Learning Tools Interoperability® (LTI®) is one of the critical interoperability standards needed to integrate multiple campus systems so that institutions can create a coherent technology ecosystem (shared environments) with products from several different vendors. The purpose of this FAQ is to answer some of the basic, non-technical questions about LTI, explain its benefits, and clarify information about what LTI does and what it does not do.
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Frequently Asked Questions
LTI Fundamentals
What is LTI? What does LTI stand for?
What aspects of integration does LTI address?
How is LTI different from other methods of integrating systems, e.g., Blackboard Building Blocks?
Is LTI a specific type of app or product?
Does LTI solve all of my challenges with tool integrations?
How do I know that I am being moved from one system to another?
How else is LTI sometimes referenced?
What are the risks of LTI tools?
LTI Security & Privacy
What do my IT security colleagues need to know about LTI?
Are there any security-related resources available?
Is there a concern about privacy when using LTI?
Does LTI adhere to national and local laws, such as those that govern data privacy?
LTI Technical Basics
What is the latest version of LTI?
Should all of our edtech tools and systems be LTI certified?
Does LTI always refer to custom homegrown or external/third-party apps?
Are there good models for approving LTI integrations?
Conformance and Certification
How can I be certain that a vendor’s product is truly LTI certified?
Do edtech tools using LTI need to be accessibility requirement/standard compliant?
What is LTI? What does LTI stand for?
Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) is a standard developed by 1EdTech Consortium, which allows courseware and learning tools from different vendors to be launched within a learning platform, often an LMS. The LTI integration allows the student to move seamlessly from one tool to the other, with minimal effort from instructors or students. The current version of LTI is 1.3, and previous versions are now deprecated.
What is LTI Advantage?
LTI Advantage is a package of services that build on the core LTI standard (LTI 1.3) to add new features that facilitate deeper integration of any tool with any LMS and offer more advanced protection of the exchange of sensitive student data. View the LTI Advantage FAQ for more information.
Why is LTI useful?
The primary use of LTI allows the seamless connection between a web-based tool that is outside of the learning platform. LTI provides the mechanism that allows users (such as a student) to navigate among various tools while maintaining a high-level of security for passing data about the user, the place they come from, and their role (e.g., faculty, student, TA, etc.). The tools can range from simple communication applications, such as chat, to domain-specific learning environments, such as publisher products. In other words, if you have an interactive assessment application or virtual chemistry lab, it can be securely connected to an LMS in a standard way without a tool having to develop and maintain custom integrations for each platform.
LTI allows a user to navigate between various learning tools without having to log into each tool. LTI carries information about the user, the platform from which they came, the role of the user, and where they are going.
What problem does LTI solve?
LTI provides standardized and seamless integration between a growing set of cloud-based learning applications and a growing set of learning environments or platforms, such as learning management systems, portals, or learning object repositories.
What aspects of integration does LTI address?
LTI integration enables a secure launch from within the learning environment that handles user interface integration, single sign-on to the learning application, and the passing of important context information such as course and user information. LTI also enables secure communication of data from the learning application to the learning environment, such as scores, grade books, etc.
How is LTI different from other methods of integrating systems, e.g., Blackboard Building Blocks?
LTI is a standard cross-platform specification that is compatible with multiple LMS products, such as Blackboard Building Blocks. Tools that conform to a cross-platform specification should require no additional work or a proprietary API to integrate with more systems and will act consistently across systems.
What’s the relationship between LTI and an App Store (e.g., EduAppCenter in Canvas) or tool catalog?
An app store or tool catalog is a listing of available tools, often accompanied by a description. It may include user reviews and recommendations for use, much like a listing on Amazon, Google Play Store, iTunes, etc. In many cases, the education technology tools included in a vendor-managed or an institution may host a tool catalog that lists tools available on their campus. In many cases, these tools leverage the LTI standards to integrate the tool into the institution's ecosystem, LMS, or course shell. Not all tools listed in a catalog use LTI to integrate with an LMS or course shell. It is essential to read the description of the tool before adoption to discover whether the tool uses LTI or another form of integration. 1EdTech also publishes a Certified Product Directory that lists all 1EdTech-certified LTI tools.
Is LTI a specific type of app or product?
LTI is a technical standard (not a product) for integrating learning tools within an institution’s learning environment. It provides a secure foundation from which an institution can build its digital ecosystem. We often hear people refer to “LTIs” when they mean "LTI Tools" or applications that integrate into an LMS using the LTI standard.
Does LTI solve all my challenges with tool integrations?
LTI solves many challenges. However, some concerns need to be appropriately examined, such as the security of protected data in systems external to the institution. LTI moves users and data from one system to another securely. For example, if a user moves from an LMS to a web-based system, the items may or may not be encrypted (e.g., https). Whether the content is unsecured (http:) or secure (https:) is unique to the tool and not LTI. There is a similar case with data that can be passed between tools using some versions of LTI. Depending on how the tool integration is configured in the LMS, user data can be captured, collected, and held by the third-party tool or system. This data is not governed by LTI. It is recommended that all tools and systems be vetted to ensure their security and handling of data conform to institutional policies.
