Overview of adding external tools as a facilitator
Facilitators can enhance their classes by embedding external tools, webpages, and online meeting spaces to create a more dynamic learning environment.
These tools can be added to the class as a whole (appearing on the left menu).
In addition, facilitators can also add an LTI tool to individual content pages.
Note: The ability for facilitator to add tools to their classes is an optional feature. Account owners can enable this feature in iQualify settings.
Types of tools you can add
Facilitators can add LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) tools or simply add a tool via a URL (webpage).
Here are some examples of the sorts of things you can add.
Regular web conferencing (such as Zoom)
Calendars to showcase key dates, events, and tutor availability.
A shared collage for the class using tools like Padlet.
A collaborative mind map for the course using Mindmeister.
A YouTube channel for recorded lectures.
A subject-specific tool like Geogebra.
How to add an LTI tool to your course
LTIs allow you to integrate external tools directly into your course. You can add an LTI to the left menu or to specific pages, providing learners with seamless access to external applications.
How to add an LTI to a content page
Head to the particular content page and select Add LTI next to the page title.
How to add an LTI to the left menu
Select Add to this course from the navigation menu, then choose LTI.
This will open a space to add the following details:
Title: The text label for the meeting (shown in the left menu).
LTI provider: Choose from the list of LTI tools your account owner has already connected.
Consumer key and consumer secret: These fields will auto-populate once an LTI provider has been selected.
Launch URL: The link for your LTI tool.
Display method: Select Launch to have your meeting open in a separate window, or toggle to Embed to display it within your course.
Add a note: Enter some text to let you learners know more about your web meeting.
Save to finish and your learners can then interact with the LTI.
Example: Code Embed LTI added to a content page
In this example, we will embed an interactive code editor (Code Embed) into a page using LTI.
The launch URL for this tool is https://code-embed-lti.herokuapp.com/lti_tool.
As this LTI tool doesn't require a Consumer Key or Secret, those fields can be left blank.
Save to finish and your learners can then interact with the LTI.
Example: Embed an online meeting via LTI to the left menu
From the Class console, select Add to this course from the left menu and choose LTI.
If your organisation has already connected it's Zoom (or similar) account, you'll see it in the drop down.
Complete the details and Save to finish. You will now see your meeting title in the left menu (replacing Add to this course).
Depending on whether you have chosen Embed or Launch you will either see Click to open or the tool embedded in your page.
How to add a webpage (or non LTI tool) to your class
From the Class console, select Add to this course on the left menu and choose Webpage.
This will open a space to add the following details:
Title: The text label for the meeting (shown in the left menu).
Paste source URL: The link for your online meeting.
Display method: Select Launch to have your meeting open in a separate window, or toggle to Embed to display it within your course.
Add a note: Enter some text to let you learners know more about your web meeting.
Save to finish. You will now see your meeting title in the left menu (replacing Add to this course).
Depending on whether you have chosen Embed or Launch you will either see Click to open or the web meeting tool embedded in your page.
You will now see your resource title in the Course menu replacing the previous Add to this course icon.
Website permissions
Some websites don't allow embedding. If your embedded page is not displaying, this could be the issue. To check if embedding is disallowed, open your browser console (press F12 in Chrome and select the Console tab).
You're looking for error messages in red, particularly ones that say "Refused to display... because... sameorigin." While error descriptions may vary, if you encounter an error like this, it's likely that embedding is disallowed for that website.
