Massimo thanks and relief for articulating much better than I could what my gut has told me since encountering this unwieldy stuff . ( the old saw about programmers need crap detector to avoid dead ends applies!) hence quick and dirty attempt outlined above. I have been working on pure python/ web2py ideas as well.( a temp tables and pickles approach ) think I will avoid SCORM if poss :-)
BTW your suggestion outlined very early in LMS thread has been very heuristic, an excellent paradigm. (As I have interpreted it - independent tables for students,instructors,material,assessment mashed up into 'container' which is a course 'instance'. Very flexible.Seems applicable in many contexts.
