LMS – External Tool Integration
Canvas users interested in integrating external, third-party vendor tools for use in their courses need to follow the three step process defined below.
A variety of add-on software tools that extend the functionality of a Learning Management System (LMS) are available. These tools are considered “external” because they are not applications owned by the University of Delaware and, even though they can be integrated with Canvas, they are not part of the software included in our agreements with the LMS vendor. More faculty are requesting these external tools because textbook publishers often deliver textbook and courseware content online using an external tool.
When integrating with an LMS, vendors often develop their tools using the Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standard. LTI is a standard protocol for delivering data between the LMS and the external software tool. This data might include grades, names, and other education data protected by federal law.
Which LTI tools are currently approved?
You can view a list of the LTI tools that have been reviewed, approved, and available to use.
Why is a review necessary?
As an educational institution, UD is subject to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which establishes requirements for protecting students’ education records. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) establishes requirements for the accessibility of UD’s resources. Under these laws, UD is also responsible for any third parties that create or manage education records on UD’s behalf.
In order to protect our students, our faculty, and our institution from harm, UD performs a standard review of any publishing house that will manage our students’ education records. This applies to publishing houses offering LTI integrations as well as those offering standalone services unrelated to Canvas.
Once a publishing house has been reviewed and approved, faculty can use its LTI tools and other resources to support their courses. If you don’t see a publishing house or tool on the list of approved services (coming soon), you may request a new tool using this form.
Faculty should not use tools or services from unapproved publishing houses; doing so creates risk to students, the faculty member, and the University.
For more information regarding security practices at the University of Delaware, visit Secure UD.
How do I request an external tool?
To begin the process of getting an external tool approved, please complete the Technology Request form.