| A Peek Into the Standard | | | | the LMS. The method differs between LMS |
| Many in the e-Learning industry know that | | | | systems, but typically goes like this: |
| “AICC” is not only a standard… but also | | | | (1) The CRS course file is located and parsed. |
| the committee that defines it. The AICC, Aviation | | | | (2) A definition or shell is created in the LMS |
| Industry Computer-based training (CBT) | | | | database for the course that’s listed in the |
| Committee, was formed in 1988 by aviation | | | | CRS file. Any required course properties are also |
| manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, and | | | | populated with values from the CRS file. |
| McDonnell-Douglas to standardize the delivery of | | | | (3) Similarly, course lessons are created in the |
| CBT at a time when multimedia training was | | | | LMS and the lesson properties are populated from |
| becoming increasingly popular. And over the | | | | the AU file. These lesson properties include the |
| years, AICC implementations have spread to | | | | path to the lesson file, the lesson’s passing |
| many other industries. | | | | grade, and so on. |
| AICC originally focused on local file-based | | | | It’s very important that the LMS system be |
| operations. But in 1998, it expanded to include an | | | | able to overwrite an existing AICC course. Then, |
| HTTP/web-based interface known as HACP | | | | whenever the course is updated, simply |
| (pronounced “hack-P,” and which stands | | | | re-installing it will deploy those changes on the |
| for HTTP-based AICC/CMI Protocol). Soon after, | | | | LMS. |
| the standard was again updated to include a | | | | AICC Strengths for Today |
| JavaScript run-time interface. And as a result, | | | | Perhaps the AICC standard’s strongest |
| AICC courses worked in the growing number of | | | | feature for today’s e-Learning applications is |
| e-Learning projects that operated across the web. | | | | its implementation of “Cross Domain Course |
| Today, HACP is the most common type of AICC | | | | Content.” This allows a course definition to |
| course in LMS e-Learning systems. | | | | exist on an LMS server, while the course content |
| Technically, AICC courses are defined using | | | | sits on a different (often remote) machine… |
| several files, which describe their content and | | | | even one located outside the LMS home network. |
| structure. The files are generally known by their | | | | This lets content providers keep their content on |
| file extensions: | | | | their servers, content that a remote LMS can |
| CRS—This file contains information about the | | | | call-up and display when students take the AICC |
| course as whole, such as its creator, title, | | | | course. |
| description, and total number of lessons. | | | | The AICC standard accomplishes this by using a |
| | | | signed Java applet. Signing is critical because the |
| AU—This file describes the course’s | | | | web domain the course is launched from (the |
| Assignable Units, which correspond to lessons in a | | | | domain of the LMS) usually differs from the |
| non-AICC course. This data includes the names of | | | | domain that the course content comes from. And |
| the files that launch the lessons, each lesson’s | | | | an unsigned Java applet would see this difference |
| mastery score, and the maximum time that | | | | as cross-site scripting, and reject it as a web |
| students are allowed to take and pass the | | | | attack. |
| lessons. This file includes a file_name item that is | | | | Here’s how Cross Domain Course Content |
| actually a URL. See AICC Strengths for Today | | | | works: |
| (below) for more about that. | | | | (1) When a student launches an AICC lesson, the |
| CST—This Course Structure file holds basic | | | | filename/URL in its AU file points to another |
| structural data, including a list of all AUs. And this | | | | internet (content) server. |
| list usually determines the order in which lessons | | | | (2) Call-back information is sent to that remote |
| are given to students. | | | | content server, so that it knows which LMS |
| DES—ThisDescriptor file contains information | | | | server needs to communicate with it during the |
| about all course elements. | | | | AICC course. |
| The AICC standard defines three additional file | | | | (3) The remote content server then attempts to |
| types, but they aren’t used as often as the | | | | open a communication channel back to the LMS |
| above. They are: Objectives Relationships (ORT), | | | | server that launched the lesson. |
| Prerequisites (PRE), and Completion Requirements | | | | (4) And once two-way communications are |
| (CMP). | | | | established, course content is can be pulled from |
| Installing an AICC Course | | | | the content provider’s location, through the |
| Before students can take an AICC course | | | | LMS server, to the student PC. |
| through an LMS, the course must be installed on | | | | |