Pocket SCORM
Nigel H. Lin, Timothy K. Shih, Hui-huang
Hsu, Hsuan-Pu Chang, Han-Bin Chang and
Wen Chieh Ko
Tamkang University
L. J. Lin
Institute for Information Industry Education
& Training Division
Department of Computer Science and
Information Engineering
nigel@mail.tolpwise.com
Abstract
With advanced technologies, computer devices have
become smaller in size but still with powerful
computing ability. As a result, there are growing
amount of people start to take distance education
courses not only by using their PCs but also using
mobile devices such as Pocket PCs. Because Pocket
PCs are easy to carry, these devices are considered as
a proper platform for distance education. In this
paper, we focus on the issues of transferring the
current PC based Sharable Content Object Reference
Model (SCORM) to Pocket PC based. We will also
introduce the prototype version of Pocket SCORM
Run-Time Environment (RTE) which has been
developed in our lab. Proposed Pocket SCORM
Architecture is able to operate, even when the mobile
device is physically disconnected from the network,
without losing any students' learning record. Collected
records will then be sent back to Learning
Management System (LMS), runs at the sever side,
after the device is back on on-line.
Keywords: Pocket PC, PDA, SCORM, Distance
Education
1. Introduction
Because of the advantage in size, Pocket PC is easy
to be carried on hand or in the pocket. This advantage
makes it a suitable platform for distance education
because E-Learners can keep studying the course
materials while they are away from their desk. Without
the limitations of time and space, E-Learners can read
their learning materials while they are walking, taking
bus, and whenever they have leisure time to turn on
their Pocket PCs. Unlike laptop or desktop computers,
Pocket PC devices can boot up very fast so E-Learners
will be ready to learn once the device is on. This new
learning style provides some extra learning time for E-
Learners who live in this rushing world.
Although Pocket PC devices have been improved in
both computing power and memory storage, they are
still with lots of limitation compared with laptop or
desktop computers. Therefore, the platform running on
laptop or desktop computers can't be directly
transferred into Pocket PC devices. The following
points are some differences between the Pocket PC
devices and laptop or desktop computers.
• Connection Mechanism
Normally, E-Learners will be on-line when they are
using laptop or desktop computers. Since E-Learners
would stay at the same location longer when using
their laptop or desktop computers than using a Pocket
PC devices. As a result, they will be kept connected
with the LMS, which is running on the server, all the
time. This is different from Pocket PC devices because
these devices are designed to be portable. This means
E-Learners don't stay at the same location for a long
period of time. Pocket PCs are carried around to any
place where is sometimes without network coverage.
Therefore, we need to find out a new connection
mechanism which will allow E-Learners to continue
their learning even they are disconnected from the
internet.
• Courseware Import and Export
Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems Workshops (ICDCSW’04)
0-7695-2087-1/04 $20.00 © 2004 IEEE