Although it is a DoD program, ADL serves the entire US federal government, operates a global partnership network including international defense ministries and US-based academic partners, and collaborates closely with industry and academia.
Notable ADL contributions to distributed learning include the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM), Experience API (xAPI), and the DoD Instruction 1322.26.
By the mid-1990s, DoD realized the need for a more coordinated approach, and the 1996 Quadrennial Defense Review[1] formalized this by directing development of a department-wide strategy for modernizing technology-based education and training.
Thus, following guidance from Congress, OSTP, and the National Partnership for Reinventing Government, the DoD ADL Initiative was grown into a Federal-wide program.
[12] SCORM, which integrates a set of related technical standards, specifications, and guidelines designed to meet high-level requirements—accessible, reusable, interoperable, and durable content and systems is arguably one of ADL's most well known projects.
Rustici Software conducted numerous interviews with the e-learning community to determine where improvements needed to be made and developed the research version of the Experience API specification as a result.
This enables nearly dynamic tracking of activities from any platform or software system—from traditional LMSs to mobile devices, simulations, wearables, physical beacons, and more.