Blackboard LTI 1.3 Configuration for Torus

Overview of Steps

1. Register Torus as an LTI 1.3 Tool Provider in Blackboard
2. Create a Placement so instructors can add Torus to course shells
3. Register your Blackboard instance with Torus (required once per institution)
4. Instructors can then add Torus links to their Blackboard courses 

Note: If you set up Torus in a Blackboard test environment, you must repeat the process in production. Connections cannot be transferred between Blackboard environments.

1. Register Torus as an LTI 1.3 Tool Provider

Note: You must be a Blackboard administrator to complete this step.

1. Go to the Administrator Panel.
2. Under Integrations, select LTI Tool Providers.
3. Click Register LTI 1.3 / Advantage Tool.
4. Enter the Torus Client ID: 56d51bb1-4322-4b4d-a79e-d9c3a41752b3
5. Click Submit. Blackboard will automatically load Torus’s configuration settings.

After saving, update the tool settings:

• Tool Status: Approved
• User Fields to Send:
  • Role in Course
  • Name
  • Email Address

• Services:

  • Allow Grade Service Access
  • Allow Membership Service Access

Click Submit to finish.

2. Create a Placement for Instructors

This step determines how instructors will add Torus to their course shells.

1. In LTI Tool Providers, find the Torus tool, click the ▼ menu, and select Manage Placements.
2. Click Create Placement.
3. Fill in:
   1. Label: Torus (recommended)
   2. Handle: A unique internal name, e.g., torus_lti
4. Under Type, select:
   1. Course Content Tool
   2. Allows Grading
5. Under Availability, choose Launch in New Window (recommended).
6. Under Tool Provider Information, enter:
   1. Target Link URI: https://proton.oli.cmu.edu/lti/launch
7. Click Submit.

Your Blackboard instance is now configured to offer Torus as a selectable external tool.

3. Register Your Blackboard Instance With Torus (Required Once)

Blackboard must be registered with Torus before instructors can use it. This step securely sends your Deployment ID and tool information to Torus.

To initiate registration:

1. In any course shell (test or real), go to Course Content.

2. Open the Content Market and select Torus (or the placement name you chose).

3. Launch the tool. You will be redirected to the Register Your Institution form.

Fill out the registration form:

• Institution Name (full name)

• Institution URL

• Blackboard admin email (team-accessible recommended)

• LMS Type: Blackboard

• Review the automatically prepopulated URLs

• Leave Line items service domain blank

Click Register.

Inspark will review your registration. Approval may take up to 24 hours. If you need expedited approval, contact Inspark Support: support@inspark.education.

4. Adding Torus to a Blackboard Course (Admin or Instructor)

Once registration is approved:

1. Go to a Blackboard course shell.

2. Under Course Content, open Content Market.

3. Select Torus.

4. A link will be created in the course; publish it if needed.

5. Click the link to open Torus and begin course creation.

FAQs

What if I cannot reach the registration form or get an error?

• Contact Inspark Support (support@inspark.education) to unlink the course and reset the connection.

Do I need to configure this twice (test vs. production)?

• Yes. If you integrate Torus in a test Blackoard environment, you must repeat the steps in production, using the production Torus instance (proton.oli.cmu.edu).

Additional Resources

• Inspark Support: support@inspark.education