Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) allows users to safely share data across multiple platforms. At Carleton, LTI is most often used between Moodle and outside applications, or tools, such as Gradescope, Panopto, Hypothes.is and LabArchives.
Recently, LTI has come out with a 1.3 version. LTI 1.3 keeps data, including personally identifiable information, safer than LTI 1.1, the version Carleton has relied on for many years. With safer data extensions and alignment with current industry standards, the transition to LTI 1.3 is necessary. LTI 1.3 also allows for the LTI Advantage package. This package includes three new features: Names and Role Provisioning Services, Deep Linking, and Assignment Grade Services.
Names and Role Provisioning
Some tools require a list of users during pre-activity set-up. The Names and Role Provisioning Services feature streamlines this process. It requests the data received upon launch by students—such as name, email, and role—thereby cutting down wait times. Faculty may also be able to see a display of student activity, including whether or not individual students have started an assigned exercise. Another useful feature is the ability for users to communicate without sharing specific contact information such as Carleton email addresses.
Deep Linking
Deep Linking, meanwhile, streamlines tool integration. Tool Providers show faculty a configuration page when an LTI tool link is added to a course. After selecting the desired activity or content from the Tool Provider, that activity or content is automatically configured and saved to Moodle, combining an originally two-step process into a one-step one. Deep Linking also makes external tools easier to add, as they will now appear the same as internal tools. Finally, it enables integration of playlists, tables of content, links and HTML content.
Assignment Grade Services
Finally, Assignment Grade Services allows for easier grade transfer between LTI tools and Moodle. This feature also alerts faculty to questions that require manual grading, and shows which students have started or finished assignments. Other services include the transfer of faculty or TA comments from the tool to Moodle, attempts allowed history and instructor override capabilities.
With the update to LTI version 1.3, faculty will have to reach out to an Academic Technology Moodle admin at at@carleton.edu to connect Moodle to LTI-enabled tools.