LTI Integration

in progress

Basics

Overview

Learning Tools Interoperability is a specification developed by IMS Global Learning Consortium. The principal concept of LTI is to establish a standard way of integrating rich learning applications (often remotely hosted and provided through third-party services) with platforms like learning management systems, portals, learning object repositories, or other educational environments. In LTI these learning applications are called Tools (delivered by Tool Providers) and the LMS, or platforms, are called Tool Consumers.

Launch integration

A user logged into a configured LTI consumer can now seamlessly launch and login to a Mediathread course via an embedded module or LMS sidebar link. The user's existing Mediathead account will be looked up via e-mail address. Or, if the user is new to Mediathread, an LMS-specific account will be created via an auto-generated username (based on a hashed LTI consumer key and username). The user will be placed into a Mediathread course based on a configured parameter passed by the LTI consumer.

Extended integration

In the Canvas platform, Mediathread also supports editor button integration to allow item and selection embedding in assignments and discussions.

Secrets

The LMS Consumer authenticates to Mediathread via a shared consumer key and secret. To configure a specific key and secret for your installation:

1. Generate a Consumer Key and Secret. You can enter any combination of letters, numbers or symbols for either of these fields. Note: It's a good idea to choose a distinguishing name for the Consumer Key if you plan on having multiple Consumer Keys.

2. In the local_settings.py or deploy_specific/settings.py, configure the keys and secret.

PYLTI_CONFIG = {
    'consumers': {
        '_consumer_key_': {
            'secret': '_secret_key_'
        }
    }
}

The Course

• Create your Mediathread course via the /admin/ console. See README
• Note the course group name.

Configuring Your LMS

Blackboard

coming soon

Canvas

1. Login and navigate to your Canvas course.
2. Click the Settings link on the left-hand sidebar.
3. Click the Apps tab
4. Click Add App
5. In the Add App Dialog

• Choose Configuration By Url
• Name: Mediathread
• Add your generated consumer key and secret
• Config Url: your mediathread domain/lti/config.xml
• Submit

6. Edit the Mediathread App

• Find your course's group name via the Mediathread /admin/ console. In the Custom fields area, enter the following. One custom field per line. course_group=the course group name
custom_landing_page=True
• Click submit

Mediathread will now be available on the left-hand sidebar. And, a Mediathread icon will display in the Canvas composition editor for discussions, assignments and assignment responses. Items and selections can be embedded in any written material

EdX

1. Login to EdX and access your course.
2. In the top menu, click Settings > Advanced Settings
3. In the Advanced Module List, verify or add: "lti" to the array
4. In the LTI Passports section, add: "lti_mediathread:_consumer_key:_secret_key",
5. Return to the main course page.
6. In a existing or new unit, choose to add a new component > advanced > LTI.
7. Click Edit and configure the Mediathread interaction.

• Button Name: Launch
• Add Custom Parameter: course_group=the_course_group_name
• Display Name: Mediathread
• LTI ID: lti_mediathread
• Open In New Page: True
• LTI URL: http://yourmediathreaddomain/lti/
• Save

The Mediathread component should now be configured. When you click Launch, EdX will launch Mediathread in a new tab, log the user in and navigate them to their course.

Moodle

coming soon

Architecture & Implementation

The Mediathread LTI provider implementation relies on the PyLTI library, a python implementation of the LTI library. The lti interaction is a Django port of the MIT LTI Flask Sample.

Authentication

Launch

Issues, Notes, ToDo

• Verify interaction via HTTPS
• Remove courseaffils dependencies (By 12/2015)
• Auto-course creation