Best practice to integrate UPK modes in a separate eLearning module? Specifically Lectora

Question

I have several elearning modules to develop. For richness of content (and standards in my firm) these will be built either in Lectora or in Flash. I'd like to include some process simulations in those modules.
If I use UPK to generate the simulations how do I "include" them in my elearning?
An earlier thread confirmed that you cannot generate a simulation as an SWF or similar that is easy to embed. So my current understanding is the approach needs to be:
- generate all the required UPK simulations and publish as their own SCORM/LMS module (we use iLearn+ so that shouldn't be hard)
- generate the separate elearning module and link (somehow) to the required simulation in the UPK LMS publication
If anyone's done this, or knows a better way, I'd love to know. Because I cannot find anything to explain the process. And in particular:
- how to link to a specific simulation mode (ie I want a user to click a link and immediately run the "try it" for process X, not wade through a menu of options to pick the one to run)
- how to return/exit once a simulation is completed (again, want the user to just finish and return to the main elearning module, not click through other screens, close windows, etc)
- how to pass progress/tracking back to the elearning (for example I want to know if they completed a "try it", but need to know the score if they completed a "know it").
Thanks.

Answer 1

The ideal way is to publish the Topics in SCORM format, then import them into your SCORM-compliant LMS and package them al up nicely. If you're not using a SCORM-compliant LMS you are in more trouble. You may be able to import a UPK LMS package into Lectora but I've never tried it.
If you just want to be able to open up a specific Topic in a specific mode, then use kp.html to get the link to a Topic, and then use this as as a Hyperlink in your training content. If you use the CLOSE parameter then once the Topic has completed the window will close and the user will be passed back to the thing the Topic was called from (i.e the hyperlink they clicked on). I've used this with Articulated PowerPoint, and set the slide to auto-advance once the user clicks on the Hyperlink, so when they return they see the NEXT slide.
e.g. http://{website}/PlayerPackage/dhtml_kp.html?guid={Document ID}&Mode={mode}&Close
where {website} is your web server, {DocumentID} is the UPK 32-character ID of the Topic, and {mode} is T for Try it, K for Know It, and so on. But get it from kp.html rather than hand-building it yourself.
Of course you need to publish to a web server (as well as whatever you are doing in Lectora / LMS) for this to work...
If you need to return a score, you need to use SCORM.