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Gift Lti Integration 2024-1

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On this page we discuss how GIFT integrates with external learning tools using Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI).
GIFT can be used as an LTI Tool Consumer or an LTI Tool Provider.

An LTI Tool Consumer is one that requests an external source for access to their learning tools and then displays it internally.
An LTI Tool Provider is the one providing the learning tool to the Consumer.

GIFT is compatible with the IMS Global Learning Tools Interoperability version 1.1.1 specification. At a high level, this means that GIFT courses can be run from an external LTI Tool Consumer that is compatible with the version 1.1.1 specification or that GIFT can run external learning tools that are compatible with the version 1.1.1 specification within it's own courses.

For more background information about what LTI is or how to develop for it, please see the following documentation:

Integrating GIFT with an external LTI Tool Consumer

This section is intended to help users with configuring an external Tool Consumer with GIFT (as the Tool Provider) for LTI.

Supported Tool Consumers

Currently GIFT is configured to work with edX (http://www.edx.org).

Integrating GIFT with edX

The following sections show how to configure edX to launch a GIFT course via the LTI specification.

In this configuration, edX is the Tool Consumer, and GIFT is the Tool Provider. This configuration allows a student from edX to connect and start a GIFT course while staying in the edX environment. An instructor in edX would need to configure the edX course by adding the LTI Component in edX.

Instructor Options for Creating an Embedded GIFT Course

When using GIFT as an LTI Tool Provider, instructors have 2 options for creating an embedded GIFT course:

  • Option 1: Embed the GIFT course for participants to simply run the course (No GIFT data collection)
    • Use this option if you simply want participants to run the GIFT course from the external Tool Consumer (such as edX). In this configuration, GIFT will not provide any reports for the participants for the course.
  • Option 2: Embed the GIFT course for participants where GIFT data can be downloaded later on the participants of the course (Has GIFT data collection enabled)
    • Use this option if you want to collect GIFT data on the participants who ran the course from an external Tool Consumer (such as edX).

Option 1 (Instructor Role): Embedding a GIFT course (NO GIFT data collection)

Set up the edX Course

An instructor will need to create an edX Course with an LTI Component that is configured to communicate with GIFT.

Prerequisites

Before beginning, the instructor will need to have the following:

Get the LTI Parameters From GIFT (Course Creator)

The first thing to do as an instructor is to go into the GIFT course that you wish to launch from edX and get the LTI parameters. These parameters are found under the Course Properties in the Course Creator of GIFT. To do this:

  • Log into the GIFT instance (such as https://cloud.gifttutoring.org).
  • Select "Edit" (pencil icon) on a course you wish to get the LTI parameters for to load the Course Creator for the course.
  • Select Course Properties on the left panel and expand the Advanced section:

  • Under Advanced select the Learning Tools Interoperability section:

  • View the LTI parameters that will need to be copied into the edX course. The parameters are:
    • Custom Parameters: Specifies the custom parameters used to specify things such as the course that will be launched from edX.
    • Launch URL: Specifies the LTI Launch URL that will be used from edX.
    • Key: The Consumer Key that identifies the Tool Consumer.
    • Shared Secret: The Secret Token that is used to secure the request from edX. IMPORTANT! Do NOT share the Secret or post it publicly where other users/students can see it. It should only be copied into the edX course.

  • You can use the "Copy" button to copy the text into edX rather than having to type it directly.

Embed the LTI parameters into an edX course

Once you have the LTI parameters from GIFT, the instructor can 'paste' the parameters into the edX course inside of the edX course creator (https://studio.edge.edx.org). To do this, do the following:

Create an LTI Passport in edX

  • Create an LTI Passport using the following format: "<id>:<key>:secret" where:
    • id: Enter any text name that you want to use to identify the item ( for example "GIFT_LTI"). This name will be used later in edX to further configure the course in edX.
    • key: Paste the key that was copied from the GIFT Course Creator.
    • secret: Paste the Shared Secret that was copied from the GIFT Course Creator. IMPORTANT! Do NOT share the Secret or post it publicly where other users/students can see it. It should only be copied into the edX course as part of the LTI Passport. See the screenshot below. NOTE: the keys in the screenshots are not real keys in use.
      [
    "GIFT_LTI:5c346913-26c1-460e-9a76-2c06c9ab2aa6:613cbce3-76e2-434b-854a-11dca78e388f" 
]

Create and Edit a Unit in the edX Course

  • Add a new unit in edX that will be used to launch GIFT.
  • Select "Edit" from the edX Unit to edit the properties.

