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5.2. Triggering Navigation Requests
The SCORM Navigation Model applies only to navigation between learning activities. At this time, SCORM does not directly address the ability to define sequencing or navigation within a SCO. However, SCORM does not preclude the ability for inter-SCO navigation (this ability is entirely controlled by the SCO). For example, SCORM navigation does not apply to navigation between individual pages of a multi-page SCO.
The SCORM Navigation Model defines a set of navigation events that can be triggered by a learner through an LMS and content provided user interface devices or directly by SCOs. How such events are triggered inside a SCO or through the LMS is not defined by SCORM. Furthermore, SCORM imposes no requirements on the type or style of the user interface, including any user interface devices for navigation. The nature of the user interface and the mechanisms for interactions between the learner and the LMS are intentionally not specified. Issues such as look and feel, presentation style and placement of navigation controls are outside the scope of SCORM.
Navigation requests are processed as defined by the sequencing behaviors (refer to Section 4.4: Navigation Behavior). They provide the learner and content an interoperable means to indicate a desired approach for moving through an activity tree, such as to
choose a particular learning activity, continue to the next activity or go back to a previous activity.
Table 5.2a describes a set of navigation events and defines how these navigation events map to navigation requests. In addition, the table defines the source from which each of the corresponding navigation requests can be triggered.
Table 5.2a: Navigation Events and Descriptions
Navigation Event | Behavior Description | Source |
Start | This event indicates a desire to identify the first or “starting” activity available in the activity tree. This event is typically generated automatically by the LMS when the learner begins a new attempt on the root activity of the activity tree. This event results in a Start navigation request. | LMS Only |
Resume All | This event indicates a desire to resume a previously suspended attempt on the root activity of the activity tree. This event is typically generated automatically by the LMS when the learner resumes a previously suspended attempt on an activity tree. This event results in a Resume all navigation request. | LMS Only |
Continue | This event indicates a desire to identify the “next” (in relation to the Current Activity) logical learning activity available in the activity tree. This event results in a Continue navigation request. | LMS or SCO |
Previous | This event indicates a desire to identify the “previous” (in relation to the current activity) logical learning activity available in the activity tree. This event results in a Previous navigation request. | LMS or SCO |
Choose | This event indicates a desire to directly experience a specific learning activity in the activity tree. This event results in a Choice navigation request for a specified target activity. | LMS or SCO |
Jump | This event indicates a desire to “jump” directly to a specific learning activity in the activity tree. This event results in a Jump navigation request for a specified target activity. | SCO only |
Abandon | This event indicates a desire to prematurely or abnormally terminate the current attempt on the currently delivered content object with no intent to resume later. This event ends the current attempt on the current activity. If the current activity has a parent, the attempt on the parent activity does not end. Further, Abandon has no immediate effect on any of the current activity’s ancestors. An abandoned attempt is counted as an attempt. In no case does Abandon mean that tracking information that has already been recorded should be rolled back. For example, if the activity was already recorded as passed or completed, then it does not become failed or incomplete. This event results in an Abandon navigation request. | LMS or SCO |
Navigation Event | Behavior Description | Source |
Abandon All | This event indicates a desire to prematurely or abnormally terminate the current attempt on the root activity of the activity tree with no intent to resume later. This event ends the current attempt on the activity tree’s root activity and all active learning activities. All abandoned attempts are counted. In no case does Abandon All mean that tracking information that has already been recorded should be rolled back. For example, if the activity was already recorded as passed or completed, then it does not become failed or incomplete. This event results in an Abandon All navigation request. | LMS or SCO |
Suspend All | This event indicates a desire to pause the current attempt on the root activity of the activity tree. This event suspends the current attempt on the activity tree’s root activity and all active learning activities. None of the attempts on the suspended activities end. If the next attempt on the root activity of the activity tree (beginning of the next sequencing session) is initiated with a Resume All event, attempts on all of the activities suspended by this event will resume. In no case does Suspend All mean that tracking information that has already been recorded should be “rolled back.” For example, if the activity was already recorded as passed or completed, thea it does not become failed or incomplete. This event results in a Suspend All navigation request. | LMS or SCO |
Unqualified Exit | This event indicates that the current attempt on the currently delivered activity has finished normally, and that termination was not triggered by another navigation event, such as Continue, Previous, Jump or Choose. This event ends the current attempt on the current activity. This event results in an Exit navigation request. | LMS or SCO |
Exit All | This event indicates that the current attempt on the root activity of the activity tree has finished normally. This event ends the current attempt on the activity tree’s root activity and all active learning activities. This event results in an Exit All navigation request. | LMS or SCO |