erienced professional in the e-learning industry, I have encountered various technologies and standards that aim to enhance online education. One such standard is SCORM 1.2, which stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model. This blog post will detail what SCORM 1.2 entails and how it operates.

We’ll investigate its characteristics, benefits, and impediments or difficulties. By the end of this article, you will understand why SCORM 1.2 remains relevant today despite being an older version of the standard and how it can help you create effective e-learning content that can be easily shared across different platforms without any issues or complications. So let’s get started!

Table of Contents:

Understanding Suspend Data in SCORM

Suspend data is an important element of the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) that allows learners to pause and resume their progress through an e-learning course. This information is stored within a learner’s learning management system (LMS), allowing them to pick up where they left off when returning to the same course or module. It also helps instructors track progress, as suspend data can provide insights into how much time was spent on each page, which activities were completed, and more.

However, some LMSs limit how much suspend data can be stored due to storage capacity issues within their database systems. As such, instructional designers must be aware of these limitations when creating courses to ensure that the content complies with SCORM standards. For example, SCORM 1.2 has a maximum length for its “suspend_data” string of 4096 characters; exceeding this limit could result in errors generated by the LMS or even cause it to crash altogether.

Fortunately, there are ways around this issue thanks to compression tools like those found in Articulate Storyline software packages. Compressing suspended data reduces file size and increases reliability since fewer errors will occur during transmission between client and server machines, mainly because fewer bytes are sent over networks at any given time. In addition, compressed suspending tends to use less memory than uncompressed suspending – meaning your courses won’t bog down your LMS’s performance either.

Another way instructional designers can avoid suspending data limits is by using bookmarks instead of storing all activity information directly in the database. Bookmarking allows users to save their place without having large amounts of unnecessary information clogging up your LMS’s resources, thus improving overall user experience while still providing instructors with valuable insight into learner behavior patterns via analytics reports, etc. Reducing multimedia assets used throughout your e-learning course will help minimize overall file size, and limiting quiz attempts per session also prevents excessive memory use.

Understanding Suspend Data in SCORM is an important part of any e-learning course, as it allows data to be stored and retrieved during a learner’s session. With this knowledge in mind, let us explore the limitations of suspending data within the SCORM 1.2 framework.


Key Takeaway: Suspend data is an important component of SCORM. However, some LMSs may have limitations due to storage capacity. To avoid this issue, instructional designers can use compression tools and bookmarks instead of storing activity information in the database directly. Reducing multimedia assets used throughout a course and limiting quiz attempts per session will help minimize overall file size.

SCORM 1.2 Suspend Data Limitations

SCORM 1.2 suspend data limitations can be a major obstacle when creating self-paced or instructor-led courses, micro-learning modules, employee onboarding, and soft skills training programs. The maximum length of the “suspend_data” string in SCORM 1.2 is 4096 bytes which may not be enough to store all the progress information from your learners’ activities within an LMS database system. This limit could result in unexpected errors during resuming features such as bookmarking or quiz attempts if exceeded.

It’s important for instructional designers and learning and development professionals to understand how much data their course will require before attempting to save it in an LMS database system. To help with this issue, Articulate Storyline offers compression options for suspending data that allow you to reduce the memory needed by up to 50%.

This means that even if you exceed the 4096-byte limit set by SCORM 1.2, you can still use compression techniques so that your learners’ progress information will be saved properly without any issues arising due to exceeding storage capacity within your LMS database system.

Bookmarking effectively manages learner progress information when dealing with large multimedia assets, such as videos and audio clips. This technique offers more flexibility than suspending data due to the absence of file size restrictions and provides a better understanding of the detailed activity.

