External Tools Introduction

Canvas, like many LMSs, supports loading external resources inline using the IMS LTI standard. These tools can be deployed on a course or account level. Once configured, tools can be surfaced as links in course modules or used to deliver custom assignment experiences. Canvas supports some additional integration points using LTI (see the "Placements" dropdown in the left hand navigation here) to offer a more integrated experience and to allow for more customization of the Canvas product. This is accomplished by configuring additional settings on external tools used inside of Canvas and by leveraging LTI Advantage services.

Because tools can be deployed at any level in the system hierarchy, they can be as general or specific as needed. The Chemistry Department can add chemistry-specific tools without those tools cluttering everyone else's interfaces. Or, a single teacher who is trying out some new web service can do so without needing the tool to be set up at the account level.

Types of Tool Integrations

Canvas currently supports the following types of tool placements:

External tool assignments integrations:

This type of integration is part of the LTI 1.1 Outcomes Service or LTI 1.3 Assignment and Grade Services and allows external services to synchronize grades, and other assignment details.

Example use cases might include:

• Administering a timed, auto-graded coding project
• Evaluating a student's ability to correctly draw notes at different musical intervals
• Giving students credit for participating in an interactive lesson on the Civil War

Adding a link/tab to the course navigation:

Example use cases might include:

• Building a specialized attendance/seating chart tool
• Adding an "ebooks" link with course required reading
• Connecting to study room scheduling tool
• Linking to campus communication hub
• Displaying a course-level dashboard (ex: analytics, student engagement, risk assessment, etc.)

Adding a link/tab to the account navigation:

Example use cases might include:

• Including outside reports in the Canvas UI
• Building helper libraries for campus-specific customizations
• Leveraging single sign-on for access to other systems, like SIS

Adding a link/tab to the user profile navigation:

Example use cases might include:

• Leveraging single sign-on to student portal from within Canvas
• Linking to an external user profile

Selecting content to add to a variety of locations as LTI deep links:

Example use cases might include:

• adding a button to embed content to the Rich Content Editor:

  • Embedding resources from campus video/image repository
  • Inserting custom-designed chemistry diagrams into quiz question text
  • Building integrations with new or subject-area-specialized web authoring services

• selecting links for modules

  • Building and then linking to a remixed version of an online Physics textbook
  • Selecting from a list of pre-built, interactive quizzes on blood vessels
  • Choosing a specific chapter from an e-textbook to add to a module

• creating custom assignments for Canvas

  • Creating a Canvas assignment that launches the student to a custom assessment that can be automatically graded by the tool and synced with the Canvas Gradebook
  • Launching the student to an assessment with interactive videos. Once complete, the tool returns an LTI launch url that allows the teacher to see the submission without leaving Canvas.

• allowing a student to submit attachments to assignments

  • A student launches a custom video recording tool and submits the recording to Canvas
  • A student chooses an item from a portfolio tool and submits the item to Canvas

How to Configure/Import Integrated Tools

LTI 1.1

Tool's placements can be configured using LTI configuration XML as specified in the IMS Common Cartridge specification, or using the external tools API. Configuration XML contains all non-account-specific settings (except the consumer key and shared secret, which must always be entered manually). The user can configure the tool by a tool-provided URL (recommended), or paste in the XML that the tool provides.

For information on how to programmatically configured external tools, so users don't have to copy and paste URLs or XML, please see the Canvas external tools API.

LTI 1.3

Similar to LTI 1.1, tools built on the LTI 1.3 specification can be configured by either supplying clients with a JSON block or URL that hosts the JSON. This JSON is used to determine the behavior of the tool within Canvas by configuring and LTI Developer Key. Once the developer key is created and turned on, users with sufficient permissions can install the tool using the developer key's client ID.

LTI Advantage Services permissions

When setting up Developer Keys, the section “LTI Advantage Services” allows you to enable or disable permissions for access via that developer key. Below is the list of permissions available:

NOTE: scopes with https://canvas.instructure.com are Canvas specific while others are LTI specifications