LTI Tool Guidelines

Learning Tools Interoperability Links to an external site. or LTI is a specification developed by the IMS Global Consortium to standardize the way external learning tools (apps) integrate with the Learning Management System, Canvas.  Examples of LTI apps are iClicker, which when used can send clicker scores directly into your Canvas gradebook.  Or Piazza, a question and answer tool used to replace the discussions tool in Canvas. Some LTI apps use and store FERPA Links to an external site. data pulled from Canvas, as is the case with both iClicker and Piazza.  We've done our best to identify and vet possible solutions for campus. 

The tools on the External Apps page have been Vetted and Approved by our Information Security Office to ensure student data is protected. Some are currently visible in the Course Navigation (Zoom and Panopto), while others need to be 'Enabled' from Settings > Navigation (Scanning Services, Proctorio, Gradescope). Other LTI Tools are available, but have not been installed in Canvas. These include tools where U.T. has a site license (Box, Google), some are free (FlipGrid, YouTube, and TED Ed), and others are subscription based (Cengage, iClicker).

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Adding LTI Tools Currently Unvetted

At the moment, instructors have the ability to add LTI Tools to a course.  If you find an LTI Tool that is not on the list of approved apps, please follow the steps below to ensure you're protecting student data, yourself and the university.

1.  Determine if the LTI tool is using FERPA Links to an external site. data.  This includes course enrollment data, assignment submission data, and/or student grades.  If you are unsure, please contact canvas@utlists.utexas.edu.  If FERPA Links to an external site. data are not being used, you can skip to step 3.

2.  If FERPA Links to an external site. data are being used, additional steps are necessary to ensure data is protected and agreements are in place with the vendor and our Business Contracts office.  For help through this process, please email canvas@utlists.utexas.edu with vendor contact information and reasons why you're interested in using the tool.  Our team will work with the vendor, Information Security Office (ISO), and Business Contracts Office to vet the LTI Tool.  These steps typically takes 2 - 3 weeks depending on the request backlog.

3.  After a tool has been vetted and approved, you can add it to your course following these steps Links to an external site..

4.  LTI Tools sometime require license fees.  You should consult with the vendor for pricing information.