Global settings for learning modules

Activate page history

Authors who work with the ILIAS editor can track which changes have been made to pages via an editing history, regardless of whether this is the case in an ILIAS learning module or on the start page of a course, for example. It is also possible to use it to undo changes to pages, and there is the option of deactivating it. Changes to pages will then continue to be recorded, but authors will no longer be able to access them.

  1. Open Administration > Repository and objects > Learning modules.
  2. Activate the Enable page history checkbox.
  3. Click on the Save button.

Activate pages in ILIAS-LM according to time

ILIAS offers the option of releasing pages in ILIAS learning modules on a time-controlled basis if this function is activated by the technical support team. In this case, the header of a learning module page contains an additional tab that allows you to specify a start and end time.

  1. Open Administration > Repository and objects > Learning modules.
  2. Activate the Temporal activation of pages checkbox.
  3. Click on the Save button.

Improve errors in media objects more easily

ILIAS offers the option of replacing the content of media objects on pages designed with the ILIAS editor without losing their properties, such as clickable areas, alignment or captions, so that images, films or audio tracks whose content needs to be partially corrected or supplemented can be replaced with much less effort.

  1. Open Administration > Repository and objects > Learning modules.
  2. Activate the Replace media objects in content checkbox.
  3. Click on the Save button.

HTML export IDs

ILIAS learning modules can be exported in HTML format. This export supports various scenarios:

  • The HTML export serves as machine-readable technical documentation. To enable this use, your page must be clearly recognizable for external systems, so that the external system can then refer to a specific page when the documentation is called up from a specific location.
  • Another example would be a manually designed error page that is automatically called up when the associated error occurs.for this purpose, the pages of an ILIAS learning module can be assigned numbers ("export IDs").export IDs can be managed in the "Content" tab in the "HTML Export IDs" view.the IDs are automatically copied when new versions of the ILIAS learning module are created by copying.
  1. Open Administration > Repository and objects > Learning modules.
  2. Activate the HTML export IDs checkbox.
  3. Click on the Save button.

Activate SCORM test tool

In ILIAS it is possible to use a so-called "debugger" to check whether the data exchange between a SCORM module and ILIAS is running correctly and efficiently.

The debugger checks the completeness and correct use of SCORM variables and their correct and efficient transfer to the SCORM runtime environment of ILIAS and vice versa in real time.

The tool measures during the interaction with the SCORM module and shows which data has just been exchanged via the interface, how long this took, whether and which errors occurred and gives an overall assessment of whether the process can be considered error-free.

These results can be exported from the debugger at any time.

The use of the debugger saves a large number of manual and therefore time-consuming and labor-intensive analyses of SCORM variables in SCORM learning modules. The avoidance of error documentation as a basis for reworking and the associated reduction in correction loops can be a further positive effect.

However, detailed knowledge of the SCORM standard and also of the SCORM interface in ILIAS is necessary for the meaningful use of the debugger, as otherwise it is not possible to assess what an error statement means, how serious the error is and how it can be rectified. However, users who do not have such knowledge can use the debugger to provide accurate and comprehensive analysis data to at least the IT manager of your organization or the manufacturer of the SCORM material without great effort.

The test tool must be activated globally:

  1. Open Administration > Repository and objects > Learning modules.
  2. Activate the Activate SCORM test tool checkbox.
  3. Click on the Save button.

Prerequisite

  • You must upload a SCORM learning module via the SCORM 2004 3rd/4th edition option. The test tool does not work in the older SCORM 1.2 interface or in SCORM learning modules in authoring mode.

Setting the SCORM interface globally

You want to stop saving the SCORM 2004 Javascript files in the browser cache.

You want to allow the storage of SCORM 2004 learning status data even if the ILIAS session has expired. With SCORM 1.2, storage without session is always activated.

  1. Open Administration > Repository and objects > Learning modules and make global settings: 
  2. Deactivate SCORM 2004 browser cache: When a SCORM learning module is called up, the cache in the user's browser is not taken into account. When a SCORM learning module is called up, a number of functions are executed, some of which are not very performant, which are relevant for the processing of the entire learning module and enable various measures, including the provision of SCORM JavaScript files, some of which are output via PHP, as this enables direct access to the files and therefore results in performance advantages by using the browser cache. If there are changes to Javascript files when updating to a higher ILIAS version (release change), this function should be used so that users do not have old Javascript files in their browsers, which could lead to problems, but if the option is not used, the modules will load faster.
  3. Activate SCORM 2004 storage without session: SCORM learning status data is also saved even if the ILIAS session has expired.  
    In ILIAS, a maximum time interval can be set after which a user is automatically logged out / their session is ended if no further action has been taken in the meantime, the so-called "session timeout". During the processing of SCORM learning modules, ILIAS does not register any user activity, as the learning module is not located in the ILIAS database itself. If the session timeout then occurs, contact is lost and all further changes to the learning status are lost.

Activate log data

User activities are recorded in SCORM learning modules: This is referred to as log or tracking data, and log data is data that the SCORM module records itself. However, excerpts of this data are also transferred to ILIAS and can then be accessed via the "Learning progress" tab. For a complete list of the data recorded in SCORM (version 2004), please see http://www.vbtrain.net/help/LmsApiHelp/GetValueEnum.htm.

To prevent the display of SCORM log data in SCORM learning modules, uncheck the corresponding option in the Data protection and server security administration dialog or its Data protection sub-dialog.