It is possible to integrate a TrainTool programme into your course in Brightspace. By adding an LTI link to Content in Brightspace, an account is automatically created in TrainTool for students who click on this link. This has two advantages:
- Students can start the TrainTool programme directly from Content.
- You don't have to manually add students to the programme in TrainTool..
Are you not using the integration with Brightspace? Then read the article How do I start a programme from TrainTool?
Get programma ID
- Go to TrainTool.
- Select the programme that you want to share with your students in Brightspace.
Each programme has a unique ID. You can see this behind /programs/ in the url in your browser.
- Write down the numbers at the end of your url. You need to use these in the LTI link in Brightspace. In this example these are 12455.
Add LTI link to Brightspace
The moment when the exercise is available to the student in question is linked to the start date of the participants in the programme. You therefore have two options when linking the programme in Brightspace:
1. To add an LTI link without a fixed start date:
When the student clicks on the topic in Brightspace, they are directly directed to the TrainTool environment. The start date in TrainTool is then the same as the moment the student clicks on the link for the first time;
- The start dates of students may vary.
- Students are free to practice (as long as the LTI link is available to them via Content).
2. To add a fixed start date LTI link:
When students click on the link in Brightspace, they will be taken to the TrainTool environment. The date you added in advance in the link now counts as the start date. This date is fixed, regardless of whether students log in via Brightspace before or after the date;
- The start date is the same for every student.
- Exercises for which you have specified a deadline in TrainTool in advance will be made available to the student based on the start date
Does a student click on the link in Brightspace after the deadline has passed? Then TrainTool indicates that the student has missed a deadline. The exercises for which the deadline has not yet passed are available.
Do you make use of deadlines for different exercises? Then, always choose option two: LTI link with fixed start date.
- Go to your course in Brightspace.
- Navigate to Content in the navbar of your course.
- Go to the (sub) module to which you want to add a TrainTool programme.
- Click Existing Activities.
- Click External Learning Tools. A new window will open.
- Scroll down and click Create New LTI Link.
LTI link without fixed startdate
- Add a Title to the programme as it should be shown in the module. For instance, use the name of the programme in TrainTool.
- In the field LTI URL, type: https://ru.traintool.com/api/lti?custom_program_id=2934.
- After program_id= fill in the numbers (programme ID) as you have earlier written down based on the url from TrainTool!
- Click Create and Insert. The programme has now been added to your course in Brightspace.
LTI link with fixed start date
- Add a Title to the programme as it should be shown in the module. For instance, use the name of the programme in TrainTool.
- In the field LTI URL, type: https://ru.traintool.com/api/lti?custom_program_id=2934&custom_start_date=2019-09-06.
- After program_id= fill in the numbers (programme ID) as you have written down earlier based on the url from TrainTool!
- After start_date= fill in the date at which you want the first exercice to become available for the student. Please note: the notation is YYYY-MM-DD.
- Click Create and Insert. The programme has now been added to your course in Brightspace.
If you add a TrainTool programme to your course, you also publish it right away. This makes the programme directly accessible to students. You can hide the programme after posting it or specify a start and end date.
Do you only want to make the TrainTool programme available to a certain group of students? Then set release conditions for the (sub)module in which the programme is located. It is not possible to set group restrictions on individual programmes.
Topic settings in Brightspace
For the connection to work properly, you have to set Brightspace to open TrainTool in a new window. You can also make the topic invisible or add a start and/or end date or deadline at the same time.
- Go to the (sub) module in which the topic is located.
- Click on the arrow behind the topic.
- If necessary, click Hide from Users to make the topic invisible for students.
- Click Edit Properties In-place.
- Optionally, click on Add dates and restrictions to add a start, due, and/or end date. Then:
- at Add start date, enter the date from which TrainTool is accessible to students;
- at Add due, enter the deadline of the topic;
- at Add end date, enter the date when the topic will finally close.
- If necessary, add a description of the content of the program to Add a description.
- Check Open as External Resource, otherwise the link will not work properly.
- Make sure the start and due dates match the dates you set in TrainTool.
- Students are not automatically linked to the right coach via the LTI link between TrainTool and Brightspace. Read the article How do I connect students to a coach? to link students to the right coach..