The new Storyline 2 feature of the iOS player for mobile devices utilizes the TinCan API for tracking – no longer tracks SCORM pubbed content as it did in the Storyline 1 player. Realizing the only other format is HTML5, of course, it is not efficient enough since it is not compatible with all browsers.
I was wondering if anyone has a workable solution or best practice to this if their LMS is not configured to track the TinCan API yet.
Thanks for the info, Phil. Please clarify though since in SL1, it always tracked on iOS devices (iPad) yet it doesn't in SL2 despite the Articulate Mobile Player feature selected.
Could it be another issue by chance if it's not tracking. It used to track when that same feature was selected in SL1 in our same LMS??
Check out this documentation on tracking users on mobile devices. There is a lot of other helpful information related to mobile device publishing as well.
I'm deducing it tracked on the iPads in the past since we had always checked HTML5 (therefore AMP is irrelevant) and Safari was utilized. IE utilized Flash which is the default.
Seems (according to Leslie's helpful documentation) Google Chrome is the only one that is best compatible with HTML5 on PC, and IE tracks via Flash in the browser. Let me know if this sound about right to you.
If you do want to use the mobile app and Tin Can and your LMS can't launch Tin Can content, you can also use SCORM Cloud dispatch. You add your content to SCORM Cloud and then use a simple SCO package in your LMS to launch the content. You then get basic SCORM data tracked to your LMS and all your Tin Can data in SCORM Cloud.
Alternatively, ask your LMS vendor to add Tin Can support. The number of adopters is growing each week. Which LMS are you using?
Thanks, Andrew. Our LMS vendor is now in the process of adding Tin Can support. Once they fully support it - as a developer... will the statements automatically propagate internally within the Tin Can component or is there action on the developer's end that must occur? If so, can you recommend tutorials?
I'm not sure I completely understand the question, but will try to reply anyway!
It really depends on what Tin Can functionality your LMS vendor is adding. Let's assume they are doing the equivalent of installing SCORM Engine which is a content player and LRS. In that case, you could just re-publish your Storyline content with the Tin Can setting chosen and the tracking would work in the same way it does for SCORM.
As far as re-publishing Storyline content... your input led me to publishing a test course which generated a "tincan.xml" file like a SCORM pub would generate an "imanifest.xml" for tracking. I attached a screenshot of the SL2 pub panel. Since the Tin Can is a separate publishing feature, does this mean that it would necessitate 2 publishes of that one course (one is SCORM and one in TinCan) to make sure the course gets properly tracked on all platforms - which means there would be actually 2 instances of the same course in our LMS.
The articulate team may be able to tell you differently, but if you wanted to use both SCORM and Tin Can then I believe that's the case as you describe, yes.
I believe that it's possible to use the Tin Can version on desktop too though, so in fact you could just have one Tin Can course.
Thanks. I'll test that out. I'm just concerned how secure publishing fully to TinCan only is. I guess that's a requirement that will need to be addressed with any LMS vendor.
Absolutely. Tin Can has the capability to be anywhere from a lot more secure to a little bit less secure than SCORM depending on how its implemented by your vendor.
Even if Tin Can is implemented in an insecure way though, I'm not sure that having the desktop version use SCORM would be any more secure; presumably an attacker would always choose the least secure option.
Is there a fix for the Storyline 2 U7 player issue wherein the course content doesn't ever launch in the player. All it does is keeps prompting user to go to the app store and download the player even though it is already downloaded already on the iPad? This happens on iOS9.2
Apple made some changes to the way apps launch in iOS 9. As a result, your Articulate Storyline 2 content may not launch in the Articulate Mobile Player (AMP) as you'd expect.
The launch page for your course will open in Safari, but then you'll be prompted to install AMP as shown below—even if it's already installed.
To support the changes in iOS 9, we released Update 7 for Storyline 2. See the following sections for details:
24 Replies
The AMP has only ever tracked via TinCan even in SL1 I am sorry to say. The only other solution is to use the HTML5 and scorm
Thanks for the info, Phil. Please clarify though since in SL1, it always tracked on iOS devices (iPad) yet it doesn't in SL2 despite the Articulate Mobile Player feature selected.
Could it be another issue by chance if it's not tracking. It used to track when that same feature was selected in SL1 in our same LMS??
P.S.
