Relayed Modules – Sponge Support

External LMS requirements
Setting up a Remote System
Setting up a Relayed module
Downloading your Relayed module
Testing a Relayed module
Related links

Spark allows you to relay modules from the LMS to an external LMS system. If you want to take advantage of Spark's detailed reporting features but there is a requirement for the module to be located on and accessed from a separate LMS system, the relay functionality can achieve this.

Setting up a relay in Spark involves setting up an external SCORM LMS and your relayed module in the Remote Systems, and Relayed Modules sections respectively.

External LMS requirements

In order for your relayed module to work, the external LMS environment where your relay package will be imported must pass first name and last name data for the learner as a minimum requirement in the following format: '"last name", "first name"'. Data such as email addresses or other unique identifiers such as user ID will not be required but may be included.

The relayed module package must also be uploaded as a new SCORM learning object on the external LMS system as Spark relaying currently only supports SCORM to SCORM connection.

Setting up a Remote System

Select "Remote systems" in the Settings tab.

You will be taken to a page that allows you to access configuration options for DocuSign, SCORM LMS, and TokBox. Click on the "Configure" button in the SCORM LMS box.

If this is the first time that an external SCORM LMS has been configured in the Remote systems are then you will see a basic screen with a "Create external SCORM LMS" button. Select this.

Note: If an external SCORM LMS has been set up previously then you will see a list of your LMSs as well as the option to create a new external SCORM LMS. You can use this list to edit your existing set ups.

On the following screen you can set up your external LMS instance by adding a Name; this would usually be the name of the client or project that you are working with, and a Hostname. You can also choose to hide the close button when viewing the relayed module and assign the external SCORM LMS to a specific organisational unit.

Note: Your external SCORM LMS must include a name. If the external SCORM LMS is assigned to a specific organisational unit it will only be visible at the organisation level you select.

Select "Create external SCORM LMS" and your external LMS will now be ready to be assigned when you set a relayed module.

Setting up a Relayed module

Once your Remote System has been set up you can now focus on creating your relayed module. Select Relayed Modules under the Activity tab.

You can relay modules that already exist in Spark, or upload a new module to the system and apply a relay to it. If this is the first time a relayed module has been set up then you should see a button titled "Create relayed module".

Note: If you have created a module relay previously then this page will display a list of your relayed modules. The *Your relayed module* list section in this article does in to more detail.

Selecting this button will enable you to access and assign four settings required when creating a relayed module.

Enabled? - This option allows you to enable or disable the module relay.

SCORM module - You can use this drop down menu to select the module that you wish to relay to an external system. The module will need to have already be created, a SCORM package uploaded, and be present on Spark in order for it to be available for selection.

Remote system - You can use this sub-menu to select the remote system that you created in previous steps to assign to your relayed module. Only after you have completed the steps for setting up a remote system will it be available to select from this list.

Organisational unit - Use this setting if you need to limit visibility of this relayed module to a specific organisational unit.

When you are ready, select the "Create relayed module" button to run the publish process and prepare the relay stub package for download.

Note: Spark currently only allows modules published to the SCORM specification to be relayed. Any non-SCORM modules (e.g. courses published to TinCan) will not appear on the SCORM module drop down list for selection.

Downloading your relayed module

Once Spark has created your relayed module, you will be taken to a page that provides details and some additional options for your relay separated in to three tabbed sections.

Used by tab

Select the "Download relayed module" button to jump to the Download tab and access the relay stub zip file. The "Edit its details" button will take you back to the settings page for your relay.

Download tab

Selecting the Download tab directly will also allow you to download your relayed module. Click on the "*module name*.relay.zip" button to start the download of the SCORM 1.2 zip package on to your computer.

Details tab

The Details tab will take you directly to settings for your relayed module.

Testing a relayed module

At this stage your relayed module package is ready, but it is important that the relay is tested on the external LMS to ensure it can be successfully imported and is tracking as expected on both the that system and Spark.

A service like SCORM Cloud is also a good environment to test your relay in if you don't have immediate access to the external LMS. A link to SCORM Cloud is available below in the Related links section.