SCORM vs LTI: What are the Differences?

What is LTI?

Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) is a technical standard developed by 1EdTech. LTI allows you to seamlessly connect different online (external) learning tools to a single central learning environment without the hassle of separate logins or platforms. It ensures everything is accessible in one place, making it easier for both employers and employees to work with various external providers within their existing learning environment.

For course creators and organizations with learning platforms, LTI enables the seamless integration of external content into onboarding programs, learning pathways, or compliance training. But what does this look like in practice?

LTI in Practice

LTI for Course Creators

Let’s say your organization develops high-quality courses for financial professionals, such as continuing education (CE) training. With an LTI integration, your client can offer your course directly through their LMS. Participants simply click on the course in their LMS, and everything runs smoothly, including progress tracking and certification. You maintain control over the content and updates, while your client doesn’t have to worry about technical settings.

Want to learn more about LTI? Check out our blog: “What is LTI and What Are Its Benefits?”

LTI for L&D Professionals

With LTI, you can integrate various external tools and learning platforms into your LMS. This means employees can access dynamic, up-to-date content from multiple providers directly within their learning environment, without needing extra logins or switching platforms.

What is SCORM?

SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model, a technical standard used for creating and managing e-learning modules. E-learning developers use authoring tools like Articulate Storyline or Adobe Captivate to create SCORM-compliant modules. SCORM ensures that online learning content works seamlessly within a Learning Management System (LMS).

Think of SCORM as a universal adapter for e-learning. Just as a universal adapter lets you charge devices in any country, SCORM allows e-learning content to be used in any LMS without modifications.

SCORM in Practice

SCORM for Course Creators

You’ve developed an e-learning module on compliance for HR professionals and want to offer it to your clients as a SCORM package. They upload the file into their LMS, and their employees complete the training directly in the system. If you need to update the module later, you send a new SCORM package that must be re-uploaded. This is a great solution for stable courses that don’t require frequent updates.

Want to know more about SCORM? Read our blog: “The Standard in E-Learning: What Is SCORM?”

SCORM for L&D Professionals

You’ve purchased a series of compliance training modules from an external provider. They supply these modules as SCORM packages, which you can easily upload into your organization’s LMS. Employees complete the modules within the LMS, and their progress is automatically tracked. You can monitor completion rates through reports, making SCORM ideal for standardized training programs that remain within your LMS.

SCORM vs. LTI: What’s the Difference?

While SCORM and LTI both help streamline e-learning, they work differently and have distinct advantages. Here’s an overview, highlighting specific considerations for course creators and L&D professionals.

1. Purpose

• For Course Creators:
  SCORM is perfect if you want to provide ready-made modules as packages that clients can use in their LMS. It offers a standardized way to share content. LTI, on the other hand, is ideal if you want to link your training live to a client’s LMS while maintaining full control over updates and features. LTI also simplifies managing licenses and syncing results across systems.
• For L&D Professionals:
  SCORM is great for standardized training, such as mandatory compliance modules, that runs locally in the LMS. LTI is a better option if you want to integrate various learning tools and platforms into your LMS, giving employees access to dynamic, up-to-date content without additional steps.

2. Technical Implementation

• For Course Creators:
  SCORM requires you to provide training as packages that clients manually upload into their LMS. This process is simple but less flexible. LTI works via web integrations, allowing you to make your training directly accessible without requiring clients to manage files.
• For L&D Professionals:
  With SCORM, you download and upload packages into the LMS—a straightforward process but cumbersome when dealing with frequent updates. LTI offers real-time integration through web links, letting you connect everything at once without managing separate files.

3. User Experience

• For Course Creators:
  LTI delivers a seamless experience for end-users. Participants access your training from the client’s LMS without realizing they’re using an external tool. With SCORM, everything stays within the client’s LMS, but you lose visibility into results.
• For L&D Professionals:
  LTI makes learning more accessible for employees by consolidating all tools and platforms within the same environment. SCORM is stable and easy to use but less flexible if you want to offer a broader range of learning opportunities.

4. Maintenance

• For Course Creators:
  With SCORM, every update requires delivering a new package to your clients, which can be time-consuming. With LTI, you manage the content in your own environment, and changes are instantly visible to your clients and yourself. This makes LTI much easier to maintain, especially for frequently updated content.
• For L&D Professionals:
  SCORM packages require manual updates in your LMS, which can be inefficient when managing multiple trainings. With LTI, you don’t need to re-upload files since updates are automatically applied through the external tool or provider.