Using LTI to Extend the VLE [A-120] Members : ALT Annual Conference 2019

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Thu, Sep 5 2019, 3:30pm – 4:15pm

Authors: Andrew Millington

Room: McEwan Hall

Theme: Learning Technology for wider impact

Type: Gasta (5min)

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Description

Session Description

Adopting new learning tools in any institution is a difficult task. Staff and students might be resistant to change and hesitant to adopt new, unfamiliar workflows. We should aim to make the adoption of new learning tools as easy as possible, so that the benefits of new systems are immediately apparent, and the barriers to entry are hardly noticed.

At the University of Edinburgh, we are using the Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standard to ease the adoption of new, external learning tools that enhance our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). LTI allows us to easily pass user information between the VLE and an external tool, removing barriers such as multiple login credentials, that often hinder the adoption of new learning tools. In this talk, we will examine why we have adopted the LTI standard and discuss how we have used it in our new WordPress based academic blogging service, allowing academics and students to set up and login to a WordPress blog with ease by clicking a link in the VLE.

This session will address theme 4. We will discuss how we have used LTI technology to break out of the digital silo that is the VLE. We will show that it is possible to use tools other than the ones provided by default in a VLE with relative ease. By doing so, we transform our relationship with the VLE from a walled garden to a helpful central portal that connects to other supporting services.

We will also touch on the benefits that such external systems can bring, such as increased ownership over user data and better access to external blogging communities.

References

WordPressorg. 2019. WordPress. [Online]. [13 March 2019]. Available from: https://wordpress.org/
Ims Global. 2019. IMS Global Learning Consortium. [Online]. [13 March 2019]. Available from: https://www.imsglobal.org/specifications.html
University of Edinburgh. 2019. Blogsed – Staff and student blogs for our connected learning community. [Online]. [13 March 2019]. Available from: https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/

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