The External tool activity module allows an instructor to set up a secure link between their eClass course and an external website or tool, allowing students to interact with learning resources and activities from systems outside of eClass. The External tool activity relies on LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) functionality, so any 3rd party tool providers will need to support LTI before their content can be accessible in eClass using this module. 

One of the main uses of External tools on eClass is to provide direct access to online learning materials created by textbook publishers and released as companions to their print offerings. In this use case, the publisher provides instructors with the configuration information required to set up the External tool within their eClass course and students then access these materials from directly from eClass.

Adding an External Tool

1. Login to eClass and access your course.
2. Toggle the Edit Mode button located at the top right.
   
   
   
3. Move to the section where you would like to have your external content and click on the Add an Activity or Resource link.
   
   
   
4. From the activities list, select the 'External tool' activity.
   
   
   
5. Enter a name for the activity and click on the 'Show more' link.
   
   
   
6. Enter the required parameters provided by the textbook publisher (or any LTI provider). This generally consists of a Tool URL, Consumer key, and Shared secret which provide the mapping from eClass to the 3rd party tool.
   
   
   
7. Click one of the save buttons at the bottom of the screen. Depending on the LTI integration, you may be required to click on the newly created link as an instructor in order to establish a link between your course and the 3rd party content. Please confirm any additional setup requirements with your LTI content provider to complete your configuration.

Once setup is complete, your students should be able to access your external resources via the link you have created in your course. Different tools provide different options for student content and interaction.

If you experience any issues while configuring your External Tool, please contact us at eclass@ualberta.ca. Once a tool is set up however, eClass cannot support problems that occur on the external site.