To use bookmarking, instructional designers must put in extra effort during course development; however, this will pay off by drastically reducing overall course size through compression or replacing suspended elements like quizzes altogether with bookmarks. Keywords: Bookmarking, Flexibility, Detailed Activity, Compression

SCORM 1.2 Suspend Data Limitations can be challenging to work around, but with the use of Storyline Compression techniques, these limitations become more manageable. By compressing suspending data within Articulate Storyline projects, we can unlock a new level of control and flexibility in our learning scenarios.
Key Takeaway: Using compression techniques and bookmarking, instructional designers can significantly reduce the data needed for self-paced or instructor-led courses and other learning programs. This allows them to bypass SCORM 1.2’s 4096-byte suspend data limit without any issues arising from exceeding storage capacity within their LMS database system. Bookmarking offers more flexibility than suspending data due to its lack of file size restrictions, providing a clearer understanding of the detailed activity.

Overcoming Suspended Data Limits with Storyline Compression

Articulate Storyline offers a unique solution to the limitations imposed by earlier versions of SCORM. Its compression feature allows suspended data strings to be stored in an LMS database system without any restrictions or issues due to size. This makes Articulate Storyline an ideal choice for those requiring a tool that can accommodate the storage of substantial amounts of data within their courses.

How does compression work? Articulate Storyline takes the suspended data string and compresses it into a smaller package before storing it in your Learning Management System’s database. This reduces the overall size while maintaining compatibility with most Learning Management Systems, allowing you to use more content without worrying about exceeding storage capacity limits set by your LMS provider.

The benefits of using compressed suspending over uncompressed suspending are numerous; this method is more efficient and eliminates potential issues caused by exceeding storage capacities within your LMS database system. Additionally, since the suspended data strings are compressed, they take up less space on disk, which means faster loading times and smoother course navigation when users access them from their device or browser window. Since the suspended data strings are already compressed, no additional processing power is needed to access them, thus saving time and money.

Overall, using Articulate Storyline’s compression feature effectively manages suspended data limits to ensure the smooth functioning of e-learning courses without running into any unexpected problems. It provides a reliable solution that helps make sure learners have uninterrupted access to their learning material regardless of what type or how much content is being used at any given moment, making it perfect for instructional designers and learning & development professionals alike.

Using compression techniques in Articulate Storyline, we can overcome the suspended data limits and create immersive learning experiences. An alternative to suspending data is bookmarking, which offers its advantages; let’s look at how it can be implemented into an e-learning course.


Key Takeaway: Articulate Storyline’s compression feature enables users to store large amounts of suspended data without worrying about exceeding storage limits set by the LMS, making it a reliable solution for instructional designers and learning & development professionals. It is an efficient way to ‘make hay while the sun shines’ when dealing with suspended data strings, as they are compressed into smaller packages before being stored in databases, eliminating potential issues and saving time and money.

Using Bookmarks Instead Of Suspend Data

Bookmarks are a great way to save progress in e-learning courses, and they offer several advantages over suspended data. Suspend data is stored as a single string within the SCORM package, which the maximum length of that string can limit. This can cause issues storing more complex interactions, such as quiz results or simulations. Bookmarking allows more information to be stored without worrying about exceeding limits.

Using bookmarks also offers an advantage over suspending data when it comes to resuming content after being interrupted. When using bookmarking, users will return exactly where they left off instead of restarting from the beginning, like with suspended data. Learners needing extra time or returning later can benefit from bookmarking as it allows them to resume content precisely where they left off, unlike suspending data which necessitates restarting the whole process.

Enabling bookmarking in your course is a breeze if you’re using Articulate Storyline 2 or 3 software; all you have to do is tick the “Allow Resume Using Bookmark” box in each slide properties window before publishing your course as SCORM 1.2/2004 edition packages (which both support bookmarking). Doing so will ensure that every interaction and response is saved, allowing learners to pick up right where they left off upon re-entering their course session at any given time without starting from square one – making it much more convenient for them.

Keywords: Enable, Tick, Allow Resume Using Bookmark, Publish Course, Interaction and Response Saved, Re-enter Course Session.

Using bookmarks instead of suspending data, we can reduce the size of our e-learning courses and limit quiz attempts to prevent excessive memory use. To further optimize your course’s performance, best practices for managing to suspend data should be considered.


