Google Assignments LTI

Tracey Williams

Has anyone implemented the Google ASSIGNMENTS LTI with Blackbaud?  It's separate from the Google Drive Integration.  Google Assignments is meant to sync PARTS of Google Classroom with any LMS.  I'm trying to figure it out.  I've been playing around with it but it's a little tricky...but I saw something on Twitter from Feb. 2020 that said enabling the Google Assignments LTI in Blackbaud syncs the grades...they said it’s not 100% perfect but a good start....and it negates the need for Classroom.  Google Assignments is a relatively new feature so maybe it has improved since then? It used to be called Google Course Kit.


If you have successfully enabled the Google Assignments LTI in Blackbaud - PLEASE let me know! I'd love to ask you a few questions. I feel like I am so close to having it work....just a couple of bugs to figure out.  Thank you! (I do realize there are other threads about this same thing in the LTI OneRoster discussion group - but I thought I'd try it here too!).  

Jonathan Gray

I've got it working on our spin-up of BB.  One tip is make a fake student account (gSuite and BB), enroll them in a fake (or "safe" course), and test out the interface through that.

Devi Innerarity

This is my first time using Google Assignment with BB. I have it working in our BB system though. It is awesome that it can return the grade back to our system! One thing I ran into was that our new school year did not open till today so I kept having trouble with it showing up the grade but once the new school year started it actually worked. I did notice one minor issue is that teachers cannot attach a file in Google Assignment unless they use it as a stand alone. What are y'alls work around for attaching files while using it in BB? I am going to train my teachers on altering the weblink of a Google Doc, sheet or slides so that it will force a copy so they attach a link.


 

Anne Gorman

Where do I get an LTI key and secret code for Blackbaud. 

Devi Innerarity

You go to www.assignemnts.google.com/admin but if that does not work the below help forum has the link and instructions on generating the LTI. You have to choose "Other LMS". Hope this helps!
https://support.google.com/edu/assignments/answer/9069147?hl=en

 

Kathy Hannon

I am being asked to request approval for beta ... then I get email from google, in a week, that our suite has been turned down.  How are all Google Assignment schools getting approved?  What am I missing - our school has had a g-suite for years, so maybe I am missing an admin setting within the suite?

Devi Innerarity

Kathy,


I am not sure if you have to be approved to use the tool since part of the tool is published to the public. However, I cannot confirm this because I previously signed our school up for Coursekit beta which turned into the Google Assignments. If you want, I would try going to the support form to get to the admin console. This will guide you through how to get the key and shared secrete. Then add it into your Integration section of Blackbaud. Hopefully that might allow you to bypass the beta approval. 

https://support.google.com/edu/assignments/answer/9069147?hl=en

 

Brian Gray

Devi Innerarity:


I did notice one minor issue is that teachers cannot attach a file in Google Assignment unless they use it as a stand alone. What are y'alls work around for attaching files while using it in BB? I am going to train my teachers on altering the weblink of a Google Doc, sheet or slides so that it will force a copy so they attach a link.

Devi - 


My school is new to the LMS. We have been a Google school for a long time, and our teachers like the "make a copy for every student" feature in Classroom. Grade pass back is not important to us, but the ability to attach a template file to an assignment and create a copy for each student is critical.


Based on comments on this thread and on a similar/parallel discussion in the LTI forum, I have decided to not enable the LTI for now.


Instead, I will instruct teachers to go to assignments.google.com, create classes as needed, and create assignments with attached template files. Each assignment comes with a link to give to students.  Teachers will create an LMS assignment and include the link to the particular assignment.


When students clicks the link, they will be added to the Google Assignments class if they are not already a member.  They will land on the Google Assignments page for the assignment, click the link to create/open their copy of the template document, and go to work.  Students will have to submit the assignment twice - once in Google assignments and once in LMS Assignments.


Teachers will have direct access to students work in Google Drive (My Drive > Assignments > Class name > Assignment name > student docs). They can also access the students' work through assignments.google.com.


The process for the teacher is very similar to what they did in Classroom (Create class, add assignment, attach files, look at them in Classroom or in Drive.)  The teacher does NOT have to add students to a Google Assignments class roster.


Because I am not enabling the LTI, teachers won't have to remember to choose it when creating the LMS assignment, and students won't see the Launch link that goes nowhere.  (The students are more likely to click the correct link if there is only one to choose from.)


The discussion here and in the other thread have been very helpful to me.  Thanks to all!

 

Elizabeth Perron

Hi


I have moved this forum post to the LTI/OneRoster Forum so others can learn from all the great discussion.  Thank you for everyone sharing their knowledge!


In harmony and inclusion,

Elizabeth

Blackbaud Community Team

Philip Vinogradov

Hello Brian,


We are in the same space. The LTI does not work as expected with creating a copy for students via a template. Johnathan, did you get that to work?

 

Brian Gray

I am NOT using LTI with Google Assignments.  We use Assignments as a stand-alone service and put links to the Google Assignment in the LMS assignment.


The instructions I have given to our teachers are in the three videos below.  If you like them, you can share them with your teachers.


1 - Intro to Google Assignments
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sWB1KdGIAQ7LjhptnWfoD4_CLdJzCplz/view?usp=sharing

• Contains some misleading information about originality reports. Originality Reports are limited to three assignments per Google Assignments course.

2 - Create Courses in Google Drive

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f6bxBbkW2YMDWBAafFOzTe8RMOd5B9kq/view?usp=sharing


3 - Options for Teachers of Multiple Sections

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UHVNtLBykSu9IcDmunwX2ICCroNO4ntu/view?usp=sharing


Your mileage may vary.

 

Ryann Supple

I set up the LTI for Google Classrooms but I'm not sure of the next steps there. What do we have to do to start - can teachers just start posting in Google Classroom and it will go through to BB?

Brian Gray

Ryann -


The only LTI that I am aware of is for Google Assignments (assignments.google.com) - not Google Classroom (classroom.google.com). The Google Assignments LTI works, but as of last week it does not allow you to create an assignment that will provide a copy of a template document to each student. If you don't need that feature, Assignments might work for you. It now does grade pass-back to the LMS gradebook.


However, if you need the "Make a copy for each student" feature, you can only get it with Classroom, which does not rely on the Assignments LTI. The video linked below will show you how to link a Classroom assignment to the LMS. (It shows how to add a link to the assignment in the LMS - not how to create it through an LTI.) This approach does NOT do grade pass-back to the LMS. You will have to enter the grade in the LMS gradebook.

https://bit.ly/37Y7CMp

Ryann Supple

Ok, thank you. I meant Google Assignments. I just wasn't sure if once it's set up teachers can just begin posting.