This article provides an overview of the LMS integration features available for SIMTICS. If you're ready to implement the integration, please talk to your onboarding specialist or contact our support team via the webchat on our site. They will make sure you have the relevant how-to documentation and any assistance that you need.
1. Introduction to LMS integration
SIMTICS uses an international standard called Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI) to allow for integration with learning management systems (LMS). This integration works with all commonly used LMS systems including Canvas, Moodle, BlackBoard, D2L Brightspace, Schoology, and any other product that supports the LTI standard.
Once the integration is set up:
Single Sign On (SSO) will be operational - students will only need to log in to the LMS and will not have to log in a second time to the SIMTICS system.
A score will be passed back to the gradebook from each student session in SIMTICS. By default, the best score for a completed Test Mode simulation (if any) will be sent. You can use custom parameters to choose a different type of score to be sent back.
Deep embedding of SIMTICS content is possible, by using other custom parameters that we provide. For instance, you could set up an assignment that takes students directly to Scenario 3 in a Learn Mode simulation. Or you could send them to a Quiz.
2. What needs to be set up
When you’re ready to link SIMTICS to your LMS, we will provide you with the following:
a unique consumer secret and consumer key to securely identify your system to the SIMTICS server
a special LTI web link.
You would enter these in your LMS system to set up SIMTICS as an external or third party tool (terminology varies between LMS products).
We will also provide a list of the unique module codes that identify each individual SIMTICS module that your institution has purchased in your subscription. We will also ask you to set up our product Tutorial module for your students, which has the unique code “TUT”. With the module codes, you can set up assignments for your students.
3. How it works
The first time that a student clicks on a link to a SIMTICS assignment, your LMS system will identify them to the SIMTICS server. The SIMTICS system will use that id to automatically create a new account for the student, linked back to their LMS login.
Without using custom parameters, any SIMTICS assignment you set up will work by default as follows:
launch the relevant SIMTICS module you’ve specified
allow the student to access any content in that module.
if they complete a Test Mode simulation, their score will be automatically sent back to the LMS gradebook when they exit from their SIMTICS session
if they complete several Test Mode simulations during a single session, the best score will be sent back.
The SIMTICS system can also automatically put each new student account into a reporting group (on the SIMTICS reporting system) that matches the LMS course name for the assignment they clicked on. This is supported on most popular LMS products, and you can ask us to switch on the feature for your domain.
4. Customizing the learner’s experience
As mentioned above, it's possible to control certain aspects of how students access SIMTICS. You can do this by using custom parameters.
Pass back a different type of score to the gradebook
By default, the SIMTICS LTI interface will pass back the best score during the current session from a Test Mode simulation.
With custom parameters, you can specify a different type of score to be passed back:
quiz score instead of Test Mode simulation score
best score of all time, instead of best score from the current session.
Control what content students have access to in a SIMTICS module:
By default, SIMTICS allows the student to access the entire module that you have linked the assignment to. You can vary this by using additional parameters
access Learn Mode simulations only
access Practice Mode simulations only
access Test Mode simulation only – the system will present a scenario selected at random
access Test Mode Simulation, Text, Video and Anatomy, but do not display Quiz
access Quiz only.
For additional information, please reach out to your sales contact or chat to us on the website here, using the chat icon in the bottom left corner of the screen.