1. VitalSource Success
  2. RedShelf
  3. For LMS Administrators

Blackboard LTI 1.3 Tool Installation & API Set Up

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Susan Ruiz
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System Requirements

LTI 1.3 and LTI Advantage integrations are available on SAAS Learn deployments and Learn 9.1 Q4 2019 Self and Managed hosted versions and above.

LMS Admin/Course Set Up

  1. Navigate to System Admin → Integrations → LTI Tool Providers, and click Register LTI 1.3 Tool.
  2. Enter the Client ID: 9e7e2c0b-39e0-4955-ad6e-cbd5750e3f5f
  3. Verify and set the following information:
  • Tool Status

  • Domains

  • Tool Status: Approved
  • Tool Provider Custom Parameters
    • blackboard_username=@X@user.id@X@
    • blackboard_course_id=@X@course.pk_string@X@
    • blackboard_user_external_uid=@X@user.batch_uid@X@
    • blackboard_course_external_uid=@X@course.batch_uid@X@
    • blackboard_user_id=@X@user.pk_string@X@

blackboard1.png

lti_1.3_setup_blackboard_tool_status.png
  • Institution Policies 
    • User Fields to Send
      • Role in Course
      • Name
      • Email Address
    • Allow grade service access: Yes
    • Allow Membership Service Access: Yes

4. Click Submit.

blackboard2.png

Managing Link Placements

After you have set VitalSource up as an LTI 1.3 Tool, you can place LTI links into courses. Depending on the VitalSource tool you are using, there are different options for doing this.

Manage Placements 

This is the best option if you are using VitalSource Launch, or if you will be placing the same link in every course. This will make an LTI link to VitalSource available in Course Tools.

  1. Go to the System Admin panel.
  2. Click on LTI Tool Providers and find the Tool/Provider for VitalSource (bc.vitalsource.com).
  3. Click the arrow next to the provider domain and click Manage Placements.
  4. Click Create Placement and enter the following:
  • Label: Enter what you would like to have appear in the course, for example, VitalSource Course Materials
  • Handle: vitalsource
  • Availability: Yes
  • Type: 
    • Course tool, student -Select this option if you would like to add the link to the course menu (classic) or would like the tool to be available to students in the books & tools menu (ultra)
    • Course content tool - Select this option if you would like faculty to add the link to their course through the Content section (classic) or Content Market (Ultra)
  • Tool Provider URL: https://bc.vitalsource.com/materials
  • Tool Provider Custom Parameters
    • blackboard_username=@X@user.id@X@
    • blackboard_course_id=@X@course.pk_string@X@
    • blackboard_user_external_uid=@X@user.batch_uid@X@
    • blackboard_course_external_uid=@X@course.batch_uid@X@
    • blackboard_user_id=@X@user.pk_string@X@

5. Click Submit.

Adding Tool Link to the Course Menu (Classic View)

Default Course Menu

This will allow you to add a Link Placement to the default Course Menu. This is your best option if you would like to have the VitalSource Tool link available in all courses by default.

  1. In the System Admin panel, click on Course Settings
  2. Select Course Menu and Structures
  3. Click the + on the default Course menu
  4. Select Tool Link and enter the following:
    • Name: Enter what you would like to appear in the Course Menu
    • Type: Select the link placement you created for VitalSource
    • Available to Users: Check the box
  5. Click Submit

Course Level Menu

Add a Link Placement to the menu for a specific course.

  1. From within a course, click the + on the top left hand corner of the Course Menu
  2. Click Tool Link and enter the following:
    • Name: Enter what you like to appear in the Course Menu
    • Type: Select the link placement for the VitalSource tool you’d like to use
    • Available to Users: Check the box
  3. Click Submit

Adding Links to a Content Area (Classic View)

Create a Link from a Link Placement

This will allow you to add a Link Placement to a content area in a course. Courses typically have a content area labeled Content available in the Course Menu by default.

  1. From within a course, click Content in the Course Menu
  2. Click on the Build Content drop-down menu and locate the VitalSource tool you’d like to use.
  3. Enter the following to create your link:
    • Link Name: Enter what you’d like the link to be called. For example: VitalSource Course Materials
    • Available: Yes
  4. Click Submit

Creating Links (Ultra View)

Creating a Link from a Link Placement

This will allow you to add a Link Placement to an Ultra course.

  1. When in an Ultra course, click the + sign in the area of the course where you would like your link to be and select Content Market.
  2. Locate the VitalSource tool you’d like to add and click the plus sign in the bottom right-hand corner of the tool panel.
  3. This will add a link to your course. Click the three dots icon next to the link to edit the link title if you would like.
  4. The link will be hidden from students by default. Click the eye icon to make the link available to students.

VitalSource Content Deep Linking UI

The next step is to set up deep linking, a powerful feature of our existing LTI tooling that significantly improves course integration. Note that deep linking doesn’t require a new installation. VitalSource’s deep linking tool functions in two major capacities:

  • Allows for the creation of LTI links directly to specific locations within eBooks delivered in Bookshelf®
  • Allows for the creation of LTI links directly to specific locations within courseware delivered via our Partner Integration (SSO) with many of our publishing partners

If your school or institution plans to use the VitalSource Content Deeplink UI, follow the instructions below to create a Deep Linking Content Tool Placement.

