Desire2Learn LTI

Overview

 You can use LTI-Based publishing if you have:

• Desire2Learn version 9.4 or higher, and
• EchoSystem 5.2 with Service Pack 2 or higher

After you have created the Desire2Learn (D2L) LTI profile on the EchoSystem Server (ESS) you must configure D2L to securely communicate with the ESS. The instructions below provide an overview of the steps required to configure the D2L LTI tool. 

Add the ESS as an External Tool in D2L

The instructions below are provided as a guide for entering and enabling the proper settings for communication with the ESS, and must be performed by the LMS Administrator. Be sure you have created the D2L LTI Profile on the ESS so you can copy the appropriate fields from that profile into the D2L LTI tool configuration. For additional information, refer to the D2L documentation.

1. Log into D2L as an Administrator.
2. Navigate to Admin Tools > External Learning Tools.
3. Above the Learning Tools list, click New Link.
4. In the New Link dialog box, complete the following Properties fields:
   
   1. Enter a Title for the tool that clearly identifies EchoSystem as the external tool you are configuring.
   2. Copy the Launch URL from the LTI Profile in ESS to the URL field in the New Link dialog box.
   3. Enter a Description for the tool if desired.
   4. Enable the Visibility checkbox.
5. Complete the following Key/Secret fields/values:
   
   1. Enable the Sign messages with key/secret checkbox.
   2. Select the Link key/secret radio button.
   3. Copy the Consumer Key from the LTI profile on the ESS into the Key field.
   4. Copy the Shared Secret from the LTI profile on the ESS into the Secret field.
6. Under Security Settings, be sure that the following checkboxes are checked (others can be checked if needed):
   
   • Send User ID to tool provider
   • Send Username to tool provider
   • Send User email to tool provider
7. When finished, click Save.

Your next steps are:

• Add the D2L course IDs to the corresponding ESS sections, then
• Add a Quicklink to the ESS LTI tool to the course pages in D2L.

Add D2L 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 ID number for the corresponding LMS ID for the Course in D2L. The Course ID can be found by opening the Course page in D2L and looking at the URL for the course page. In the sample URL below, the External System ID to use would be 2040773.

   https://riverland.ims.mnscu.edu/d2l/home/2040773

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

After completing these steps for each course, be sure to add a link to the ESS LTI tool to each course page in D2L using the below instructions.

Add LTI Link to Each Course

Use the procedure below to add a link to the newly created ESS LTI tool to a course. As with the above instructions, these are provided solely as a guide. For additional information, refer to the D2L documentation.

1. Log into D2L as an Administrator or an Instructor.
2. From the Materials menu, select Content.

3. From the Add Quicklink menu, select External Learning Tools.

   Menu Options May Vary by D2L Version

   Depending on the version of D2L you are using, you may have an "Add Content" menu instead of an "Add Quicklink" menu. In this case, select Add New Activity from the Add Content menu, then select the ESS LTI tool created in the Add the ESS as an External Tool in D2L section above.

4. Select the ESS LTI tool.
5. Click Insert.
6. Select the Module where the link should reside.
7. Enter a Title for the link that identifies it for users.
8. Click Save and Close.

When a student logs into D2L and clicks the link on the course, the EchoCenter for the appropriate section is automatically shown through the D2L interface.