Replace a SCORM or Tin Can (xAPI) module in a course – Knowledge Base

Update a SCORM or Tin Can module in a published course

LearnUpon supports SCORM v 1.2, SCORM 2004 (3rd and 4th edition), and Tin Can aka xAPI protocols. See SCORM and xAPI (Tin Can): overview for background.

Availability: all customers

Replace content: feature overview

Replace Content lets you swap a new SCORM or Tin Can ZIP file for an existing one in a module, without changing the module settings.

This feature lets you make limited changes to update and correct the content, without publishing a new version of the course.

For updates that change the structure of the modules, see Publish a new version of a course.

This option applies to both SCORM and Tin Can modules, including Create+ SCORM modules.

What you can change with Replace Content

Broadly, you can make the following changes to modules offline, and then swap the revised module for the one stored in LearnUpon:

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This replacement feature has a couple of limitations:

you can't replace a SCORM file with Tin Can, or vice versa: you can only replace "like for like"
for a module in use: do not change the structure of the SCORM or Tin Can content

For a course with active enrollments, changing the structure of the content prevents your In Progress learners from accessing content.

If your course is in use and has learners In Progress, this replacement process aims to retain your learners' position in the course.

If the revised SCORM or Tin Can module's structure is the same as the original, then LearnUpon can match the module's internal markers to link the existing course version to the new one. The markers include "bookmarks" which tell LearnUpon how far your learner progressed before stopping.

If required, you can discard learners' progress, so they need to restart the module.

Note: Always test a module with sample In Progress learner accounts, before changing the module for a published course in use.

Replace content vs. create a new version: how much can I change?

How much a content module changes is up to your content developers.

It's hard to predict what changes can require a new module version, because both SCORM and Tin Can standards generate flexible content modules. Check the support pages for your content-building software, like:

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Best practice for replacing content successfully

request a detailed summary from the content developers about changes in the module - consider a before-and-after list to make sure you can see the changes clearly
test, test, test: in your test environment with sample users, test out what kinds of changes prompt an exchanged module to fail with In Progress users
keep a record of what modules required a new version vs what modules exchanged smoothly

When in doubt: create a new course version

The replace process relies on the content module structures being the same in the original and the revised modules. Keeping the structure consistent means the "suspend data", aka the markers that tell LearnUpon how much your learners have completed, can apply in the revised module.

When a revised module has a different structure, the process fails. This failure can affect your learners in Not Started and In Progress statuses.

When you need to change a SCORM or Tin Can module for one with a new structure, revise the course and publish it again.

See Create a new module version, to manage bigger content changes elsewhere in this article.

Swap an existing content module for new

From main navigation, go to Courses > your course name.
From the secondary navigation select Content to view the course modules.
Select the SCORM or Tin Can module.
Select Start Replace Process to open the Upload File option, and follow the prompts to upload a new file.
A dialog opens explaining that LearnUpon is retaining your learners' position for In Progress courses:
- To proceed with this default option, select Replace File
- To require your learners to restart this module, select Don't want to retain this data > Replace File
LearnUpon proceeds with the replacement. You can navigate away from this page if required.

The following screenshot shows a module after selecting Start Replace Process.

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Create a new module version, to manage bigger content changes

To change the structure of the SCORM or Tin Can module in an existing course, you need a new course version. For the smoothest sequence for your learners:

create a new version of the course and let your current learners complete the existing course uninterrupted
in the new version, delete the existing SCORM or Tin Can module
create a new module, with the new SCORM or Tin Can ZIP file
publish the new version of the course

See Publish a new version of a course

Change library or course modules?

When you create or upload a content module, the module is a single "chunk" of content, that LearnUpon shows in 2 places: within your course, and in the Library.

So if you change the module, the changes appear wherever the module is in use: in courses, and also in the library.

You can update the module from a course, or from the library: the effect is the same.

Note: using library content is different from copying a module, where you want to edit the copy's content, without changing the first version. See Courses: copy a module.

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