What is LTI?

What Does LTI Mean?

Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) is a technical standard developed by 1EdTech. LTI enables you to link various online (external) learning tools to a central learning environment without the hassle of multiple logins or disconnected platforms. It makes everything accessible in one place, simplifying collaboration with multiple external providers within an existing learning environment. LTI allows educators and organisations with a learning platform to seamlessly integrate external learning content into onboarding, training programs, or compliance workflows.

How Does LTI Work in Practice?

Imagine you’re an educator offering online courses on project management. Your clients are organisations that want to train their employees through their own Learning Management System (LMS), such as Moodle or Docebo.

With an LTI connection, you don’t need to send your courses as SCORM packages to every organisation individually. Instead, you publish your course via your LTI provider platform and give each organisation a unique key and secret code to integrate your course into their LMS.

From the Organisation’s Perspective

Now imagine you’re the HR manager at an organisation purchasing learning content from an external educator. You receive a link and a ‘secret’ code from the educator, which you enter into your LMS to access the e-learning module(s). This unique code secures communication between the two systems. From that moment on, your employees can access the course directly, while progress and performance data remain within your LMS.

Benefits of LTI in This Scenario

• For Educators: You manage courses centrally and can easily apply updates.
• For Organisations: You retain control with clear reporting in your LMS.
• For Both: No file compatibility issues or technical hassles—everything works seamlessly via the LTI connection.

With LTI, sharing e-learning modules becomes simpler, safer, and more efficient for both educators and organisations.

LTI Providers and Consumers

• LTI Providers: The parties offering learning modules via LTI (e.g., educators).
• LTI Consumers: The parties using those modules in their LMS (e.g., organisations).

LTI enables consumers to integrate courses from providers into their LMS or other digital learning environments quickly and easily, without requiring technical expertise.

What is a SCORM Package?

A SCORM package is a standardised format for e-learning modules used within LMS platforms or provided to clients. It contains all the files needed for a fully functional course, including text, videos, interactive elements, and quizzes. SCORM ensures that e-learning modules work consistently across different LMSs. For those interested: SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model.

Want to learn more about SCORM? Read here.

SCORM vs. LTI

It’s common to confuse SCORM and LTI, but their focus and use cases differ:

• SCORM: Manages learning content. It allows e-learning authors to create courses that can be deployed in various LMSs, tracking learner progress and results.
• LTI: Facilitates integration between an LMS and third-party tools or platforms. While SCORM focuses on the content itself, LTI acts as a bridge connecting LMSs with external tools or environments (e.g., Linqur).

LTI is ideal for organisations that need to integrate externally hosted learning content into their LMS.

Which LTI Version Should You Use?

There are multiple versions of LTI, and it’s essential to know which version offers which features. While LTI 1.1 remains widely used, LTI 1.3 provides enhanced security and advanced data exchange capabilities.

LTI 1.1

Launched in 2012, LTI 1.1 enabled external tools like quiz modules and e-learning content to integrate with LMSs through Single Sign-On (SSO). This allowed users to access tools directly without multiple logins. LTI 1.1 facilitated basic data transfer and was designed to simplify integration.

LTI 1.3

Introduced in 2019, LTI 1.3 addressed growing security and data management needs in education. By incorporating OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect, it introduced a more robust and secure authentication process. LTI 1.3 also expanded data exchange capabilities, offering better connectivity between tools and content.

Want to dive deeper into the differences and benefits of LTI 1.3? Check out our detailed article on the technical distinctions between the two LTI versions.

LTI with Linqur

With Linqur, you can make your learning content available via both LTI 1.1 and LTI 1.3, ensuring you meet the diverse needs of your clients. Whether you need the simplicity of LTI 1.1 or the advanced features of LTI 1.3, Linqur has you covered.

Start integrating smarter and future-proof your learning environment with LTI.