Facilitator Instructions

This article is intended for facilitators learning how to apply Xorro-Q's integration with an LMS.  It concerns the following topics:

Creating the assignment in your LMS ● Accessing Xorro-Q from your LMS for the first time ● Linking the assignment in your LMS to your Xorro-Q activity, and launching it ● Publishing your assignment in the LMS ● Using Q-Launcher with LTI-linked activities

 Pre-requisites: You need to have a Xorro Facilitator login, and a login to your LMS.

The usual procedure is to create an activity in Xorro-Q using your QF site in the usual way.  Elect to make this activity an "LTI activity".  Next, in your LMS, set up an assignment or resource which you want your studentas to visit.  You'll specify Xorro-Q as the type of type of assignment.  Last, you'll need to link this assignment page in your LMS, to the target Xorro-Q activity.  Here's how:

1.  Facilitators: Creating a Xorro-Q activity in your LMS:

In your Course, add a "resource" (or "activity" or "assignment").

• Give the resource or assignment a name.  
• Select "External Tool" as the type.  Select Xorro-Q as the External tool type (this will be available from the drop down menu).
• Do not enter any Launch URL.  Leave the field blank (anyway the url should always be https://q.xorro.com/lti).
• If you wish, you can change the Launch container (eg "new tab" or "current page") from whatever default your LMS administrator has set.  Xorro-Q does support embedding into the LMS pages.
• Decide on grading and other settings as usual.  (Note some limitations at the foot of this email).
• When ready, press "Save and return to course" or "Save and display."
• You will now see a page offering to load the tool.   Clicking the "Load" button will launch your Xorro-Q Facilitator login.

2. Facilitators: Accessing Xorro-QF from your LMS login for the first time:

If you pressed "Save and Display", you will next be asked to log into Xorro-Q's QF service.  You need to have already been provided with a Xorro-Q facilitator login (or you can create your own seperately to this process).  If this is the first time you (the facilitator) have accessed Xorro-Q from the LMS, then you will be asked to link your identity as an LMS user, to your Xorro Facilitator identity.  THIS MUST BE DONE CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME SO EXERCISE CARE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TWO ACCOUNTS BEING LINKED ARE YOURS.  If they are, press the blue "confirm" button.  If they are not, then press the gray button to link to a different Xorro QF account.

Once you have linked your LMS account to your Xorro Facilitator account you won't need to do it again.

3. Facilitators: Linking to and Launching (Running) a Xorro Activity

The next form displays a list of all available LTI activities in your Xorro-QF account.  You can choose one of these to link to your LMS resource, by pressing the blue "Link" button to the right of the target activity.  (You can view any activity in a new tab by just clicking on it).

Having selected and "linked" an activity to your Assignment, the activity now presents in a form entitled "Linked LTI Activity "Ready to Run" , with an invitation to "Run" it.  The students won't "see" or be able to follow the activity until it is running.  Press the Run button.  Here's where you can set the start and end dates to limit participant access to the activity.  You can also select to permit repeat attempts (but only the first attempt will be recorded to the LMS).

On selecting "Launch" you will see the activity running in the default Launch container.  The view you are looking at is your Xorro QF activity Running page.  You have all of the same controls you enjoy when you run an activity from within Xorro-QF.

 See also:  Practice Activities: making activities repeatable, and reporting first- or best-score from multiple attempts

4. "Publish" your Assignment in your LMS

Until you "Publish" the assignment in the LMS, your students will not see any link to it.

5. Using Q-Launcher with your LTI-linked activities

Q-Launcher is a popular and intutive alternative to the QF site's activity running page, for controlling real-time Xorro-Q activities with large audiences.  The main advantage of using Q-Launcher is that its collapsable floating toolbar does not dominate the display.  This makes it much more convenient for use with slide shows, videos or other applications demanding the display.  It is also somewhat more versatile for "asking" instant questions.  However, there are some minor limitations when using Q-Launcher together with LTI-linked applications

Currently (February 2017) Q-Launcher will not permit you to (select and) launch an LTI activity.  You can however use Q-Launcher to "join" an LTI activity which has already been launched (through the QF site, eg via your LMS).

Commonly Facilitators will want to set up an "assignment" within the LMS, then link it to the LTI activity in Xorro-Q.  Doing so brings up a prompt offering to launch the activity.  If this is done, then the Facilitator will not be able to run any other real-time activities until this one is ended.  It is suggested therefore that the LTI-linked activity should not be launched until immediately before the session starts.  This can be done by the Facilitator by navigating to the "assignment" in the LMS, and re-opening it.  The external tool (Xorro's QF site) will present at that point; then choose to "Launch" or "Run" the activity.  Only now should the Facilitator open Q-Launcher.  Doing so and logging in will bring up a prompt in Q-Launcher (since a real time activity is already running) offering either to "join" the running activity, or to close it and start a new one.   Select "join."  The real-timeLTI activity is now running and can be controlled in the usual way from within the Q-Launcher application.

A further issue with the current version of Q-Launcher is that it displays a Facilitator URL to which participants might browse, and makes available a QR code for the same purpose.  These are excellent aids for activities not intended to be accessed from an LMS system.  However they are in fact misleading and confusing factors when combined with an LTI activity, since LTI linked activities must be accessed by participants only through the LMS.  Facilitators are advised therefore to expressly warn audiences against using the Facilitator URL (or the QR code) to access the activity, and instead instruct participants to access the activity only via their LMS logins. 

Categories: Xorro-Q, Facilitators.
Tags: LTI.