Content Import Options

There are three main types of content imports in SCORM Cloud: Upload, Fetch, and Reference. Choosing which to use is dependent on what you are trying to import, and where the content is located.

File Type to Import Type Map

If you have a particular file type you are trying to import, you can use the following cheat sheet to figure out which import types are applicable. Then look over the relevant sections below to figure out which one fits your use case.

Import Types

Overview

At a very basic level, the import types available should be used as follows:

• Upload - The content is a file on your computer
• Fetch - The content is available for download from a publicly available URL
• Reference - The content is not available for download, but can be found at a publicly available URL. e.g. YouTube or an LTI Tool via LTI 1.3

In all cases, the imported content will result in a new “course” being created in SCORM Cloud. This course is what will be used when sending your content to learners so that you can track their progress through your content.

Upload Imports

Upload imports send the content as part of the import request. The SCORM Cloud servers will save a copy of the content in SCORM Cloud. Upload imports are the standard way for importing content into SCORM Cloud. The other types solve edge cases that aren’t allowed through upload imports.

When Would I Use Upload Imports?

There are two primary use cases for using upload imports:

1. The content is stored on your file system
2. The binary file contents are available to you, i.e. you are passing requests to your system through to SCORM Cloud

If you are uploading fairly large content and your requests are timing out, it may be beneficial to use Fetch Imports instead.

Fetch Imports

Fetch imports retrieve content from a publicly accessible url. The SCORM Cloud servers will download the content from the url, and store it in SCORM Cloud. When a learner launches the course, the copy stored in SCORM Cloud will be loaded for the learner, allowing them to progress through their training. Changes to the data stored at the url will not have an effect once the content has been downloaded.

When Would I Use Fetch Imports?

There are two primary use cases for using fetch imports:

1. The content is hosted remotely on a publicly accessible file sharing service or content server
2. The content is fairly large and your upload import HTTP connections frequently time out before the data can be transferred

There are some exceptions to the “hosted remotely at a publicly accessible url” rule. If you are working with media files, e.g. YouTube or PDF files you would like to manage yourself, Reference Imports will be a better fit for your use case.

Reference Imports

Reference imports are the only type of import where the imported content is not hosted on SCORM Cloud. Instead, the content will be referenced at the time the learner launches the course. This means that the course must be publicly accessible, or the content will not be found. For example, a YouTube video cannot be set to private or the learner will not be able to view the video, and therefore unable to take the course.

Unlike the other types of import, the content will be completely managed external to SCORM Cloud. Any changes to the referenced content will be seen as a learner progresses through it. This is important to note if you wish to have the same experience for all of your learners.

When Would I Use Reference Imports?

Reference imports can be a great tool when using a third party to host and manage your content, but for most use cases either upload or fetch imports will be sufficient.