Where to get the LTI apps' version # and the LTI provider's information?

[liuz21]

Our institution have integrated several external apps in Canvas, such as the following list:

• Redirect,
• Ares-course Reserves,
• Atomic Learning,
• Chalk & Wire,
• Graph Builder,
• Khan Academy
• Youtube
• Pearson MyLab and Mastering

Most of the apps are integrated by IT department. They haven't documented the version and LTI provider information. Where can I find the LTI provider information? And, where to find the apps' version we are using?

Thanks!

[garth]

 @liuz21 ​ you can use the API to get a list of LTI apps installed in your instance:

• External Tools - List external tools

This call will return an array of LTI objects.

You can derive who the publisher is from the URL, name and description fields.

The data also includes the data the LTI was installed and last updated.

However, there is no version number, which makes sense if you think about how LTI is managed.

The LTI app is hosted on the third party servers, and can be updated at any time without updating the XML configuration stored in Canvas.  You will likely have to contact each vender to determine what version they are currently hosting.

This is a good question, I look forward to other responses.

[liuz21]

Thanks for your reply!

I am a little confused with LTI and LTI App. Are they(LTI and LTI App) usually come from the same vendor or not?

[garth]

LTI Provider is the publisher (or vendor) of the LTI Application.

LTI by itself is an acronym for "Learning Tools Interoperability", which is a defined standard allowing "providers" to publish applications across multiple platforms that adhere to the same set of rules.

• Learning Tools Interoperability | IMS Global Learning Consortium

I hope that helps.

[bgibson]

/api/v1/accounts/:account_id/external_tools

The above didn't generate a complete list of LTI tools that we were using.  I pasted the output into the following:  https://konklone.io/json/  Once I removed the following leading characters "while(1);" a nice spreadsheet view was displayed and could be downloaded as a CSV file.

Rather than "version numbers" for LTI apps, the apps are always the "latest version."  As in, no one asks which version of Canvas are we using;-)  It is always the latest version.

[garth]

If you didn't get a complete list of LTI Apps, I suspect that some of those apps have been implemented at the sub-account level.

If you look carefully at the documentation:  "Returns the paginated list of external tools for the current context"

The API call you have listed above uses ":account_id"

You may need to iterate through your sub-accounts to get a complete list of all LTI apps implemented at your institution.

Regarding the "version", as long as everyone is playing by the same rules, i.e. adhering to the LTI standards, version is irrelevant.

• Learning Tools Interoperability | IMS Global Learning Consortium

Canvas is responsible for supporting LTI on their end, and the application provider is responsible for supporting LTI on their side.

[mcarruth]

Some of the apps could be installed in the the course shells also. The LTI app will copy when the course shell is copied.  Many of our LTI apps are configured in the manner because of the custom parameters that are needed.

[Robbie_Grant]

 @liuz21 ,

We are giving the Canvas Admins area a little bit of love (especially questions that are really, really old) and just want to check in with you.  This will also bring this question new attention. 

Were you able to find an answer to your question? I am going to go ahead and mark this question as answered because there hasn't been any more activity in a while so I assume that you have the information that you need. If you still have a question about this or if you have information that you would like to share with the community, by all means, please do come back and leave a comment.  Also, if this question has been answered by one of the previous replies, please feel free to mark that answer as correct.

Robbie