This article describes the setup for LTI 1.1 integrations for EasyCoach roleplays. We have more integration options: see our overview.
Not sure whether to use SSO or LTI?
Not sure whether to use SSO or LTI?
Both SSO and LTI let your learners open an EasyCoach roleplay without having to create a separate EasyCoach account or remember another password. The difference is how the roleplay reaches them:
SSO (OAuth or SAML) is about easy sign-in. You send learners a roleplay link (or add it to a course or page). When they click it, they log in with the same company account they already use for other work tools — and go straight into the roleplay. Use this when you want to share roleplays by link or place them inside a course.
LTI (1.1 or 1.3) is about opening roleplays from inside your learning system (LMS). If your organization already runs training through an LMS like Moodle, Canvas, or Cornerstone, LTI lets learners start the roleplay right there — and their scores are sent back into the LMS automatically. Use this when you want the roleplay to act as a training activity inside your LMS, with everything tracked in one place.
In simple words: SSO = an easy, no-extra-password way to log in. LTI = launching roleplays from your LMS, with results sent back to it.
How LTI 1.1 works with EasyCoach
EasyCoach provides an option to embed/integrate EasyCoach roleplays into a 3rd party tool or platform (e.g., an LMS) using the LTI 1.1 (Learning Tools Interoperability) standard.
Here are some basic terms to help you in this guide:
LTI Consumer (e.g. an LMS): This is the service that integrates the tool. Typically, this is a Learning Management System (LMS) or user portal. The LTI Consumer provides user information and context to the LTI Tool Provider. Additionally, the LTI Consumer provides authentication vouching for the user to the LTI Tool Provider.
LTI Tool Provider (e.g. EasyCoach roleplay): This is the service providing the service to the LTI Consumer. This can be on-premises software or a service that is hosted outside the LTI Consumer.
You can launch any EasyCoach roleplay through the LTI integration, and a single LTI connection can be used to launch multiple roleplays on supported platforms. When a learner opens a roleplay through the LTI Consumer, they are already authenticated with the user they're signed in as in the LTI Consumer. If a learner doesn't already have an EasyCoach account, one is created automatically the first time they launch a roleplay. The roleplay opens in a new browser tab. Once finished, the learner simply submits their responses and closes the tab.
Set up LTI 1.1 for your organization
To integrate an EasyCoach roleplay into the LTI Consumer, email us at [email protected] to get your consumer key and shared secret (used for LTI 1.1 integrations).
Note: If you're already using LTI to launch Easygenerator courses from your LMS, no separate connection is required for EasyCoach. Just reach out to our Support team, let them know you already have an LTI connection in place, and ask them to enable it for EasyCoach; the same connection will be used.
Generating an LTI 1.1 link
Once the key and secret are set up, you can generate an LTI 1.1 launch link for any roleplay directly in EasyCoach:
Open the roleplay you'd like to share.
Click Share.
Under Via link, click the arrow next to Normal link.
Select LTI 1.1 link.
Click Copy Link and use it to embed the roleplay into your course.
Once the LTI integration is set up, roleplay results will be sent to the LTI Consumer.
Technical details
The following reference is intended for LMS administrators and IT teams configuring the LTI 1.1 connection on the Consumer side.
LTI version | LTI 1.1 (lti_version=LTI-1p0). LTI 1.3 uses a different, OAuth 2.0 / OIDC-based method. |
Authentication | OAuth 1.0 request signing using HMAC-SHA1, with a consumer key and shared secret issued by Easygenerator. The shared secret must be kept confidential. |
Launch method | A signed HTTP form POST to the EasyCoach launch endpoint with lti_message_type=basic-lti-launch-request. |
Launch endpoint | |
Key parameters sent by the Consumer | Typically resource_link_id, user_id, roles, context_id, and optionally the lis_person_name_* name fields. |
Results / grade passback | Uses the LTI 1.1 Basic Outcomes Service via lis_outcome_service_url and lis_result_sourcedid, so roleplay results return to the LTI Consumer. |
Transport / security | All launches occur over HTTPS. The Consumer signs each launch with the shared secret; EasyCoach validates the signature before granting access. |
Notes:
LTI for EasyCoach is available only for Team plan users and higher.
This setup applies to LTI 1.1. Other integrations (such as LTI 1.3) use a different configuration method.
It is completely up to your LTI Consumer (e.g., an LMS) whether to provide learners' names or not. According to GDPR, it's not mandatory to provide other services with the user data. This means that if your LTI Consumer provides the learner's ID rather than name, this ID will be used to identify the learner. If the system provides neither a name nor an ID at all, a random name (like Polar Bear) will be automatically created by EasyCoach.
If you need the learners' names to be provided, please use the oAuth method.