Enhance External Tools User Experience

[jfahs]

Enhance external tools User Experience
Currently Enter by URL is not practical
and browsing is slow, confusing, and cumbersome

1. IDEA Make External Tools search obvious, simple, and efficient.

Current Enter by URL interface: Link to Diagram

2. IDEA Find External Tool brings up single, scrollable list of all tools

Current Find Interface: Link to Diagram

[jsparks]

Good news, friends!  We are thinking about how we can improve this workflow.  There are many things going on at the moment, but we will share more soon.  If you'd like to be a part of some of the validation, please contact Deactivated user​ who is the principle designer on the workflow.

Jason

[dhulsey]

Thanks, Jason! That is good news.

[jfahs]

Hi Mark,

I would like to participate to help in any way.

Joe Fahs (1-25-17)

October 2016 update from Jason Sparks

Good news, friends!  We are thinking about how we can improve this workflow.  There are many things going on at the moment, but we will share more soon.  If you'd like to be a part of some of the validation, please contact Mark McClellan who is the principle designer on the workflow.

[anthonem]

Deactivated user‌

Related improvement - initializing LTI assignments should be less "click-y". Right now it takes 5 clicks to select an LTI for an assignment. Turnitin used to take 1 click via API. Can the "External Tool" option be moved to the list of online submission options, and could selecting this checkbox would open the External Tool popup window?

[Renee_Carney]

This idea was moved from Under Consideration stage (no longer in use) to the Product Radar stage.  

This change was made as part of a feature idea process evolution.  Find more information, and contribute insights, by joining Focus Group: DRAFT Feature Idea Space. 

[shaomeng]

I'd love seeing the external tool modal just becoming a dropdown menu that supports type-ahead search. The modal also has an "Load in a new tab" checkbox and text input that already exist in the parent page, so the only function of the modal was just to pick a tool, which could be just accomplished by a dropdown menu. 

Dropdown can replace one level of navigation, but still doesn't solve the exposure problem. Currently, the External Tool assignment is just too hidden in the Submission Type menu. It's logical, but I wish it has its own section, that's a binary toggle with other submission types (so you can choose any Canvas native submission types or External Tools). Maybe like a horizontal scrolling section where you can pick a tool and be done with it. 

[Renee_Carney]

The Radar idea stage has been removed from the Feature Idea Process.  You can read more about why in the blog post Adaptation: Feature Idea Process Changes.

This change will only impact the stage sort of this idea and will not change how it is voted on or how it is considered during prioritization activities.  This change will streamline the list of ideas 'open for voting', making it easier for you to see the true top voted ideas in one sort, here.

[dave_perry]

The popup needs to be bigger as soon as it loads, as by default it doesn't show the scrollbar or the full results list UNLESS you hover your mouse over the red area in the screenshot below and use the wheel on the mouse (assuming it has one) to scroll the results. 

I made this highlighted screenshot for a member of staff who knew what to do but couldn't scroll the search results - I know it has a resize option bottom right, but you shouldn't have to do that to get the scrollbar on results list:

[KristinL]

Thank you for sharing this idea with the Instructure Community!

The Product Team reviewed all feature proposals recently, and unfortunately, this thread was identified as one that they would not be able to include in their current or future plans. While we appreciate your proposal, we also want to be transparent about the likelihood of something like this making it to production.

Thank you for collaborating, and we hope that you submit another idea in the future!