Field notes
Field Notes: SCORM hosting, xAPI and portfolio guides
Practical guides for instructional designers, by founder Jonathan Borgwing and the team. Guides voiced by illustrative personas are labelled.
22 articles · 5 topics
/01 Featured · Hosting SCORMHow to actually host a SCORM file. Without an LMS.Four real options, ranked by how much your client will hate each. With the SCORM-API gotchas no one warns you about.Jonathan BorgwingUpdated 14 min readRead
22 articles
Hosting SCORM
8 articles- /02Hosting SCORM · TutorialFree SCORM hosting that actually works in 2026.We ran the same heavy Storyline package through every free SCORM host we could find. Two failed silently. One broke localization. Here are the only two we’d send to a client.8 min read
- /04Hosting SCORM · TutorialHow to share a Storyline file with a client (the modern way).Zip emails are dead. Articulate Review is paywalled. Here’s how to send a Storyline package as a real, clickable link — including the SCORM API quirks that bite you.6 min read
- /09Hosting SCORM · Tutorialcmi.completion_status, demystified.The single SCORM API value that breaks more “Why is this not completing?” tickets than any other. What it means, how authoring tools set it, and the safe default.7 min read
- /12Hosting SCORM · TutorialSCORM in WordPress (no plugin).WordPress can’t run SCORM. Host the package, then embed it with a new-tab button or an iframe. No plugin needed; here are the gotchas that break it.7 min read
- /20Hosting SCORM · TutorialSCORM in Squarespace.Host the package, then launch it from a Button block or a Code block iframe. No plugins; here are the gotchas that break it.8 min read
- /21Hosting SCORM · TutorialSCORM in Wix.Wix can’t run a SCORM zip. Host the package, then launch it from a Wix button or HTML embed, minding the mobile-editor gotchas.9 min read
- /22Hosting SCORM · TutorialSCORM in plain HTML.One tag embeds a hosted SCORM module. Covers link vs iframe, HTTPS, CSP frame-ancestors and the build gotchas that blank your iframe.9 min read
xAPI
4 articles- /05xAPI · PrimerA practical xAPI hosting primer for non-engineers.What an LRS actually does, why your Captivate course “doesn’t work” when you self-host, and the cheapest path to a working xAPI pipeline for a freelance ID.18 min read
- /10xAPI · PrimerSCORM launch patterns and drop-off.Self-paced SCORM modules often show a common drop-off shape: an early cliff, a long flat middle, and another decision point near the end. Here’s how to design around it.13 min read
- /16xAPI · TutorialMixed media, one URL.Put SCORM, video, facilitator PDFs and your xAPI story behind one portfolio URL, labelled by job and fast on mobile.9 min read
- /18xAPI · PrimerxAPI vs SCORM.SCORM 1.2 vs 2004, cmi5, when an LRS earns its keep, and how to write the right standard into a proposal.10 min read
Portfolios
6 articles- /03Portfolios · Examples21 instructional designer portfolio examples we steal from.Real freelance instructional designer portfolios with screenshots, what they get right, what they fudge, and the one structural pattern every great portfolio shares.12 min read
- /06Portfolios · CareerResume vs portfolio: what hiring IDs actually look at.We reviewed common ID interview pipelines over time. The resume gets you the call. One specific shape of portfolio gets you the offer. Here’s that shape.9 min read
- /11Portfolios · TutorialSTAR case studies that don’t read like a job application.Situation. Task. Action. Result. The template every great ID portfolio uses — and the three filler phrases that ruin it.9 min read
- /14Portfolios · CareerWhat hiring managers want in an ID portfolio.A hiring manager’s view: the signals that pass the screen, the artifacts that prove you think, and the phrases that get you cut.8 min read
- /15Portfolios · TutorialPresenting outcomes and proof (even under NDA).Show NDA work, write outcomes that survive legal review, and pair quotes with metrics, without claiming ROI you can’t explain.10 min read
- /19Portfolios · CareerPortfolio Day recap.Lead with proof, ship one stable URL, host SCORM instead of screenshots, and write outcome-first case studies. Plus a one-week plan.10 min read
Freelancing
2 articles- /08Freelancing · TutorialHow to price your first freelance ID project.A real calculator — not “depends on the client.” Hourly floor, project ceiling, the discount you can quote without losing the deal, and the line where you walk away.11 min read
- /17Freelancing · TutorialA client pipeline from your portfolio.Put the URL everywhere, run small content loops, follow up with one targeted project, and track which work converts.10 min read
Tool reviews
2 articles- /07Tool reviews · ReviewThe best authoring tools for freelance IDs in 2026.Storyline vs Rise vs Captivate vs Camtasia vs iSpring. We built the same 90-second compliance module in each. Here’s what each one actually felt like.22 min read
- /13Tool reviews · ReviewReview 360 alternatives for ID portfolios.Review 360 alternatives for sharing finished work: stable URLs, in-browser SCORM, NDA-safe access and analytics, ranked on four criteria.8 min read
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