Overview
Tools for teaching and learning are periodically reviewed and installed in the e-Learning system. These tools, called Learning Tools Interoperability (LTIs), can expand a broad range of functions within a course, from delivering publisher content (such as a textbook integration), to facilitating collaboration (Office 365 and Google Suite), and to adding new grading or assignment options (such as VoiceThread or Perusall).
As of October 15th, 2021, the ability to add LTIs at the course level was disabled to ensure all LTIs are approved by the university. If you are looking to add an LTI to your course that has already been approved, please contact e-Learning Support to have it enabled. If the LTI has yet to be approved, please begin the process below.
Which Tools are Available
Visit our Available Tools page to learn about each of the LTIs already enabled within e-Learning in Canvas. Visit the adding approved LTI page for information about how to use approved LTI.
Request a New Tool
As new tools are released, they must go through a formal review process to ensure they are properly and ethically storing student data and will be reliable for faculty and students to use. The request process below explains how to submit a new LTI for review and possible implementation in Canvas.
Deadlines to submit an LTI Request:
- All Summer Semesters - January 1st
- Fall - March 15th
- Spring - August 15th
If a submission for an LTI misses the deadline for the intended semester, we will make every effort to complete our review in time for the selected semester, but please note that certain steps during the review process are outside of our control and we recommend that you plan your course without access to the LTI.
Step 1: Request
- Initial Review (eLs/CITT)
- Classification
Step 2: Assessment
- Risk Assessment
- Contracting
Step 3: Implementation
- Quality Assurance
Step 1: Request
Before requesting that an LTI be reviewed, first, check the list of Available Tools to confirm that the tool is not available already. It is also helpful to filter the list based on tags for intended use to see if a similar tool is already available.
If the tool or an alternative is not already available, consider requesting a consultation with an instructional designer or educational technologist to discuss the tool and to learn whether UF has an existing relationship with that vendor. If there is a cost associated with the tool, discuss funding with the appropriate department or college before making the request.
Locate the website for the vendor, along with their contact information (name, email address, and phone number), and then Submit a Request.
Once a request is submitted, eLS and the CITT will evaluate the tool for intended use, cost, support availability, and accessibility.
Step 2: Assessment
Once a request is made, the tool will undergo a risk assessment which may include a review by Treasury Management, Privacy Office, Procurement, Office of Research including the IRB, General Counsel, and UFIT Security. eLearning Support will coordinate this process and will update the requestor monthly about the assessment status until a decision has been made.
The assessment period varies depending on the responsiveness of the vendor and the type of data the tool uses. Some reviews may take several weeks, but it is typical for a review to take several months. Consider using this time to consult with an instructional designer to make a plan for adapting existing assessments for use with this tool, or to determine the best way to maintain the accessibility of course content. eLearning Support will send a notification of status changes and will update the status on the List of Approved LTIs.
Step 3: Implementation
When the assessment is completed, eLearning Support will share the decision and next steps. If a tool is approved, it will be tested in Canvas and will then be enabled in the course(s) and/or department(s) requested and the tool will be added to the list of Available Tools. If appropriate, a semester-long pilot may be run before making the tool available to the entire university.