Integrating VMware Lab Platform as an LTI provider for the Moodle LMS

Products

• VMWare Hands-on Labs

Issue/Introduction

This article provides details for integrating the Moodle LMS and VMware Lab Platform (LTI Provider).

Please note: The information provided here is intended only to assist with some of the common ways our product can be integrated into this system. Our support site is not a comprehensive guide to use of the Moodle LMS, and our team can only assist with the LTI integration; we are unable to provide support for any other aspect of Moodle's functionality.

The following definitions are used in the article.

Learning Management System (LMS)
A learning management system is software that is explicitly designed to create, distribute, and manage the delivery of educational content. Think of a learning management system as a technology that can improve learning, making it faster, more productive, more cost-effective, and what is more critical - trackable.

Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI)
Learning Tools Interoperability is an initiative managed by the IMS Global Learning Consortium to integrate learning applications used by instructors into their courses. It includes a standard protocol for establishing a trusted relationship between the tool provider and the Learning Management System so that students and teachers can have a seamless, integrated experience of using the tool within the context of their course.


 

Resolution

Gather LTI Details from VLP

1. To begin, we need to get our LTI details by going to our VLP Administrator UI, under Integrations > LTI Integrations > LTI Tool Settings. Copy the following information:

• Login URL also known as Initiate login URL
• Launch URL also known as Tool URL and Redirection URL
• Public Key

2. We also need to get the LTI Parameter ID by going to our VLP Administrator UI, under Lab Management > Labs.

LTI Tool Provider Setup
Please note: Before implementing LTI links (launch URLs) in individual courses, you must add to your LMS environment as an LTI Tool Provider / External Learning Tool Provider. This is a one-time step and requires tenant administrator access.

After the tool provider has been set up, course instructors can add LTI links to their courses without needing special admin permissions. Moodle refers to LTI Tool Providers as "External Tools."

1. Log in to Moodle as an admin and click the Site administration button.
2. In the Site admin settings, click the Plugin tab, then locate External tools>Manage Tools in the Activity modules list. Click Manage Tools.
3. In the Add toolbox, click "configure a tool manually." (Once the tool is added, it appears lower on the Manage tools page for you to edit.)
4. Configure the tool as follows:

Tool Settings:

Setting	Description
Tool name	Enter the desired value
Tool URL	VLP launch URL
Tool description	Enter the desired value
LTI version	LTI 1.3
Public Key	Public Key
Initiate login URL	Login URL
Redirection URL	Launch URL
Custome parameters	Leave blank
Tool configuration usage	Show in activity chooser and as a pre-configured tool
Default launch container	New Window

 

Privacy Settings

Setting	Value
Share launcher's name with the tool	Always
Share launcher's email with the tool	Always

5. Click the Save changes button, and VLP should be listed in the Tools section. Leave this page open as a reference for the next step.

Create the LTI Integration in VLP

1. On the Manage Tools screen in Moodle, click on the Tool configuration details icon on the newly configured tool.
2. Copy the information.
3. Go back to the VLP Administrator UI, and select Integrations>LTI Integrations>Create LTI Integration.
4. Fill in all the requested data (Client ID is equal to Application ID)
5. Click Create LTI Integration.

Add an External tool link to a course

1. In Moodle, navigate to Home.
2. Click the Turn editing on button in the top right (you might need to click the gear icon in the top right to see the editing option).
3. Click the Add an activity or resource link for a section.
4. Search for the external tool that we created before.
5. Click Add.
6. Create an Activity name (Could be the lab`s name).
7. Click Show more and add the LTI Parameter ID under Custom Parameters.
8. Click Save and return to the course.
9. Disable the editing option.

 The VLP tool is now configured for a specific lab and ready to launch.

Please Note: You can also specify a VLP class in addition to a lab.  Each class in VLP core has an LTI Parameter associated with it just like the labs. Copy the Class LTI Parameter value to the Custom parameters field if you want to launch into a specific class.

Launch the Lab
Log in to Moodle as a student who is enrolled in the course. This student does not need to be set up in the VLP, as the LTI launch takes care of automatic registration
Navigate to the course page and click the VLP link created.