IMS Content Packaging

IMS Content Packaging is a specification from the IMS Global Learning Consortium that defines a standard way to bundle and exchange digital learning content between different learning management systems and educational platforms. A content package consists of a manifest file (imsmanifest.xml) that describes the content's structure, metadata, and resource files, packaged together in a ZIP archive. The specification enables interoperability — course content created in one LMS can be exported and imported into another without losing structure or relationships. For accessibility, IMS Content Packaging is significant because it can include AccessForAll metadata (Digital Resource Descriptions) alongside content, ensuring that when adapted accessible content is shared between systems, the accessibility adaptations and their associations with original resources are preserved. This means that accessible content created by one instructor can be distributed and reused across institutions without losing the accessibility features.