Introduction
The PrairieLearn LTI integration is designed to allow students to initiate an individual assignment within PrairieLearn from Canvas. After completing the assignment in PrairieLearn, PrairieLearn will return the grade for that specific assignment to the associated assignment in Canvas.
Considerations
There are several considerations that must be made prior to enabling this integration in your Canvas course.
LTI is enabled at the course instance level in PrairieLearn
Each course instance in PrairieLearn that wishes to utilize the LTI integration in PrairieLearn must have a configuration in Canvas. PrairieLearn does not support LTI integration at the course level.
What does this mean?
You will need to configure the PrairieLearn LTI integration with Canvas each semester. This cannot be automated.
Students cannot access PrairieLearn directly
When the LTI integration is enabled in a course instance within PrairieLearn, students must access PrairieLearn through Canvas.
What does this mean?
Students who access PrairieLearn outside of Canvas will not have their grade data returned to Canvas. Instructors can require that a course be accessed via LTI only using the course instance configuration file.
Students must access each assignment in PrairieLearn via Canvas
When the LTI integration is enabled in a course instance within PrairieLearn, students must access each assignment in PrairieLearn through Canvas.
What does this mean?
If a student uses Canvas to access a homework assignment and completes that assignment, their grade data will be passed back to Canvas. If the student remains in PrairieLearn and then accesses another assignment in PrairieLearn without initiating the assignment from within Canvas, the grade data for this assignment will not be returned to PrairieLearn upon completion. Each assignment must be initiated via Canvas.
Each assignment in Canvas must be mapped to a corresponding assignment in PrairieLearn
In order to pass grade data back to Canvas, the instructor must manually map each assignment in Canvas to the corresponding assignment in PrairieLearn.
What does this mean?
Instructors will need to use the LTI interface in PrairieLearn to manually map assignments in Canvas to corresponding assignments in PrairieLearn each semester.
LTI users and regular users in PrairieLearn are distinct
PrairieLearn creates a separate user account for each student in each Canvas course.
What does this mean?
A student that takes ENES 220 and ENES 221 will have two separate and distinct user accounts in PrairieLearn when they access an assignment via the LTI integration. If the student also accesses PrairieLearn directly, they will have three user accounts. There is no way to link user accounts.
Gradebook data does not include the Directory ID
When using the LTI integration, PrairieLearn records the unique userid Canvas passes back as the username within PrairieLearn; as a result the student’s Directory ID is not recorded in PrairieLearn. We have customized PrairieLearn to include the student’s University ID number as a workaround to this problem.
What does this mean?
You will not be able to use the student’s directory ID in gradebook exports from PrairieLearn. You will be able to export their University ID number and name.
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Navigate to your course instance within PrairieLearn and select the LTI tab in the menu bar below the header.
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Click the green button labeled Create new LTI credential.
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Note the values for the generated Launch URL, Consumer key, and Shared secret.
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Within your Canvas course, navigate to the Settings section, and then the Apps subsection.
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Select the + App button to open the app creation dialog.
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Select the Manual Entry configuration type.
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Enter PrairieLearn in the name text box.
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Copy the Consumer key, the Shared secret, and the Launch URL you noted earlier to the corresponding text boxes.
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Enter prairielearn.umd.edu without the http prefix in the domain text box.
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Choose Public from the privacy dropdown menu.
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Leave the remaining options blank and click the Submit button.
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Navigate to an assignment in Canvas that you wish to configure to use PrairieLearn and select the Edit Assignment button.
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Configure the assignment to use points that match the value of the assignment in PrairieLearn.
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Configure the Submission Type as External Tool.
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Select the Find button in the External Tool field and locate PrairieLearn in the list of tools. Select the Select button to populate PrairieLearn as the external tool.
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Select the checkbox to Load This Tool In A New Tab.
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After you have saved the assignment, click the button to launch the assignment in PrairieLearn. The assignment is not configured yet and you will not be directed to it; this step is necessary to inform PrairieLearn of the assignment's existence in Canvas.
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Navigate to the LTI section in your PrairieLearn course instance.
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In the LTI link targets section of the configuration page, choose the appropriate PrairieLearn assessment for the listed Canvas assignment.
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Return to your course in Canvas and navigate to an assignment that is linked to PrairieLearn.
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Click the button to launch the assignment in PrairieLearn. The assignment or exam will launch in PrairieLearn. If the correct assignment launches, your configuration is correct.
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You have successfully configured the PrairieLearn LTI integration with your Canvas course. If you have any questions about the integration, we encourage you to email the PrairieLearn community (pl-community@umd.edu). EIT staff monitors this listserv and will provide assistance that may be beneficial to the entire community.
You have successfully configured the PrairieLearn LTI integration with your Canvas course. If you have any questions about the integration, we encourage you to email the PrairieLearn community (pl-community@umd.edu). EIT staff monitors this listserv and will provide assistance that may be beneficial to the entire community.
