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sapphiregraphics1
sapphiregraphics1
Known Participant
February 11, 2014
Question

Tips to optimize your SCORM 1.2 file for slow networks?

  • February 11, 2014
  • 1 reply
  • 3477 views

Do you have any tips for working with slow networks? Specifically, on ways to optimize the SCORM 1.2 file itself, because I have no control over their LMS or network. My client has a SAP LMS (SCORM 1.2) in based Europe, but they're running the eLearning courses here. Obviously, things are going to be slow due to the trip across the ocean, but the jerky playback makes the SCORM files very hard to use.

A few thoughts I've had:

-Is there some way to pre-load the Captivate course to the user's computer, so they wait at the beginning, but then isn't jerky once it actually starts? (Some video players do this type of thing. You pause the video and wait for it to load, then you can keep playing.)

-Are there any settings that reduce traffic with the LMS in a way that would speed up the playback? (Even at the cost of some reporting detail.)

-Any other ideas/tips on what to try?

Thanks!

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

RodWard
Community Expert
RodWardCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 11, 2014

How big is the published content (in megabytes) and how long does it run for (in minutes)?

sapphiregraphics1
sapphiregraphics1Author
Known Participant
February 11, 2014

Right now I'm trying a smaller subset of the main file. It's 10 MB, and runs for less than 10 minutes. I imagine this problem will only get worse when I switch to the full version (50MB, 1 hour approx in length).

RodWard
Community Expert
RodWardCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 12, 2014

So the missing bit of information for you here is: What actual bandwidth do my end user's have?

If you have a 10 megabyte file and you want it completely downloaded to the end user's PC before it begins to play back, how many seconds will it take them to completely download a 10 meg file on their specific PC at their specific bandwidth? (Remember that the size of the pipe that comes into their company is irrelevant.  It's how much of that pipe that they will individually be allowed to use that matters.)

You need to find this out by testing prototypes with actual end users.

If you break your content up into seperate SCO modules and bundle them with the Multi-SCORM Packaging tool, then the user only ever downloads one module at a time anyway as they access each module, not the entire course.  So breaking your content up into multi-SCO makes a lot more sense than trying to build your course as a huge monolithic project.

You can tweak some of the Captivate SCORM settings to reduce load on your LMS.  Things like using the SendTrackingDataAtEnd template, and turning off reporting of Interaction Data can significantly lessen load on the poor LMS.

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