Those familiar with the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) and LTIs will be excited to know that OIT’s Academic Technology Operations team has recently improved the request process and service page to improve transparency with the SMU community. While in the past, many extensions to Canvas have been handled by LTI, they are not the only way to extend functionality. Since not all integrations are LTIs, these set of tools will now be referred to as Canvas Integrations, basically, the external software tools through which platforms like Canvas offer additional instructional functionality and share verifiable personal data about LMS users with external software vendors, such as Zoom or Panopto.
The Canvas Integrations service page at https://www.smu.edu/OIT/Services/Canvas/Canvas-LTI has been recently updated with all the current integrations sorted by category. If you do not see the LMS integration you are looking for, please consult with your school’s Academic Technology Service Director (ATSD) to submit an IT Help Desk ticket for the specific Canvas Integration Request.
Once a request has been made, the tool will be reviewed by the OIT’s Academic Technology Operations team. The team will evaluate the applicability, conduct an evaluation of the specifics of the integration, conduct an internal OIT security review, and determine the decision to implement or identify alternatives. Once a decision has been determined, it will be communicated to ATSD and the requestor. While the full review process can take 2 to 4 weeks from the initial request, the team will only implement new integrations between traditional terms to avoid disrupting classroom instruction.
For more information, please visit the Canvas Integrations service page or talk to your local ATSD.
