re both technology standards used in authoring tools and learning management systems or LMSs.

Today, we’ll compare AICC vs SCORM in detail, exploring their similarities, differences, advantages, and disadvantages, and hopefully, by the end, you will know which one fits your needs best.

What Does AICC Stand for?

AICC stands for Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee.

You’re probably wondering about the connection between the aviation industry and online learning. Well, AICC actually created the first online learning standards back in 1988, and they were initially made with the aviation industry in mind.

Over the years, many other sectors have adopted these online learning standards for creating and streamlining online training content and electronic training.

What is AICC Exactly?

AICC defines how learning content works with learning management systems. AICC uses the HTTP AICC communication protocol that enables courses to send data to the LMS, including course completion rates or assessment scores.

AICC is also very secure, meaning it enables a safe data transfer of your online course to a learning management system. However, since it’s very old, it also has shortages.

For instance, many new course authoring tools don’t use it. Therefore, finding a learning management system that’s AICC-compliant can be a struggle.

Additionally, AICC is very limited in tracking, meaning you can’t track the progress of your learners or find out if they’ve completed a course.

Lastly, AICC hasn’t been updated since 2014, which is why it’s not relevant in the online learning world today.

Is AICC Still Used?

Yes, AICC is still sometimes used, but only in specific cases. AICC lets you store course content on one server (or website) while the learning system is on a different one. This setup is useful for those who want more control over their content, like when selling it or if they need to keep the content and learning system separate for security or maintenance reasons.

However, this older AICC method doesn’t always work with today’s security setups. Companies like Rustici, dominKnow, and Gomo offer updated solutions that keep AICC’s benefits while also supporting SCORM, providing a more modern and flexible approach.

AICC File Example

A popular example of AICC in action is the use of the Adobe Captivate software. Many organizations use this software as well as Adobe Captive alternatives to create AICC-compliant online learning courses. When a course is published in AICC format, it can be hosted on a server, and a learning management system (LMS) that supports AICC can track the learners' progress and performance.

For instance, a training program on workplace safety made with Adobe Captivate can be published as AICC content. This lets the course run on different LMS platforms while still tracking completion and learner data across various systems. This flexibility is one reason AICC stays useful for specific situations today.

What is SCORM?

SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model, and just like AICC, it helps online learning content and learning management systems collaborate effectively.

SCORM was made by the US government’s advanced distributed learning project for the online learning industry in 2000. It’s a bit newer than AICC and solved the issues that older standards had at the time, such as poor tracking and reporting capabilities.

SCORM enables the upload of online learning materials to a learning management system as a zip file, which is convenient. The zip archive has structured multimedia, HTML, and XML files for proper communication with the LMS. SCORM-compliant courses include the JavaScript Application Programming Interface.

SCORM also has various versions, with SCORM 1.2 being the most common one, while SCORM 2004 is the least popular one.

Why Use SCORM?

Some of the positive sides of SCORM include “notifying” a SCORM course how long learners need to stay on a specific slide or the whole online course. Moreover, it’s pretty common, which means you can easily upload your online learning courses to a learning management system and assign them to learners immediately.

You can also track the progress of your learners as well as their learning time and assessment scores.

Lastly, it’s ideal for mixed-source online courses because you can combine online learning materials made in one authoring tool with SCORM-compliant online courses from a totally different tool within the same solution.

However, like AICC, SCORM isn’t flawless.

While it’s easy to produce SCORM content because most AI eLearning authoring tools like Coursebox AI have a user-friendly and intuitive interface, it still has limitations.

For instance, it doesn’t allow offline learning. Meaning, you can’t access SCORM courses without a stable internet connection.

Furthermore, since it was built with Flash in mind, you can’t use all of the features of HTML5. This makes it challenging to produce content that works smoothly on modern devices that support HTML5.

SCORM also doesn’t provide real-time interaction because it’s made for data tracking and reporting after completion.

Lastly, it supports tracking only through LMS deployment. That being said, if you want to track the progress of your learners outside of the regular LMS setup, you can’t.

Is SCORM Outdated?

SCORM is not necessarily outdated, but it is considered older technology. It still works well for many online learning courses, but newer standards have emerged that offer more features and flexibility.

What is Replacing SCORM?

Popular SCORM alternatives include xAPI (Tin Can API), cmi5, and Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI). xAPI and cmi5 have better tracking of learning experiences and can handle various content types beyond traditional online courses.

