Via LTI, determine where user is coming from

[Joel Eckroth]

Is there any way, when going to a 3rd party via LTI from D2L, to determine which link type a user came from.  I see 3 different ways (http://d.pr/i/4fMx) that a user can link to an External Learning Tool from D2L:

1.)  Via a News Item:  http://d.pr/i/tVIP

2.)  Via a Widget: http://d.pr/i/rgkp

3.)  Via an activity in Content:  http://d.pr/i/i7iz    

It looks like no matter where you link to Pathbrite from D2L, it’s always sending Pathbrite the same information, so Pathbrite has no way to distinguish which is an assignment, and which is just a link:

    [resource_link_id] => 83fc54ae-b065-c3b4-1126-91922a3ba11d_223771631

    [resource_link_title] => Pathbrite Prod

    [resource_link_description] => description at the admin level

The only thing that ever changes though is the resource_link_id.  Does LTI send any other information that can be used to determine the different link types?

[Desire2Learn Staff: Sarah-Beth]

Hi Joel

I brought this question to some folks internally, and here's what they recommend:

Currently there is no way to identify the type of link that LTI launch was performed from.  As you pointed out, one piece of unique data that is sent with the LTI launch from each link is the resource_link_id. One option would be to – upon first launch of a link – have your app prompt the user to specify what kind of link this is. That way, when the instructor is populating their courses with LTI Links, they could click each link and then configure your app on your end. You run the risk that if the instructor missed this step, students would not be redirected appropriately.