As of July 20, 2020, you can import media files - MP4 videos, MP3 audio files, and PDF documents - into SCORM Cloud. These types of files are treated differently than other packages when importing, launching, and setting configuration values. Here are some of the differences you'll notice when using media files in SCORM Cloud.

Importing

UI Imports

Importing media files in SCORM Cloud is very similar to importing other packages. The only difference is that you're not uploading a .zip file. Instead, you'll upload the .mp4, .mp3, or .pdf files directly, and Cloud will import that file into your application just like a course from any other learning standard.

You'll notice a new section in the "Add Content" menu in the top-right corner of the UI:

This will take you to a page specifically for uploading media files which explains some more details about the media file import process.

On the back end, SCORM Cloud will wrap the media file up in a cmi5 package, so the course will appear as a cmi5 course in the UI.

API Imports

For API imports, the only change that should be made to API calls is adding a "content type" parameter. This parameter (which is either in the request body, request headers, or the request query string depending on the call being made) tells Cloud what type of file is being imported, which will change the internal behavior when importing media files vs. other packages. This parameter is only necessary when importing media files, not when importing other .zip packages.

The uploadedContentType for each file type is as follows:

MP4 = video/mp4

MP3 = audio/mpeg

PDF = application/pdf

Here's a sample cURL request for an upload and import job with a video file:

curl --location --request POST 'https://cloud.scorm.com/api/v2/courses/importJobs/upload?courseId=videoTest' \
--header 'uploadedContentType: video/mp4' \
--header 'Authorization: {your Basic Auth}' \
--form 'file={@/path/to/mp4/file}'

Notice the header "uploadedContentType", which tells Cloud what type of file to is being uploaded (this parameter defaults to "application/zip", so if you are uploading a regular .zip file, you can leave this parameter off of your request).

Launching

There is no difference between launching a media file and launching another cmi5 package. You can launch it in the sandbox, create a registration and launch it, etc. just like you can with any other cmi5 package in SCORM Cloud. When launched, the media file will be opened in a wrapper which contains a header and an exit button.

Because media files are wrapped in a cmi5 course on the back end, any launches will record statements to the LRS like other cmi5 courses will.

Course Configuration Settings

Another new section in the UI is the "Media File Settings" piece of the course detail page:

The settings visible here will differ based on the type of content (PDF vs. Audio/Video), but the "Media Content Completion Threshold" and the "Path to Media Content Stylesheet" will always be present. Both of those settings can be applied to media files of any type. The other settings, like "Path to PDF Content Stylesheet" or "Path to Audio/Video Content Stylesheet" will apply only to PDF files and audio/video files respectively.

Like other configuration settings, you can use Cloud's configuration endpoints to set these values for specific courses, across your entire application, or any other level.

Exporting

When you export a media file course from the course details page, you'll download a .zip file. This .zip file will, in most cases, only contain the media file itself. It should be noted that the zip downloaded when exporting a media file can not be uploaded back into Cloud like a regular course. Instead, if you wanted to re-import the media file, you'll need to unzip and import only the media file itself.

 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to support@rusticisoftware.com