LTI, on the other hand, allows different educational tools and systems to work together seamlessly, making it easier to integrate various learning applications and resources into a single platform.

What is the Difference Between xAPI vs SCORM?

xAPI, or Experience API, was developed around 2013 by a working group sponsored by ADL and led by Rustici with the goal of improving SCORM.

More specifically, they wanted better learning tracking because SCORM only tells if a learner opens and finishes a course as well as their test scores.

xAPI can track various learning experiences, including simulations, mobile learning, virtual reality, social interactions, and real-world activities. It gathers data from different sources like websites, mobile apps, and games, storing it all in a central place called a Learning Record Store (LRS).

It uses flexible "statements" to describe learning actions. Each statement has three parts: the learner (actor), the action taken (verb), and what was acted on (object). This setup allows for detailed tracking of all kinds of learning activities.

xAPI also provides real-time insights into learner behavior, preferences, and performance, helping organizations personalize learning and measure training effectiveness. It's designed to work well with other systems, complementing SCORM or functioning independently. Overall, xAPI has broader tracking, flexible data, and better integration options than SCORM.

What is the Difference Between AICC and SCORM?

Online learning content works well across different systems because of AICC and SCORM. While they have similar goals, these technical standards have some important differences in how they operate. Here’s how AICC vs SCORM LMS compare:

1. How Content is Packaged

• AICC: The AICC e-learning standard uses a file-based method to package online learning content. A course is often packed into a single file that contains everything needed, like videos and quizzes.
• SCORM: SCORM also provides packaging standards but does it in a more modern way. It breaks content into smaller, reusable parts called "SCOs" (Sharable Content Objects). These can be mixed and matched to create a complete course.

2. How Data is Shared

• AICC: AICC has a specific way of exchanging data between the online learning content and the LMS. It defines how this communication happens.
• SCORM: SCORM also has special formats for data exchange, providing clearer rules on how data should be structured and communicated. It tends to have a more standardized approach compared to AICC.

3. How Courses Run

• AICC: AICC doesn’t provide detailed instructions on how content should run. It mainly focuses on data exchange and how systems communicate with each other.
• SCORM: SCORM includes guidelines for the run-time environment, meaning it explains how the content should behave while it’s being used. This includes how learners can navigate through the course and the order in which content appears.

4. Works with Modern Tools

• AICC: The AICC format has been popular in specific fields, especially aviation, but it doesn’t work as well with newer online learning systems and tools.
• SCORM: SCORM is much more widely used across many industries. Most LMS platforms and content creation tools support SCORM, making it easier to find compatible software.

5. Flexible for New Tech

• AICC: AICC is less flexible because it's older and hasn’t been updated much. It doesn’t adapt well to new learning technologies or methods.
• SCORM: SCORM is built to be more flexible and can handle various types of content and instructional designs. It supports modular content and custom data structures, allowing for better adaptability.

6. Used in Different Industries

• AICC: AICC has a long history and has been used mainly in industries like aviation and defense, but its popularity has decreased over the years.
• SCORM: SCORM is the go-to standard for online learning content. It’s widely accepted in many sectors and continues to be the preferred choice for creating interoperable online learning materials.

In summary, AICC and SCORM serve the same purpose of making online learning content work across different systems.

However, SCORM is generally more flexible, modern, and widely adopted, whereas AICC may still be relevant in certain industries. Keep that in mind when exploring AICC and SCORM authoring tools for eLearning.

Which One Should You Choose?

If you’re looking for compatibility across different LMS platforms, SCORM is a solid, reliable choice—pretty much every platform supports it, so it’s a safe bet. But if you want to get into richer, more detailed data on how people learn, xAPI is the future.

With xAPI, you can track all sorts of learning activities, even those happening offline, like in-person workshops or mobile learning. Just remember, xAPI needs a Learning Record Store (LRS) to manage the data, so make sure your LMS has one or that you can add one separately.

AICC is a bit older but still useful if you need your LMS and content on separate servers, which can help in fields like aviation that rely on this setup. LTI, on the other hand, makes it easy to pull in content from outside sources into your LMS, which is perfect if you want quick access to external resources.

In short, SCORM is for broad use, xAPI is for deeper tracking, AICC is for specific needs, and LTI is for linking external content. You might even find that a blend of these standards works best to get all the flexibility and insights you’re looking for.