  • Edit the following parameters:
    • LTI ID: Insert the 'id' that was created in the LTI Passport. In the above example it would be "GIFT_LTI".
    • LTI URL: Paste the Launch URL that was copied from the GIFT Course Creator.
    • Custom Parameters: Insert the Custom Parameters that was copied from the GIFT Course Creator. Note that in edX the format of the custom parameters would look like the following:
["course_id=6c923d16-246d-4882-a221-2de2993c258c"]

Option 2 (Instructor Role): Embedding a GIFT course with GIFT data collection

In this configuration, an instructor is able to collect and build reports of the participants. In order to use this, there's a few simple steps:

  1. Setup the edX course.
  2. Create the GIFT course.
  3. Create an LTI Data Set (from the GIFT My Research Panel) for the course.
  4. Embed the LTI parameters into an edX course.
  5. Collect Data on the participants from GIFT.

Set up the edX Course

An instructor will need to create an edX Course with an LTI Component that is configured to communicate with GIFT.

Prerequisites

Before beginning, the instructor will need to have the following:

  • An account within edX that can develop courses (https://studio.edge.edx.org/home/).
  • A created course within edX.
  • Access to the GIFT instance such as GIFT Cloud (https://cloud.gifttutoring.org).
  • A GIFT course that will be used to launch from edX.
    • !!!IMPORTANT!!! An instructor must have permissions to edit the course to create a data set for the course and collect data for it.

Create the GIFT course

Use the GIFT Course Creator to create a GIFT course that will be embedded.

Create an LTI Data Set for the Course (My Research Panel)

A "Data Set" in GIFT is a grouping of data collection results that are tied to a specific course. GIFT supports 2 types of Data Sets (LTI or Experiments). In this case, you will create an LTI Data Set. Each GIFT Course you make can have multiple data sets created for it. A typical use case may involve embedding a single GIFT course into a single edX course, but more advanced options such as having multiple data sets for a single course could be applied if needed. This would help an instructor to differentiate the data of a GIFT course between various places that the GIFT course could be launched (either from different edX courses, or from multiple links within the same edX course).

Create a New LTI Data Set

Once the GIFT course is created, you will need to create an LTI data set for the GIFT course. Navigate to the "My Research" panel to create a new data set.

Select "Create New Data Set Button" and a dialog will be presented. Make sure to select the "LTI" data set type, give it a name, description and select the course that you want embedded.

Once the data set is created, you will see the data set listed similar to below:

Copy the LTI parameters into edX

From the data set panel, select "View LTI Properties" to get the LTI properties that will need to be copied into Edx:

  • View the LTI parameters that will need to be copied into the edX course. The parameters are:
    • Custom Parameters: Specifies the custom parameters used to specify things such as the course that will be launched from edX.
    • Launch URL: Specifies the LTI Launch URL that will be used from edX.
    • Key: The Consumer Key that identifies the Tool Consumer.
    • Shared Secret: The Secret Token that is used to secure the request from edX. IMPORTANT! Do NOT share the Secret or post it publicly where other users/students can see it. It should only be copied into the edX course.
  • You can use the "Copy" button to copy the text into edX rather than having to type it directly.

Embed the LTI parameters into an edX course

Once you have the LTI parameters from GIFT, the instructor can 'paste' the parameters into the edX course inside of the edX course creator (https://studio.edge.edx.org). To do this, do the following:

Create an LTI Passport in edX

  • Create an LTI Passport using the following format: "<id>:<key>:secret" where:
    • id: Enter any text name that you want to use to identify the item ( for example "GIFT_LTI"). This name will be used later in edX to further configure the course in edX.
    • key: Paste the key that was copied from the GIFT Course Creator.
    • secret: Paste the Shared Secret that was copied from the GIFT Course Creator. IMPORTANT! Do NOT share the Secret or post it publicly where other users/students can see it. It should only be copied into the edX course as part of the LTI Passport. See the screenshot below. NOTE: the keys in the screenshots are not real keys in use.
      [
    "GIFT_LTI:5c346913-26c1-460e-9a76-2c06c9ab2aa6:613cbce3-76e2-434b-854a-11dca78e388f" 
]

Create and Edit a Unit in the edX Course

  • Add a new unit in edX that will be used to launch GIFT.
  • Select "Edit" from the edX Unit to edit the properties.

