By Enda Griffin
Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Canvas, Blackboard and Moodle are common platforms used around the world within third level institutions to enhance learning for students. LMS provide a lot of very useful tools to institutions in delivering courses, and learners can access structured learning resources, schedules, and submit assignments relating to their course in one centralised location.
However, LMS platforms are not equipped to provide advanced assessment solutions to gauge a students performance throughout a course, so there is a need to integrate assessment solutions to track student performance and progress. Adding advanced assessment solutions that can provide meaningful information about where a learner sits on their learning journey and whether students require additional support and intervention to meet their learning targets is critical for institutions that are interested in ensuring all learners maximise their learning in preparation for the workplace.
At Qpercom, we plan to ensure that our advanced assessment solutions can integrate with mainstream LMS platforms in an automated manner and have this be achievable through Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standards. Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) is a standard developed by IMS Global Learning Consortium (https://www.imsglobal.org/lti-fundamentals-faq#WhatIsLTI), which allows courseware, learning tools and assessment tools from different vendors to be launched from a tool from within an LMS directly.
LTI is a standard cross-platform specification that is compatible with multiple LMS products. The benefit to plugging into the LTI cross-platform specification is that it should require no additional work developing individual API integrations with different LMS and Qpercom solutions will be able to act consistently across all systems once they also comply with the LTI standard. LTI moves users and data from one system to another securely. For us at Qpercom this means that if a learner or assessor moves from their LMS to one of our web-based solutions, the content on Qpercom solutions will be secure (https:) and so will all data transferred back to a LMS such as scores and outcomes.
LTI integration offers the ability for the exchange of assessment data between LMS platforms and our assessment solutions Recruit and Observe. This includes the scheduling of assessment events, assigning students and examiners and returning outcome scores and comments back to a centralised gradebook within a LMS once assessments are completed on Recruit and Observe.
LTI integration also offers the ability for learners to undertake assessments that they are assigned to on Choice and Entrust directly from within a LMS and all subsequent quiz outcomes and entrustability levels can be transferred back to a centralised gradebook within an LMS. Personalised feedback reports can also be passed back to a LMS from Qpercom solutions to give learners a timely look at feedback which has been approved by exam teams.