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Question on state of LTI (Canvas) integration

Question on state of LTI (Canvas) integration

by Mike May -

I am asking about the state of Canvas integration in webwork compared to other homework system.  I am aware that the latest version (LTI 1.3) has improved the integration, but I cannot find details of what it will do and not do.

Let me compare with what I find in other integrations. (I will use Achieve since it was used in the most recent non-webwork course.

With Achieve, like webwork, I start by building a collection of assignments, along with due dates.  I then link the course and all the assignments and due dates are moved to Canvas. I can add extensions and revise the assignments or grading scheme in webwork and it communicates with canvas and updates there.

Students are authenticated on entry into Achieve, but have access to the course and can move around in the course.  They do not need a password for achieve since they are logged into canvas.

My experience of the webwork integration is much more feeble.  I have a choice of separate passwords with the ability to navigate between assignments or automatic verification without the ability to navigate between assignments.  I cannot get calendar communications between systems.

I see the answer as multiple choice (or somewhere in between):

1) Webwork has good and bad features, you understand the level of integration.  Decide what system you want to use.

2) Your understanding of webwork integration is dated, here is where you can find a description of current capabilities.

3) Upgrades are in our plans.  Wait for the next release.

Mike May

Question on state of LTI (Canvas) integration

by Alex Jordan -

WeBWorK's use of LTI 1.1 and LTI 1.3 are about the same (from an instructor perspective—they are very different from an LMS manager perspective). There are few small differences I will try to list below. WeBWorK does not take advantage of all that LTI 1.3 can do, although maybe with new versions, that could change. Notably from your post, WeBWorK does nothing via LTI with dates of assignments at this time.

These notes apply to WeBWorK 2.20. Most apply to several earlier versions as well.

  • Single sign-on. An LMS user can just click something in an LMS course and enter the WeBWorK course. No password is needed. If it is a student level LMS user and there was no previous corresponding user in WeBWorK, such a user will be created. And that user will be assigned all of the published/visible assignments and achievements. If it is a higher level user, no WeBWorK account will be created for them automatically for security reasons. If they should have an account, someone can make it manually.
  • Navigation within WeBWorK. Once in WeBWorK, a user can typically go wherever they want within WeBWorK. The exception might be with student level users if the grade passback mode is "homework" (see below). Also there is a course configuration setting that can be used to deny students any ability to navigate between assignments within WeBWorK.
  • Grade passback can be disabled.
  • Grade passback can be set to "course". If this is the case and an LMS user follows an LTI link into WeBWorK (or if the LTI link was created using the deep linking tool), there will now be a grade item in the LMS corresponding to WeBWorK. The details of what goes in to that one score and how/when it gets passed back are discussed below.
  • Grade passback can be set to "homework". For this to work, the LMS must have many LTI links to the WeBWorK course, specifically at least one LTI link to each assignment in WeBWorK. If a user follows one of these links (or if the LTI link was created using the deep linking tool) there will now be a grade item in the LMS corresponding to that assignment. Again, the details of what goes in to that one score and how/when it gets passed back are discussed below. With LTI 1.1, for any given assignment each student must have followed one of its LTI links for grade passback to be possible. If a student has not done that for a particular assignment, they will not be allowed to navigate to that assignment from within WeBWorK. With LTI 1.3, it suffices for at least one user to have followed an LTI link to an assignment for grade passback to be possible for everyone.
  • When grades are passed back, LTI 1.1 is only capable of transferring a decimal score. This can lead to some discrepancies between scores in the LMS and scores in WeBWorK, that are ultimately rounding issues. Whereas with LTI 1.3, WeBWorK sends a point score and a point total so this is not an issue.
  • When WeBWorK sends grades back can be configured. First of all there is an interval of time (e.g. 24 hours) where everyone's grades will be sent to the LMS. To trigger this, that interval of time must have passed since the last mass update and some user in WeBWorK must click something (anything). But also an individual's grades for an individual assignment can be sent under certain conditions. By default, each time a student submits an answer, the score for that assignment for that user will be attempted. There are further options for how this works described in the help files.
  • What score is sent is rather straight forward if we are talking about "homework" grade mode. But with "course", at a given time, what should be the collection of sets that are used to calculate a grade? Closed sets? Sets the student has attempted? Open sets? Etc. This can be configured too, and is described in the help files.

I'm sure I've missed some things. If people add/correct this thread, I will try to put this information in a helpful place in the wiki.