  • Edit the following parameters:
    • LTI ID: Insert the 'id' that was created in the LTI Passport. In the above example it would be "GIFT_LTI".
    • LTI URL: Paste the Launch URL that was copied from the GIFT Course Creator.
    • Custom Parameters: Insert the Custom Parameters that was copied from the GIFT Course Creator. Note that in edX the format of the custom parameters would look like the following:
["course_id=7bb11a8a-2798-4875-98e0-6a9cf0fe829c","data_set_id=368e4f0f-11c8-48cf-a28f-8643ed9d1dd7"]

Managing the Data Set

The Instructor can update the details of the data set once it has been created. The data set name, description can be updated at anytime. Additionally, the instructor can 'pause' data collection which prevents participants from taking the course.

Collecting Reports from the Data Set

Once there have been participants that have taken the course, the instructor can go back to the Data Set to view metrics such as "Number of Attempts" on the data set. From here, the course can be exported, the raw data of participants can be exported OR a *.csv report file can be generated from the participants.

Export the Course

If needed, the Data Set panel allows the instructor to export the course that was used by the participants. Select the Export Course button from the Data Set panel.

Export Raw Data

Use the "Export Raw Data" button to download a *.zip file containing all of the GIFT logs for each participant that took the course.

Build Report

Use the "Build Report" button to generate a report of the participant data with the GIFT messages that the instructor may be interested in. The report will be a *.CSV (comma separated format). This file can be imported into many applications such as Microsoft Excel for further analysis.

Modifying the GIFT course

IMPORTANT

Once you have created a Data Set, the instructor CAN make changes to the original GIFT course, but keep in mind that any changes to the course could invalidate any data collection results that were gathered before the changes were made. It is up to the instructor's discretion to be careful when making changes to the GIFT course once there is one or more data sets created for that course.

If in doubt, an instructor can always create a copy of the course to modify, or delete any unnecessary data sets that may no longer be needed (after data has been collected).

Instructor Role: Setting Up LTI Scoring

GIFT Score (LTI Outcomes)

GIFT as a Tool Provider allows for reporting a "score" back to the Tool Consumer (if the Tool Consumer provides) via the LTI Outcomes service. The score is a value from 0.0 to 1.0 that represents the user's progress through the GIFT course. A score of 1.0 means 100% completion of the course. The score represents the progress through each GIFT course object for the course. As an example, an EMAP course object counts as a single transition object. So if the GIFT course is authored with 10 course objects, and the learner only completes the first two objects, the score value would be 2/10 which would be 0.2. At this time, each time the user takes the course, the score value gets updated (based on the LTI specification). So if an LTI user completes a course one time, and gets 0.5, and then completes it a second time and gets a 1.0, the latest value is reflected in the Tool Consumer scorebook.

Setting Up Scoring

To setup scoring in edX, the lesson needs to be set as "homework" and the unit must be set to "scored" in order for the score to be seen. Once this is set, and the students start taking the course, the score should be reported back to edX from GIFT which can be viewed (see next section).

View the Scoring

To view the scoring in edX, the instructor can navigate to the learner's "Progress" tab for the course. The instructor can also view the overall progress for each student in edX.

Student Role: Running an LTI Component from edX

As a student, there should be nothing to configure except start the edX course from the instructor.

  • When coming to an LTI component in edX, the GIFT 'Welcome' Page should be the first page seen:

  • After the course is taken, the user should see the 'Complete' Page, which looks like this:

Integrating GIFT with an external LTI Tool Provider

This section is intended to help users with configuring an external Tool Provider with GIFT (as the Tool Consumer) for LTI.

Supported Tool Providers

GIFT is compatible with all LTI Tool Providers that support the IMS Global Learning Tools Interoperability version 1.1.1 specification.

