When updating a SCORM package, administrators should be aware of the Identifier setting located beneath the Package File field in the SCORM activity settings. By default, this setting is configured as "Do not allow changes to the identifier." This default setting is intended to protect historical learner records and reporting data.
What is the SCORM Identifier?
Every SCORM package contains an identifier within its imsmanifest.xml file. This identifier is used by the learning environment to recognize the package and associate completion data, scores, and other tracking information with the correct SCORM content.
When a package is updated, the learning environment compares the identifier in the new package with the identifier of the old package.
What Happens When the Identifier Changes?
If the identifier in the uploaded SCORM package differs from the existing identifier:
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The new package will be treated as a different SCORM package.
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Existing learning records remain stored in the database BUT historical learner attempts are no longer associated with the updated package for standard SCORM reporting purposes.
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Standard SCORM reports will display only data associated with the current identifier and the old data will no longer be accessible.
As a result, administrators may appear to have lost historical reporting data even though the underlying records have not been deleted.
When Should the Identifier Be Changed?
Changing the identifier may be appropriate when:
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The SCORM package has significant changes.
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Historical learner data is no longer required.
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You intentionally want the learning environment to treat the content as a new learning object.
Examples include:
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Major revisions to course content.
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Changes to assessments or scoring methodology.
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Restructuring the course in a way that makes historical completion data difficult to compare with new results, including adding / removing slides.
When Should the Identifier Remain Unchanged?
For routine updates such as:
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Correcting spelling or grammatical errors.
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Updating images, branding, or formatting.
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Fixing minor content inaccuracies.
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Making accessibility improvements.
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Updating links or references.
the package identifier should typically remain unchanged.
What Happens If the Identifier Should Have Been Changed but Wasn't?
If a SCORM package undergoes significant structural changes but retains the same identifier, learners who have already started the course may experience issues when attempting to resume their existing attempts.
When a learner launches the course, the learning environment attempts to restore their previous progress by matching their saved SCORM data to the current structure of the package. If slides, SCOs, assessments, or navigation elements have been significantly added, removed, or reorganized, the learning environment may be unable to correctly map the learner's existing attempt to the updated package.
Depending on the nature of the changes, learners may encounter errors when launching the course, find that the course fails to load, or be unable to resume their existing attempts.
For this reason, significant structural changes to a SCORM package should generally be accompanied by a new identifier. This allows the learning environment to treat the updated package as a new version and prevents learners from attempting to resume progress against a course structure that no longer matches their saved data.
Dual Code Support Policy
Dual Code does not modify or update SCORM packages on behalf of clients unless Dual Code has been specifically contracted to develop or maintain the SCORM content. This service is offered under a separate Professional Services contract and is not part of your annual hosting and support fees.
If you receive an updated SCORM package from a third-party authoring tool or content provider, it is the responsibility of the content provider to ensure that the package is configured appropriately, including the management of the SCORM identifier. Clients should consult their content provider if they are unsure whether the identifier has changed between versions.
Summary
The SCORM identifier plays an important role in maintaining the relationship between a SCORM package and its historical learner records. While changing the identifier does not delete existing data, it can prevent historical records from appearing in standard SCORM reports for the updated package. For this reason, administrators should avoid changing the identifier unless they intentionally want the updated content to be treated as a new version for reporting purposes.