Moodle: Add an LTI External Tool

LTI external tools allow access to partner publisher content, specialized assignments, and technology tools directly from within Moodle. Many LTI external tools now use an LTI 1.3 connection. With this connection, as long as students access the tool through their Moodle course, their account is automatically created and linked to the course. This connection also enables seamless navigation directly to specific assignments and automatic grade synchronization with the Moodle gradebook.

Important Note on Customer Support: Because the external tool connects your Moodle course to an external platform, most issues encountered within the tool should be addressed through the tool's customer support or textbook representative. The LSU Faculty Technology Center (FTC) can assist with the Moodle integration and work with the tool's support team as needed.

Important Note on Due Dates: External tools within Moodle do not receive due dates set on external platforms. To have a date appear on the Moodle calendar an Expect completed on date in the Activity completion setting needs to be set. The date set in the external platform and in Moodle are independant of each other so care should be taken to double check the dates match.

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LTI External Tools Avaliable in LSU Moodle

The list of LTI tools available in Moodle may differ from the following as some are limited to certain departments. Please submit a Moodle New Feature Request to gain access to any listed LTI tools that is currently restricted for your department or to request a new LTI be considered for integration.

Tool Name Cost Use Case Support Info
Publisher Courseware
Access Pearson Student Cost Digital textbook, assignments, learning activities - variety of subjects Pearson Support
Cengage Student Cost Digital textbook, assignments, learning activities - variety of subjects Cengage Support
Macmillan Student Cost Digital textbook, assignments, learning activities - variety of subjects Macmillan Support
McGraw Hill Student Cost Digital textbook, assignments, learning activities - variety of subjects McGraw Hill Support
Sage Vantage Student Cost Digital textbook, assignments, learning activities - social sciences and related disciplines Sage Support
Stukent Student Cost Digital textbook, assignments, learning activities, simulated internships - business subjects Stukent Support
Vista Higer Learning (VHL Central) Student Cost Digital textbook, assignments, learning activities - foreign language studies VHL Support
Wiley Student Cost Digital textbook, assignments, learning activities, WileyPLUS - variety of subjects Wiley Support
zyBooks Student Cost Interactive digital textbook; not using the LTI 1.3 connection - STEM subjects zyBooks Support

 

Tool Name Cost Use Case Support Info
Academic Technology
ALEKS Student Cost Individual, dynamic online learning programs for Math, Chemistry, Statistics, and Accounting ALEKS Support
Gradescope Institution License AI-assisted grading; dynamic rubric; paper-based assignments; programming projects Gradescope Support
Honorlock Student Cost AI monitoring plus live proctor intervention for online assessments Honorlock Support
LSU Libraries Research Guides No Cost Access to curated library resources; schedule research consultation; not using LTI 1.3 Subject Librarian
MATLAB Grader &
MATLAB and Simulink Online Courses		 Institution License Automatic grading for MATLAB coding assignments; Self-paced learning courses for MATLAB and Simulink with possiblity of earning digital credentials  MATLAB Support
Packback Student Cost /
Institution License for LSU Online		 AI-powered discussion platform; AI writing tutor; AI grading assistant; encourages student engagement through inquiry-based learning; provides real-time feedback on writing Packback Support
Panopto Video Institution License Lecture capture, video storage, embedding videos in Moodle, video assignments LSU FTC
Perusall No Cost or
Student Cost		 Social annotation tool for collaborative reading and discussion; increase comprehension and engagement with course materials Perusall Support
PointSolution (previously TurningPoint) Student Cost Interactive polling system that uses clickers or mobile devices to increase student participation and provide immediate feedback during lectures LSU FTC
ProctorU Record+ Student Cost AI proctor monitoring and recording for online assessments ProctorU Support
SmarterProctoring (Testing Center only) Institution License Scheduling tool for in-person proctored exams within the testing center Only for Testing Center
VoiceThread Institution License Asyncronous multimedia discussions and interactive presentations LSU FTC
Zoom Institution License Video conference tool for class meeting, shared recordings, scheduling office hour appointments LSU FTC

 

 

Adding an LTI External Tool to a Moodle Course:

  1. Log in to Moodle and select a course.
     
  2. In the Course Administration menu, select “LTI external tools.”
    Here, you can browse all available external tools with a brief description for each one.

    LTI External tools menu with LTI descriptions and activity chooser toggle

     
  3. Toggle to show an LTI in the activity chooser. Navigate back to the course by clicking on the course title.
    Do not click the Add tool button.
     
  4. Toogle the Edit mode on in the upper right corner and click create learning activity.

    Course with Edit mode on and Create learning activity button highlighted.

     
  5. Select the LTI External Tool from the activity chooser.

    The LTI Gradescope has been selected in the activity chooser menu.

     
  6. Follow your vendor’s instructions or the tool's GROK article to see if you should use the Select Content button. If so, the Activity name should autofill to match the content. If not, add a short descriptive Activity name. The optional Activity description can include instructional language that displays on the front page by typing in the editor and selecting the display option. 

    LTI tool settings menu
     
  7. Click Save and return to course to save your new activity.

     

Additional Setting Information

External tools are preconfigured by the Moodle Admin and should not require adjusting of additional settings. Below are comments on select additional settings sepcific to external tools. See Moodle: Common Activity Settings Overview to see a full list of setting details.  

  • Privacy settings will retain the default settings. If "Accept grades from the tool" is checked a gradebook item will be added to the gradebook when the external tool is saved. If it is not checked a gradebook item will likey be created when a graded item is submitted and the vendor and Moodle gradebooks are syncronized.
     
  • Activity completion set if or how an activity is marked as complete. Also, set a date for expected completion to add a Moodle calendar entry. See Common Activity Settings: Activity Completion for more information about the choices.

 

Resources

For more information on LTI External tools, read the following documentation from Moodle Docs. Note that the documentation does not show the SNAP Theme, but the functionality of the settings is the same. All links will open in a new window.

 

Support & Training

The Faculty Technology Center (FTC) provides Moodle support by email, by phone, or live through Zoom. For contact information, please see the article Faculty Technology Center: LSU Overview. To connect through Zoom and for further information on support services and training, see the LSU Online & Continuing Education Faculty Resources & Support page.

The FTC also provides just-in-time faculty training opportunities and recorded training sessions. Attending at least one training session for Moodle upgrades is highly recommended. For a comprehensive list of available workshops and recordings, please see the LSU Online & Continuing Education Technology Training page.

 

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