Setting up Global LTI Tool Provider Passports

GIFT supports initializing LTI Tool Provider passports that can be used across the entire GIFT instance. This is done by adding the passport to the GIFT property file as a "trusted provider".
For more information please see:
https://gifttutoring.org/projects/gift/wiki/Configuration_Settings_2023-1#Common-Properties (TrustedLtiProviders)

Setting up course-specific LTI Tool Provider Passports

When creating a GIFT course, there are course properties that you can set, among them the LTI Tool Provider Passports. On the left panel navigate to

Course Properties > Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) > Consumer

Click the 'edit' pencil next to 'Trusted Providers' to add, edit, or remove LTI Tool Provider Passports.

Creating a new LTI Tool Provider Passport

When creating an LTI Tool Provider Passport these are the fields you will need to populate:
  • Identifier: A unique name, created by the course author, to identify which LTI Tool Provider you are creating. This is what you will be selecting later on when you are creating the GIFT LTI Tool Provider course object.
  • Client Key: This should be issued by the LTI Tool Provider. There should be a unique key for each Consumer-Provider relationship.
  • Client Shared Secret Key: This should be issued by the LTI Tool Provider. This key is used to sign and decrypt the LTI messages passed between the Consumer and Provider.

Protecting LTI Tool Provider Passport Data

On the edit LTI Tool Providers page, you will see the LTI Tool Provider Passports you've created. Each of these passports has an option to protect the client data; checking the box means you wish to protect the data.

Protecting the data does the following:
  • During course export only the LTI provider name/identifier will be exported and the key and shared secret key will be scrubbed out.
  • If the course is in 'view-only' mode, then only the LTI provider name/identifier will be visible in the course properties and the key and shared secret key will be obfuscated.
  • If the course is in 'view-only' mode, then the LTI provider URL will be obfuscated.

Where to use LTI within GIFT

GIFT has the ability to use LTI to access external learner tools in the following locations:
  • As a GIFT course object: the LTI learner tool can be used as it's own course object within the course flow. When the flow reaches the LTI transition, the LTI will reach out to the external LTI Tool Provider and display the learner tool within GIFT.
  • As Adaptive Courseflow Content: the LTI learner tool can be used throughout the Adaptive Courseflow lifecycle.
    • Rule
    • Example
    • Remediation
    • Practice

LTI Tool Provider Scoring

Throughout the LTI Tool Provider's learning tool, the provider can send back a score value as an assessment of the learner's progress or state. The GIFT course author has to ability, when creating the LTI course object, to determine if that score should be used to update the learner state for the selected concepts for the learner. The state is determined by comparing the returned score with the min/max threshold values of the slider bar in the editor. Depending on how the learner did in the tool and what the author decided the thresholds should be, the learner will be given a Novice, Journeyman, or Expert state for the concepts being taught. If the author decides to not allow a score to be returned, then the learner will not have his/her state updated.

  • Note: Keep in mind that even if the author chooses to allow a score to be returned, it is up to the LTI Tool Provider to send it. If the Provider does not send a score, no learner state can be updated.

LTI Tool Provider GIFT Parameters

When creating an LTI Tool Provider in GIFT you have to specify certain information in order to successfully connect to the external learning tool.
  • LTI Tool Provider Passport: The author will need to select one of the created LTI Tool Provider passports (creating a passport is explained in a previous section).
  • LTI Tool Provider URL: This is the public facing URL that is required to connect to the LTI Tool Provider. This should be provided by the Provider (external source) to the Consumer (GIFT).
  • Custom Parameters: Some LTI Tool Providers require additional data in order to execute their learning tool. These parameters can be anything that the Provider needs in order to run the tool. For example, GIFT (as a provider) requires a course id and sometimes a data set id. The parameters should be entered as Key/Value pairs.
  • Allow Scoring to be returned: Flag indicating if the GIFT course will act upon an incoming score provided by the LTI Tool Provider.
    • Allow: If the LTI Tool Provider sends a score, then update the learner's states for the concepts being taught.
    • Do not allow: Do nothing when a score is received. The learning tool will have no affect on the learner's state.
  • Display Mode: The different presentation modes in which to display the LTI Tool Provider's learning tool.
    • Inline: The learning tool will be embedded into the GIFT course inside the current GIFT page.
    • Modal: The learning tool will open a modal window in the current GIFT page.
    • New Widnow: The learning tool will open in a new browser window.