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

[kmeeusen]

Hi  @jfahs ​

Actually, and I just tested this, you do not need to enter the URL of an external tool, simply type the name or even part of the name, click "Find" and the scrollable list of installed tools displays, with an option to enter the URL if Canvas could not find it.

I find this process very simple, and use it all the time. You can learn more about external tool assignments How do I add an External App as an assignment submission type?

I hope this helps,

KLM

[jfahs]

Hi Kelley,

Whether the Tool name is typed or not clicking the Find button brings up a scrollable list of tools and the interface is inconsistent depending on the browser and number of installed LTI apps. The Find button acts like a browse button and in some instances requires resizing the Configure External Tool dialog box.

Joe

[scottdennis]

Hi  @jfahs ​

I have carefully read through your descriptions several times now and am having trouble understanding what the issue is.  Could you perhaps do a screencast and tell what the pain points as you go?

Thanks,

Scott

[jfahs]

Hi  @scottdennis 

The Find button does not find Turnitin (or any other LTI tool when entering its name in the Find box) resulting in having to resize the Configure External Tool dialog box in two directions to finally allow browsing and selecting. I tried this with different browsers and platforms.

It would be great if Find could find AND select the tool. Anything to make the process more efficient is a benefit for instructors who will need to configure the tool for every Assignment that requires originality checking by Turnitin.

Thank you,

Joe

Screencast: http://www.screencast.com/t/VrYzOlV0

[kmeeusen]

Hi  @jfahs ​

In your screencast, you did not start by typing "Turnitin" in the search box, you simply clicked "Search", so Canvas was left with displaying the entire list.

KLM

[scottdennis]

Hey  @jfahs 

I don't have turnitin enabled in my instance so I used Vimeo to test what Kelley said about typing the name fo the integration to find it:

2016-05-11_1322 - Scott.Dennis's library

It seems pretty straight forward as is.  Do you still want to advance a request to change it?

[jfahs]

Hi Kelly,

Yikes - forgot to type it in the search box but when I do the result is the same. Will redo the screencast.

Joe

[jfahs]

Hi Scott,

I will redo the screencast tomorrow morning but what you demonstrated is exactly what I would like to see but is NOT happening in our instance.

Take a look and then we can decide whether I should submit a case/issue to Instructure support.

Thank you, Scott!

Joe

[scottdennis]

Hey Joe,

I was able to log into another test instance I have access to.  The external tool process worked as it should.  Then I tried logging into your institution's instance and, sure enough, it behaved differently than what I saw in the first two instances.  Have you tried filing a support ticket on this?  Other than there being a technical problem, the only other difference I can see is that your institution has configured many more external tools than what I have in my sandbox.  Will be interested to hear more.

[jfahs]

Hi  @scottdennis 

Thanks for confirming that our instance of Canvas works differently. I have a new Screencast (with the Turnitin text in the box this time) that I will share  with technical support once I open a new case. I will let you know what I learn.

Joe

[tdelillo]

I am very curious about the outcome of this. Our instance displays the same behavior as yours - the URL box in no way acts as a search box. The Find button brings up a list of every app, regardless of what, if anything, you have typed in that box. My assumption has always been that that is the expected and standard behavior, because even the guide itself (How do I add an External App as an assignment submission type? ) only mentions entering a URL or using Find to look for a tool, nothing about searching.

[scottdennis]

Thank you, Tracey.  This leads me to believe even more that the difference may be that I do not have many apps configured in my test instance.  Lets wait for Joe's update and then I'm thinking we'll probably add this one to the voting queue.

[jfahs]

Hi  @tdelillo  &  @scottdennis 

I received this feedback from technical support just this afternoon.

Thanks for reaching out to Canvas Support! It appears that you are encountering issues with the 'Find LTI Tool Window' -- in regards to your first issue. Unfortunately, this is not a 'search' bar, which is why that is not working for you. That bar is if you had been needing to configure the LTI by URL otherwise clicking the 'Find' button will help to select pre-configured LTIs.

In regards to your second issue -- you may need to scroll all the way down but resizing the window should not be necessary. I do agree, however that it is kind of an odd size. You can change the default width via CSS, which in my opinion makes this better. They [Instructure team] do hope to improve this area globally in the future to make the user experience better.

So the Find button does NOT search in the LTI apps list for typed text in the URL search box and secondly the browsing by scrolling experience is confusing, cumbersome, and time-consuming.

 @scottdennis 

The suggestion from tech support was to put in a community request so if possible I would like to keep the request active as illustrated in the two diagrams in my original post as a feature request. The exception being that instead of pressing return/enter for text (e.g. Turnitin) in the text box, the user would click Find. 

 @tdelillo 

Please add your thoughts and thanks for reaching out!

Joe

[scottdennis]

Hey  @jfahs ​,

Thank you for hanging in there with us.  I'll go ahead and add this idea to the queue for ideas opening on June 1st.

[dhulsey]

I am a bit confused now. Is this a bug that the search does not work, or would the search be a new feature? Our instance appears to work as Joe describes.

[jfahs]

Hi Dallas,

According to Canvas support Search (by LTI tool name) would have to be a new feature because the Find button in its current state will only browse the list of LTI tools as installed by the institution. In our instance browsing by Find is also a time-consuming, confusing process because of the issue of resizing, scrolling, and selecting through the LTI list window.

Joe

[dhulsey]

Thanks for the clarification, Joe.

[kroeninm]

 @jfahs ​ thank you!  I always assume that "Find" means search and then kick myself for spending extra time in typing the name of the tool in that box   I'm always confused no matter how many times I do it, why it doesn't autocomplete for me and select the tool as I type. 

I think designing the box differently to separate the Find and the URL box would help.  It just looks so much like a browser search engine... single lined text box followed by a button. 

Or maybe changing the text to "Browse" would make more sense as well. 

- Melanie

[Renee_Carney]

This idea has moved to the next stage and will be open for voting among the Canvas Community, from Wed. June 1, 2016 - Wed. September 7, 2016.

Check out this doc for additional details about how the voting process works!

[jfahs]

Hi  @kroeninm ​

Sorry for the delayed response. I was thinking the same -- so yes, your idea is great!

Joe

Something like this?