How do I know that I am moving from one system to another?
You may not always know that you are moving from one system to another. Some tools may present the end-user (instructor, student) with a message letting them know they are accessing a different system the first time; however, other tools, may not. One of the strengths of LTI in the learning context is its ability to maintain a seamless experience as students, faculty, or staff move from one system to another without the worry of multiple logins.
How else is LTI sometimes referenced?
The term "integration" is used often.
What are the risks of LTI tools?
If instructors are allowed to configure LTI tools without institutional approval, these tools may not comply with local standards around data security, privacy, or accessibility. Your campus LMS team can inform you about local policy for evaluating, selecting, and adding LTI tools to your LMS.
What do my IT security colleagues need to know about LTI?
The privacy of personal data has always been an essential element of the LTI specification. LTI allows personal data about a user (such as their name, email address, and role) to be included in the messages that are sent to third-party content and learning tools. In many cases, such data is critical in providing an excellent level of service to users. However, one of the requirements that a tool consumer must pass to be awarded LTI certification is that it must have implemented an option to enable and disable the passing of such data. Thus, the choice as to whether personal data is shared with third-parties remains under the control of the institution (at least if they are using a certified tool consumer).
When establishing a relationship with a third-party content and learning tools, it is recommended that an institution satisfies itself about:
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What personal data do they require to have shared with them?
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Do they have an adequate policy to ensure the continued privacy of any personal data which is shared?
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What are the consequences if it is decided not to share certain personal data?
When it comes to the sharing of personal data, the approach should always be:
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remember that the tool platform can control this;
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only do so when it is required to improve the user experience;
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only do so when adequate safeguards are in place to guarantee the continued privacy of the data;
Are there any security-related resources available?
The University of Pennsylvania developed a questionnaire for vendors intended to help guide vendor responses about existing or planned security controls protecting hosted data and systems.
Is there a concern about privacy when using LTI?
An LTI tool presents the same concerns any third-party application has that is granted access to student data as part of the tool’s functionality. The ability to collect and store personally identifying information about students, including names, email addresses, and grades for activities completed, is specific to the tool and not LTI. Instructors and institutions should ensure that LTI tools comply with their local campus standards around student privacy, information security, records retention, and accessibility.
Does LTI adhere to national and local laws, such as those that govern data privacy?
Instructors and institutions using LTI tools should review each tool integration to ensure that the vendor adheres to national, local, and campus policies and laws related to student information, records, accessibility, etc. Adopting an LTI tool should follow the same process that an institution would apply to a contract with any third party for learning resources. LTI merely changes how data passes to third parties.
What is the latest version of LTI?
LTI has evolved, and what it can do continues to mature, which is why there are different versions. LTI 1.3 is the latest version and the first to leverage the new 1EdTech Security Framework. All previous versions are now deprecated, but are still in use in many cases. The LTI version number to which a tool complies is very important as it prescribes that the tool consumer (e.g., LMS) must support that specific version of LTI to take full advantage of the functionality it offers.
Should all of our edtech tools and systems be LTI certified?
One of the advantages of using LTI tools that are certified by 1EdTech is that 1EdTech stands behind the certification. If you encounter an integration issue with a certified LTI app, the 1EdTech technical team will work with your campus and the tool provider to resolve the issue. Also, note that one benefit of LTI integrations is that the integration is LMS-agnostic should the institution ever consider changing its platform.
Does LTI always refer to custom homegrown or external/third-party apps?
With education technology, there are at least two players: a tool platform, such as an LMS, and a tool provider, which is the homegrown or external/third-party app. A tool can be homegrown and use the LTI standard, making the institution both the platform for and provider of the app. Typically, tools that integrate with a platform (e.g., LMS or other enterprise systems [portal]) are referred to as an LTI tool.
Are there good models for approving LTI integrations?
How can I be sure that a vendor’s product is genuinely LTI certified?
1EdTech provides and maintains a directory of products that have met conformance criteria for all of its standards, including LTI. All certified products are issued a certification number and are listed in the 1EdTech Product Directory. Products listed in the directory are guaranteed to meet the 1EdTech standards for which they have passed testing. If you experience an integration issue with an 1EdTech-certified product, 1EdTech will work with the supplier and institution to resolve the problem.
To ensure that any tool consumer or tool provider is compliant it is recommended that you require 1EdTech certification as part of an institution's procurement process and RFP documents and check their certification record at imscert.org.
Do edtech tools using LTI need to be accessibility requirement/standard compliant?
LTI is the standard that enables two learning tools to integrate easily. It is not the content of the tool. Concerns relating to accessibility compliance and the security of transmitting web content (e.g., https:) are not directly related to LTI.
