Icodeon Joins IMS Global Learning Consortium

Leading SCORM Player Provider Implements Standards-based Approach to Interoperable SCORM Data

Cambridge 23 August 2007. Icodeon Ltd today announced that it has joined the IMS Global Learning Consortium (IMS GLC) as a Contributing Member to support development of key interoperability standards that complement its SCORM Player.

At the recent IMS GLC quarterly meeting in Redmond, Washington, USA, Icodeon demonstrated the use of web services technology to launch the Icodeon SCORM Player from the Sakai learning platform. The web services were also used to return a results set from the SCORM session to an outcome service hosted by Sakai. Web services is a technology that enables applications to exchange messages - even if the applications are written using different programming languages and are widely separated across the Internet. The web services were built using the IMS GLC Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standard.

The Icodeon SCORM Player implements the very latest version of SCORM, which includes the IMS GLC Simple Sequencing standard to allow adaptive computer-based interactions with learners. The significance of the demonstration with Sakai is, that through the LTI standard, SCORM content included in an IMS GLC Common Cartridge can be delivered, even if the institution's CMS doesn't support SCORM directly: as in the case of the Sakai platform simply launching the Icodeon SCORM Player when required.

Common Cartridge is IMS GLC's new standard for packaging blended content to support courses facilitated by instructors, including a variety of digital formats, assessments, discussion forums, and web applications. Use of the LTI standard and the Icodeon SCORM Player enables a platform such as Sakai to support SCORM without having to implement SCORM within the platform. The LTI standard supports launch and outcome services for a wide variety of standalone learning applications via web services messaging. Application notes detailing both Common Cartridge and Learning Tools Interoperability will be available to Common Cartridge Alliance members.

More information on the Common Cartridge Alliance is available at: http://www.imsglobal.org/cc/alliance.html "The creators of Common Cartridge wanted to make sure that prior and future investments in SCORM would be supported fully," comments Rob Abel, Chief Executive of IMS GLC. "Icodeon has stepped up as a leader showing that this can be accomplished easily through a standards-based LTI interface. Having Icodeon participating in the IMS GLC to support development of the LTI, Sequencing, and Common Cartridge standards will greatly enhance the work." "The LTI standard has enabled the Icodeon SCORM Player to act as a service available to any learning platform implementing the LTI standard," adds Warwick Bailey, Executive Director of Icodeon, Ltd. "We believe that the work in IMS will enable new levels of interoperability between learning applications that support launch and outcome services. Icodeon looks forward to furthering the development of this work in IMS GLC."

About Icodeon: Icodeon is a dynamic e-Learning enterprise based in the "Silicon Fen" around the University of Cambridge, UK providing SCORM solutions to vendors in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Australasia. The Icodeon SCORM Player is a full SCORM 2004 run time environment that is designed to be easily integrated into new and existing e-Learning platforms. For more details on Icodeon Ltd, please visit http://www.icodeon.com/.

About IMS Global Learning Consortium (IMS GLC)
IMS GLC is a global, nonprofit, member organization that strives to enable the growth and impact of learning technology in the education and corporate learning sectors worldwide. IMS GLC members provide leadership in shaping and growing the learning industry through community development of standards, promotion of innovation, and research into adoption practices. For more information, including the world's most comprehensive set of learning technology interoperability standards, information on the annual Learning Impact conference and awards program, and free community resources for learning technology leaders, visit http://www.imsglobal.org/.