I know for a fact that our LMS was never set up for TinCan API as well.
Hi Gem!
Check out this documentation on tracking users on mobile devices. There is a lot of other helpful information related to mobile device publishing as well.
Hi Gem, you must have a lucky LMS, as far as I am aware the tracking has not changed at all in the AMP, for SL1, 2 and presenter it is the same AMP
Leslie,
Thanks for the documentation since there are so many variables involved! :)
This will be of great help.
No problem Gem :)
Thanks Phil!
I'm deducing it tracked on the iPads in the past since we had always checked HTML5 (therefore AMP is irrelevant) and Safari was utilized. IE utilized Flash which is the default.
Seems (according to Leslie's helpful documentation) Google Chrome is the only one that is best compatible with HTML5 on PC, and IE tracks via Flash in the browser. Let me know if this sound about right to you.
Hi Gem,
Yes, if you're needing to access the HTML5 version on your desktop, Google Chrome will be your best bet on a PC, and on a Mac Safari or Chrome.
Best of luck with your project!
Thanks so much to you all! I learned a lot more today! :)
I would use flash on PC if you can and Chrome has its own version of flash installed so likely will play the flash version anyway.
I would also go for chrome on the Mac as it has =better HTML5 performance
Awesome info! Thanks again. :)
If you do want to use the mobile app and Tin Can and your LMS can't launch Tin Can content, you can also use SCORM Cloud dispatch. You add your content to SCORM Cloud and then use a simple SCO package in your LMS to launch the content. You then get basic SCORM data tracked to your LMS and all your Tin Can data in SCORM Cloud.
Alternatively, ask your LMS vendor to add Tin Can support. The number of adopters is growing each week. Which LMS are you using?
Thanks, Andrew. Our LMS vendor is now in the process of adding Tin Can support. Once they fully support it - as a developer... will the statements automatically propagate internally within the Tin Can component or is there action on the developer's end that must occur? If so, can you recommend tutorials?
I'm not sure I completely understand the question, but will try to reply anyway!
It really depends on what Tin Can functionality your LMS vendor is adding. Let's assume they are doing the equivalent of installing SCORM Engine which is a content player and LRS. In that case, you could just re-publish your Storyline content with the Tin Can setting chosen and the tracking would work in the same way it does for SCORM.
As far as re-publishing Storyline content... your input led me to publishing a test course which generated a "tincan.xml" file like a SCORM pub would generate an "imanifest.xml" for tracking. I attached a screenshot of the SL2 pub panel. Since the Tin Can is a separate publishing feature, does this mean that it would necessitate 2 publishes of that one course (one is SCORM and one in TinCan) to make sure the course gets properly tracked on all platforms - which means there would be actually 2 instances of the same course in our LMS.
The articulate team may be able to tell you differently, but if you wanted to use both SCORM and Tin Can then I believe that's the case as you describe, yes.
I believe that it's possible to use the Tin Can version on desktop too though, so in fact you could just have one Tin Can course.
Thanks. I'll test that out. I'm just concerned how secure publishing fully to TinCan only is. I guess that's a requirement that will need to be addressed with any LMS vendor.
Absolutely. Tin Can has the capability to be anywhere from a lot more secure to a little bit less secure than SCORM depending on how its implemented by your vendor.
Even if Tin Can is implemented in an insecure way though, I'm not sure that having the desktop version use SCORM would be any more secure; presumably an attacker would always choose the least secure option.
See this stack overflow question for more on Tin Can and security: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/28294492/securing-tincan-course-agains-replay-fraudulent-statements
Great article and feedback! Thanks again.
Glad Andrew was able to assist you here Gem :)
And so promptly so that's cool!
Is there a fix for the Storyline 2 U7 player issue wherein the course content doesn't ever launch in the player. All it does is keeps prompting user to go to the app store and download the player even though it is already downloaded already on the iPad? This happens on iOS9.2
Hi Gem,
Apple made some changes to the way apps launch in iOS 9. As a result, your Articulate Storyline 2 content may not launch in the Articulate Mobile Player (AMP) as you'd expect.
The launch page for your course will open in Safari, but then you'll be prompted to install AMP as shown below—even if it's already installed.
To support the changes in iOS 9, we released Update 7 for Storyline 2. See the following sections for details:
This discussion is closed. You can start a new discussion or contact Articulate Support.