Blackboard LTI 1.1 Tool Setup

Campus Blackboard administrators can quickly and easily install the VitalSource LTI tool in order to provide students and faculty with seamless access to VitalSource Bookshelf and Analytics.

Jump to: How to Install, Managing Link Placement, Adding Tool Link to the Course Menu, Adding Links to a Content Area, Creating Links, Data Storage & Usage 

How to Install

These instructions detail how to set up VitalSource as an LTI 1.1 Tool Provider. From within Blackboard:

1. Go to the System Admin panel
2. Click on LTI Tool Providers
3. Click Register Provider Domain and enter the following:
   • Provider Domain Status
     • Provider Domain: bc.vitalsource.com
     • Provider Domain Status: approved 
   • Default Configuration
     • Default configuration: Set globally
     • Tool Provider Key: Enter the key provided to you by VitalSource
     • Tool Provider Secret: Enter the secret provided to you by VitalSource
     • Tool Provider Custom Parameters (enter one parameter per line):
       1. blackboard_username=@X@user.id@X@
       2. blackboard_course_id=@X@course.pk_string@X@
   • Organization Policies 
     • Send User Data: send user data only over SSL
     • User Fields to Send: check all boxes
       1. Constituency in Course
       2. Name
       3. Email Address
     • Allow Membership Service Access: Yes 
4. Click Submit

Managing Link Placement 

After you have set VitalSource up as an LTI 1.1 Tool Provider, 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: Depending on the VitalSource tool you are using, enter one of the URLs below:
     • Multi-Course content access & opt-out tool: https://bc.vitalsource.com/materials
     • Single-Course content access & opt-out tool: https://bc.vitalsource.com/books
     • Instructor Dashboard (Note: this tool is available in the instructor view of both of the above tools. We recommend also setting VitalSource up as a REST API Integration when using this tool): https://bc.vitalsource.com/engagement_dashboard
   • Tool Provider Custom Parameters
     • blackboard_username=@X@user.id@X@
     • blackboard_course_id=@X@course.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

This will allow you to 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)

Creating 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 info 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 a Link

This will allow you to add a link to a course. This is the best option if the links you need to use will vary by course. An example of when to use this is when you are linking to a specific ebook. These links can be added to Content areas, Learning Modules, Module Pages, and Content Folders.

1. When in a course, click Content in the Course Menu. Once in the Content area, you may also click into a Learning Module, Module Page, or Content Folder.
2. Click Build Content and select Web Link from the dropdown menu
3. Enter the following info to create your link:
   • Name: Enter what you’d like the link to be called. Example: VitalSource Course Materials
   • URL: https://bc.vitalsource.com/books/:SKU (You will need to enter the SKU for the specific VitalSource book you are using. Example: https://bc.vitalsource.com/books/9780000000000R180)
   • This link is a Tool Provider: Check the box
   • Open in New Window: Yes
   • Permit Users to View this Content: 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.

Creating an LTI Link

This will allow you to create an LTI link in an Ultra course that is not based on a Link Placement. This is the best option if you are linking directly to a specific VitalSource product.

1. When in an Ultra course, click the plus sign in the area of the course where you would like your link to be and select Create.
2. Click the Teaching Tools with LTI Connection.
3. Enter the following link details:
   • Edit the link title at the top to the link title you would like to display
   • Configuration URL: https://bc.vitalsource.com/books/{{SKU}} (You will need to enter the SKU for the specific VitalSource book you are using. Example: https://bc.vitalsource.com/books/9780000000000R180)
   • Select Add Custom Parameters and enter the following (one per line):
     • blackboard_username=@X@user.id@X@
     • blackboard_course_id=@X@course.pk_string@X@
   • Open in new window: Check this box
4. Click Save

Data Storage & Usage

This section describes what data VitalSource receives about Blackboard users and courses through the LTI tool and how that data is stored & used.