Moodle LTI

In this section:

Overview

You can use LTI-Based publishing with EchoSystem 5.5 if you have:

  • Moodle version 2.7 or higher

After you have created the Moodle LTI profile on the EchoSystem Server (ESS) you must configure Moodle to securely communicate with the ESS. The instructions below provide an overview of the steps required to configure the Moodle LTI tool. If you require further instructions, refer to the Moodle documentation.

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Add the ESS as an LTI Tool in Moodle

The instructions below are provided as a guide for entering and enabling the proper settings in Moodle, and must be performed by the LMS Administrator. Be sure you have created the Moodle LTI Profile on the ESS so you can copy the appropriate fields from that profile into the Moodle LTI External Tool configuration.

  1. Log into Moodle as an Administrator.
  2. Navigate to Site administration > Plugins > Activity modules > LTI.
  3. On the LTI External Tool Types page, click Add external tool configuration.
  4. Enter a Tool Name that clearly identifies EchoSystem as the tool you are configuring.
  5. Copy the following fields from the Moodle LTI Profile on the ESS into the corresponding fields on the Moodle LTI Tool form: 
    • Launch URL > Tool Base URL
    • Consumer Key > Consumer Key
    • Shared Secret > Shared Secret
  6. Enable the Show tool type when creating tool instances checkbox. This is required for the Echo360 tool to appear in the External tool type drop-down list, referenced in the instructions immediately below.
  7. Click Save changes.  

Adding the LTI Activity Link to a Course

In order for students to access the EchoCenter for a course, an Activity link to the EchoSystem External Tool tool must be added to each course. This can be done by the Administrator for all courses, or by the Instructor or a non-managing Teacher for specific courses.   

  1. Navigate to the Course Page: Home > Course Name.
  2. Click the Turn editing on button.
  3. Click the +Add an activity or resource link located at the top of the screen. Do not click under a specific week.
  4. Select External Tool from the list on the left, then click Add.
  5. Enter an Activity Name that clearly identifies the EchoCenter or Echo360 as the activity being added.
  6. In the External tool type drop-down list, select the EchoSystem tool configured above. 
  7. DO NOT enter the Launch URL in this screen. That information is added in the external tool configuration steps above, NOT in the course activity configuration.
  8. Click Save and return to course. The course page should now show an activity link to EchoSystem.

The final step is to add the course ID for each course into the corresponding section page configuration on the ESS.

Adding Moodle Course IDs to ESS Sections

In order for the ESS to know what content belongs to the logged in user, each section in ESS needs to be associated with the LMS course to which it belongs. The External System ID field in the section page, shown in the below figure, provides this association. 

Populate this field with the Course Short Name found on the course Settings page for the corresponding course in Moodle. 

Best Practice: Use Course IDs for Associating Moodle Courses with ESS Sections

Course IDs are not a required field in Moodle but are preferred for this purpose. Best Practice is to:

  • Create Course IDs for each Course in Moodle
  • Make sure there are no spaces in the Course ID value.

 

screenshot of Section configuration page in ESS showing External IDs field as described

For more information on creating and configuring sections, see Manage Terms, Courses, and Sections.  

When a student logs into the Moodle, the EchoCenter for the appropriate section is automatically shown through the course page of the Moodle interface.