 

Using the VitalSource Content Deeplinking Interface

 If your school is configured to use the VitalSource Content Deeplinking Interface, you can add deep links to specific locations of the content back into your Blackboard course.

  1. Go to the System Admin panel.
  2. Click on LTI Tool Providers and find the Tool/Provider for VitalSource (bc.vitalsource.com).
  3. Click the arrow next to the provider domain and click Manage Placements.
  4. Click Create Placement and enter the following:
    • Label: Enter what you would like to have appear in the course, for example, VitalSource Content Deeplinks
    • Handle: vitalsource_deeplinks
    • Availability: Yes
    • Type: 
      •  Deep Linking content tool
        • Do not select “Allow student access”
    • Tool Provider URL:
      • https://bc.vitalsource.com/adopt
    • Tool Provider Custom Parameters
      • blackboard_username=@X@user.id@X@
      • blackboard_course_id=@X@course.pk_string@X@
      • blackboard_user_external_uid=@X@user.batch_uid@X@
      • blackboard_course_external_uid=@X@course.batch_uid@X@
      • blackboard_user_id=@X@user.pk_string@X@
  5. Click Submit.

 

Creating an LTI link in Courses Using the VitalSource Deep Linking UI

Classic Course View

  1. From within a course with the classic view, click Content in the Course Menu
  2. Click on the Build Content drop-down menu and select the VitalSource Content Deeplinking tool.
  3. Select your current adoption or search for content by title, author or SKU (if available).
    Note: Inclusive Access courses will not have search capability.
  4. Click the Link to Specific Page button for the content for which you want to create links.
  5. Select all the locations you desire and click Add Materials.
  6. Click Review and Submit.
  7. Click Add to Course.
  8. The links should be created back in your Blackboard course.

Ultra Course View

  1. From within an Ultra course, click the + in the area of the course where you would like your link(s) to be and select Content Market.
  2. Click the VitalSource Content Deeplinking tool.
  3. Search for content by title, author or SKU.
  4. Click the Table of Contents button for the content which you want to create links.
  5. Select all the locations you desire and click Add Materials.
  6. Click Review and Submit.
  7. Click Add to Course.
  8. The links should be created back in your Blackboard course.

Now that you have the main tool and deep linking installed, you’re all set!

Leveraging Blackboard’s REST APIs, this integration gives VitalSource additional data to complement the VitalSource LTI Tool for Blackboard and enhance the user experience across VitalSource applications. Campus Blackboard administrators can quickly and easily create a role and system user, then register the VitalSource app to power this integration.

Note: This document includes permissions required for course and enrollment ingestion only. If your campus utilized RedShelf’s Automated Tool Link Placement service, VitalSource can continue to support that. We’ll need additional permissions, full details are outlined here.

 

Create a System Role 

  1. Go to the Users section of your System Admin menu and select System Roles.
  2. Click Create Role, enter the following, and click Submit:
    • Role Name: VitalSource_API
    • Role ID: VitalSourceAPI
  3. After you have successfully created the System Role, add the following privileges. You can search for each individual privilege. Check the box for each privilege and click Permit Privileges. A green check will appear by each privilege when it has been permitted:
    • Course/Organization Control Panel (Users and Groups) > Users This permission allows us to view user data. This pulls users to their enrollment in specific courses.
    • Administrator Panel (Users) > Users This permission allows VitalSource to view course rosters.
    • Administrator Panel (Courses) > Courses This permission allows VitalSource to view the list of courses associated with an account and term.
    • Administrator Panel (Courses) > Courses > Edit > Course Properties This permission allows VitalSource to sync Blackboard sections (parent/child courses). 
    • Administrator Panel (Courses) > Terms This permission allows VitalSource to receive Blackboard course details, such as Start/End dates and which term the course belongs to.

Create a System User

  1. Go to the Users section of your System Admin menu and click Users.
  2. Click Create User, enter the following, and click Submit:
  • First Name: VitalSource
  • Last Name: API
  • Username: VitalSource_API
  • Password: Enter a secure password
  • System Roles: VitalSource_API (or the name of the System Role created in Part One)

Set up the Integration

  1. Go to the Integrations section of your System Admin menu and click REST API Integrations.
  2. Click Create Integration, enter the following, and click Submit:
    • Application ID: a17d2616-d93a-4ce4-a693-68da2b84b62a
    • Learn User: (Select the user you created in Part 2)
    • End User Access: No 
  3. When you have completed these steps, let your RedShelf Customer Success Manager & implementation know and they will complete the final steps to enable your REST API Integration.

Requirements & Support

Minimum Requirements: The VitalSource integration with Blackboard Learn’s REST API Services is only available on Learn SaaS or Self-Hosted and Managed-Hosted Blackboard Learn instances using Build 3400.8.0 or later (Q4 2018 or more recent).

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