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Basic LTI Tool Providers

About Learning Tools Interoperability

Basic Learning Tools Interoperability is an initiative managed by the IMS Global Learning Consortium to seamlessly integrate learning applications used by Instructors into their courses.

Instructors using external applications (such as virtual science experiments, interactive demos, or assessments) can specify URLs in their courses as links to Learning Tools. Learning Tool links can be customized by Instructors or Administrators to include personalized information and make the connection process easier for users.

Managing Basic LTI Tool Providers

Instructors can manage their Learning Tool links individually by including Provider-specified XML code when creating a URL in their course. For instructor information, see How to Create a Web Link to a Tool Provider.

For institutions with a number of Instructors using the same Tool Provider, or simply to assist Instructors in creating Learning Tool URLs, Administrators can manage Provider information.

How to Configure Basic LTI Tool Providers Global Settings

Follow these steps to manage the default settings for LTI Tool Providers.  These settings may be overridden on an individual basis when an Administrator sets up an individual Provider.

1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Building Blocks.
2. Click Basic LTI Tool Providers.
3. Click Manage Global Properties.
4. Under Feature Availability, select the default availability of Learning Tool links for Courses and Organizations. Making Learning Tool links unavailable requires Instructors to enter the links as standard URLs.
5. Under Feature Availability, select the Creation of Tool Provider Links preference.
• Allow links to any tool provider that isn't explicitly excluded permits users to add Learning Tool links to any Provider the Administrator has not specifically excluded in the Basic LTI Tool Providers management.
• Allow links to any tool provider, but require approval for each new provider allows users to add Learning Tool links to any Provider, but the links will not function until the Administrator has changed the Provider's status to Approved.
• Allow only links to approved tool providers will not allow users to add Learning Tool links unless the Provider has already been approved by the Administrator.
6. In the Default Configuration section, set options for user data and user acknowledgement. This will provide the system defaults for which information is sent to the Learning Tool, and for user notification and acknowledgement.
• Send User Data: Select Never, Send user data only over SSL, or Send user data over any connection. The default is to send data over any connection because secure information such as username and password are not sent.
• User Fields to Send: Choose which information will be provided to the Learning Tool when the user clicks the link. Any combination of Role in Course, Name, and Email Address can be selected.
• Send Context Identifiers As: Select Primary Key, or Batch UID. The default is to select primary key, which guarantees that no identifying information about the course or user is exchanged. Sending the Batch UID guarantees that even if the course or user is deleted and re-added, the same identifier is sent. However, the Batch UID may contain personal information such as a student ID number.
• Show User Acknowledgement Message: Choose whether a user acknowledgment message will display when the user clicks a Learning Tool link, such as a notification that the user is leaving Blackboard for an external site. Yes turns the message on, No turns it off.
• Message Text: Type the user acknowledgement message if one will be displayed.
7. Click Submit.

How to Add a New Basic LTI Tool Provider

New Tool Providers can be added using Register Provider Domain.

Follow these steps to add a new LTI Tool Provider.

1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Building Blocks.
2. Click Basic LTI Tool Providers.
3. Click Register Provider Domain.
4. Type the Provider Domain, such as http://www.example.com.
5. Select the Provider Domain Status - Approved or Excluded. Approved is the default. Choosing Excluded will prevent users from adding Tool Links to that Provider.
6. Optionally, enter any Secondary Hostnames for the Provider.  The Provider can supply this information.
7. Tool Providers can offer configuration for the entire site, or for each individual link.  If the Provider has allowed configuration for the entire site, select Set Globally and type the Tool Provider Key and Tool Provider Secret. Leaving the Default Configuration as Set separately for each link will require users to enter the Key and Secret when creating each link.
8. The Institution Policies section pulls preferences from the Global Settings configured above. Settings for the individual Provider can be managed here.  Any choices made for the individual Provider will override the institution's Global Settings.

How to Manage Provider Status

LTI Tool Providers are listed on the Basic LTI Tool Providers page along with their current status. There are three potential provider statuses:

• Needs Approval: If the Administrator has chosen Allow links to any tool provider, but require approval for each new provider in the Global Settings, new Tool Providers will appear in this status until they are approved by the Administrator.
• Approved: The Administrator has approved the Provider and Learning Tool links to that Provider will be active.
• Excluded: The Administrator has chosen to refuse links to this Tool Provider.

Follow these steps to change the status of or to delete a Tool Provider.

1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Building Blocks.
2. Click Basic LTI Tool Providers.
3. Select the box next to the name of the Tool Provider whose status will be changed.
4. Click Approve, Exclude, or Delete.