Key Takeaway: Bookmarking is a handy tool to store one’s advancement in online courses, enabling users to pick up where they left off when revisiting later quickly. Enabling bookmarking within your course is as easy as ticking the ‘Allow Resume Using Bookmark’ box before publishing it – letting learners hit the ground running without starting from scratch.

Best Practices for Managing Suspend Data

When it comes to managing to suspend data in an e-learning course, instructional designers should be aware of the limits placed upon how much data can be stored within their LMS database system. To ensure that these limitations do not hinder courses, there are some best practices that instructional designers can use to maximize efficiency and optimize performance.

One way to reduce the amount of suspended data is by minimizing multimedia assets such as audio and video files. These assets often take up a large portion of memory space, so reducing them will help keep overall course size down. Limiting quiz attempts also helps conserve memory since each attempt requires more storage than simply viewing content or completing activities without assessment components.

Utilizing bookmarking instead of suspending the entire course state when learners exit the course is a great way to manage suspended data effectively. This allows users to jump right back into where they left off, thus saving time and effort on both learner and instructor sides while freeing up memory resources from being unnecessarily used for storing information about progress. Keywords: Active Voice, Idioms, Colloquialisms, Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation

By compressing Storyline files with compressed suspending, learners can still enjoy tailored experiences while helping to reduce the storage strain on an LMS’s limited capacity environment. This efficient technique packs multiple pieces of information into one small piece of code, significantly shrinking file sizes and ensuring courses run smoothly without sacrificing engagement. It’s a win-win for everyone. Keywords: Active Voice, Idioms, Colloquialisms, Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation


Key Takeaway: By compressing Storyline files with compressed suspending, instructional designers can maximize efficiency and optimize performance while providing tailored experiences for learners. This efficient technique packs multiple pieces of information into one small piece of code, significantly shrinking file sizes and freeing up memory resources to ensure courses run smoothly without sacrificing engagement – a win-win situation.

FAQs in Relation to Suspend Data Scorm

What is the difference between SCORM 1.2 and 2004 suspend data?

SCORM 2004 suspend data provides more detailed information about the learners’ progress and allows for greater customization to meet specific learning objectives. It also supports tracking multiple attempts at activities within courses, allowing instructors to measure performance over time.

What is suspended data in LMS?

Suspend data, a part of LMS, allows learners to save their advancement in an online course. This feature allows learners to resume their course from the same spot they left off, regardless of how long ago that was, with scores and completion status also stored for administrators’ tracking purposes. Suspend data also stores information such as scores and completion status which helps administrators track user progress and performance.

What is the suspended data limit for SCORM 2004?

The SCORM 2004 standard defines a suspended data limit of 64,000 characters. This character limit is enforced by the Learning Management System (LMS) to ensure that learners’ progress is not lost when they switch between learning activities. Suspend data includes information such as the learner’s current score, bookmarking status, and other preferences related to their learning experience. It also enables learners to resume where they left off if an activity or course needs to be interrupted.

What is the maximum suspend data size?

The maximum suspension data size for the no-code platform to produce immersive 3D experiential learning scenarios is 10MB. This ensures learners have a smooth and uninterrupted experience while accessing content, even using slower internet connections. The platform can also compress big files, decreasing the data that must be retained for optimal performance.

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Conclusion

It is essential to understand the limitations of suspending data in SCORM 1.2 and how compression can overcome these limits, as well as utilizing bookmarks instead of suspending data where possible. By following best practices for suspending data, such as compressing Storyline files, using bookmarks when appropriate, and keeping an eye on file size, instructional designers can ensure that their courses are optimized with respect to Storm’s suspend data feature.

Discover how LearnBrite‘s innovative platform can help you create immersive 3D experiential learning scenarios with SCORM-compliant data suspension and take your courses to the next level. Leverage our no-code solution today for self-paced or instructor-led courses, microlearning modules, employee onboarding, and more! 

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