Use Learning Catalytics with an LMS

Updated 05 Mar 2024

Learning Catalytics works with Learning Management Systems (LMS) through a link to the Configuration URL. When you use the Configuration URL to access Learning Catalytics from a compatible LMS, students need to register separately for Learning Catalytics and are prompted to log in to Learning Catalytics when they access it from the LMS.

Students have to log into Learning Catalytics when they go from an LMS assignment to Learning Catalytics. Also, student scores are not automatically transferred from Learning Catalytics to an LMS, but you can download the scores to a .csv file and then merge its data with the LMS.

Check with your institution's LMS administrator to confirm that the LMS is compatible with LTI 1.1, and that it supports the integration of outcomes from LTI launches.

Configuration

Set up your Learning Catalytics course as an external tool in your LMS. During setup in the LMS, you'll be asked for the following information about your Learning Catalytics course, which you can find on the Settings page for the course (see the procedure below).

  • Consumer Key
  • Shared Secret
  • Configuration URL or Launch URL

You can usually copy and paste these values directly into the configuration for the LMS. For more information, contact your Pearson rep.

  1. Next to the name of the course you want to connect to your LMS, click the gear icon, and then click Settings.
  2. On the Settings page, scroll down to the LMS Integration section to see the values you need to configure the connection.

Consult your LMS's documentation to determine how to set up Learning Catalytics as an LTI application within your LMS. The exact steps will vary by platform, but a typical workflow follows these steps:

  1. In Learning Catalytics, add a module.

  2. In your LMS, create an assignment that links to the Learning Catalytics external tool that you set up.

    Allot points for Learning Catalytics in the LMS, and, if possible, tell the LMS to open the tool in a new tab.

  3. From the LMS assignment (still logged as an instructor), open the Learning Catalytics module.

    This step pairs the LMS assignment with the Learning Catalytics module.

When students open the paired LMS assignment, they will be prompted to log in to Learning Catalytics and will join the currently active session for the module.

With one exception, sign into Learning Catalytics directly, not through the LMS

The integration is designed to streamline student access to Learning Catalytics through their familiar LMS.

As an instructor, however, you will still create and use a separate Learning Catalytics account and generally access Learning Catalytics directly, outside of the LMS. Use that method to set up modules, deliver sessions, and review results.

The only time you should open Learning Catalytics as an instructor from your LMS course is when you are pairing an LMS assignment with a Learning Catalytics module, as described in the previous section.

Instructor-Led Synchronous and Automated Synchronous modules: When the session is stopped, students' scores for the session are automatically sent to the LMS gradebook. (Each student should watch for a message to this effect when the session ends, to confirm that his or her score was received and recorded by the LMS.)

Self-Paced, Self-Test, and Team-Based Assessment modules: Each student clicks the Lock my responses button. Doing so prevents further change to the student's responses, and sends his or her score for the session to the LMS.

Note: If you edit any scoring parameters for the module, or if you edit scores in the Learning Catalytics Gradebook, those changes are not updated in the LMS gradebook.