How to import a SCORM file into Articulate Storyline?

Jul 05, 2016

Hi - I´m new to Articulate and trying to find out how to import content on SCORM format into Articulate storyline. I've received some learning material on that format and I've heard that I should be able to upload it to Articulate. Can anyone give me a step by step guide on how to do so?

Thanks in advance!

Kristín

62 Replies
Crystal Horn

Hi there, Kristín!  When you say you have content on SCORM format, is that something that is already published from another application?  And if so, is it hosted somewhere?  You can bring web objects into your Storyline presentation.

Alternatively, you can publish your Storyline course in the SCORM format for your LMS.

If I'm misunderstanding you, please pop back in and clarify a little!  And by the way, welcome to Storyline!  :)  Here are some resources to get you started...

Daphne Pyper

Hi Crystal - I actually have the same question as Kristin. My issues is we created a storyline, then published it to create a scorm file. We have uploaded it into our learning tool, however have lost the original storyline file. I am able to download the scorm file from our learning tool but want to know how to import it back into Articulate Storyline2 to create the storyline file.   This will give us the ability to edit and repost without having to re-create the course. ... Any ideas?

Robert Bers

Perhaps I can clarify what the Kristin is trying to accomplish here. Given the vast number of SCORM-generating authoring tools out there, it could be advantageous to be able to import the SCORM output of one tool into the content of another, prior to uploading the combined output to an LMS.

For example, you might find useful constructs in 'Authoring Tool X' that once generated to SCORM objects, could be inserted into a containing Storyline project before its output is then generated for publishing to an LMS.

Jana Menge

Hey there. I have a similar challenge. There is a huge amount of courses, designed in a different authoring tool. Now I would like to rework them. However, I only have access to the SCORM files. I`m wondering if there might be a workaround to at least get a quick start. For example: Is there a way to export a SCORM course into a PPT-file, I could then import into Storyline or continue to work on it using the Presenter? While I assume a lot of the interactions probably will break, it would already help a lot to have text and pictures (kind of) in place. Any ideas?

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Jana,

I haven't seen a method to do this yet - that would allow for editing once inside Storyline or Presenter. If you only need to showcase the previously created SCORM Content, you could look at embedding it as a web object. Keep in mind that you won't be able to edit or send tracking/reporting details on that standalone piece.

Joseph Stearns

We have this same issue and we came up with a couple of workarounds: 

If the SCORM package is a practice or quiz style, it can be simple to recreate it into a basic Storyline project by just

  1. Open the SCORM package inside of an LMS or display it somehow. 
  2. Use Storyline to record your clicks and entries as you move through the SCORM course. 
  3. Look at the final recording and make decisions on which slides can be kept as is (probably any hotspot slides can be easily edited) or which slides need to be redone (the recording is helpful here because you can use it as a basis for the design and elements). 

This is less helpful when your SCORM package has MP4s inside of it. If you record it using Storyline and all you want is for the same functionality and design BUT you want to export it as an xAPI file, then it can be helpful. But most likely, you will want to change the design. Nonetheless, to record yourself taking the SCORM course is a good starting point at least. 

Vincent Scoma

Hi Amy,

Welcome to the E-Learning Heroes Forum 🎉

I am happy to help with your question! 

After a course is Published, it creates a file that is intended for the environment it was published for. It can't be edited or reverse-engineered. To edit a published course, you'll need to have the original Storyline project file (*.story). 

Katie Riggio

Greetings, Eva!

Published courses can't be edited or reverse-engineered at this time. To edit or republish published content, you'll need to have the original Storyline .story files. 

Do you have access to the machine the developer used? Source files are local to the computer, so one idea is to run a search for *.story there. Fingers crossed.

Related Resource 📕

Girish Ramchandran

Hi team, i just got my license for Articulate and am exploring the tool. A co-worker previously created a training using Rise, the web version. This was then exported as a SCORM package and published to LMS. WHere can i find the .story file on RIse, so i can import it into Storyline and update?

Ren Gomez

Hi Girish,

Rise 360 is a web-based software where courses are edited and saved online, while Storyline 360 is downloaded to your computer, and you can save a .story file to your local drive similar to PowerPoint.

If you need to make edits to a Rise 360 course, your co-worker can send you a copy of the course using the steps outlined in the article below. I hope this helps!

Huws Gray Training

I don't know if anyone's still following this thread, but I wonder if someone can help?  I'm a newbie and can't understand why you wouldn't be able to import a SCORM zipped folder back into Storyline or Review 360.  How else would you be able to edit existing courses that have already been published to your LMS?  Am I missing something?