The Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative and its Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) offer the education and training community tremendous potential for content object reuse and concomitant cost savings. Of equal importance is the potential for SCORM to allow for leveraging relevant expertise from multiple sources. Achieving this potential has been an evolutionary process as more content and learning management systems (LMS) become SCORM conformant. Implementing Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1322.26 is the next step; as part of this instruction, DoD organizations will comply with SCORM, register content, and store content in repositories. The ADL Registry (ADL-R) allows users to search and discover information about reusable content, but it does not currently address the long-term sustainment of courseware. For example, if content is used by multiple sources, there must be a mechanism that alerts users to changes in that content to support long-term requirements. Without such notification and readily available updates, shared content may soon become outdated.

Since November 2005, the Distance Learning Division at the Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC) has taken an active role to solve these issues by developing the ADL Registry Client (ADL-RC) prototype application with support from the Joint ADL Co-Laboratory. The ADL-RC automates the long-term maintenance of learning objects within the SCORM environment. When a change to shared content is noted by the system, ADL Registry users running the ADL-RC are notified that the newer version of the learning content is available. Users are then given the option to download the new learning content. This tool ensures users can access the most current versions of the learning content they discover using the Registry.

This paper provides a baseline for organizations developing shareable, standardized, web-based learning content. It explains the ADL-RC and how it can provide the means to keep shared learning content both current and accurate.