Once the SI Lab Portal LTI link has been configured in your Canvas environment, instructors can add SI Lab Portal lessons and assignments directly into a course. Lesson links are the only link type that support assignment-level grade passback to Canvas.
Important: After setup, test the integration by adding an SI Lab Portal assignment, completing it as a student, and confirming that grades successfully pass back to Canvas.
Failure to follow the setup process may result in missing grade passback or other limited functionality.
Additionally, for grades to be pushed back to Canvas, links must be created through the Assignments section rather than Modules.
Know Before You Begin
Activity mapping creates an LTI link that that directs users to a specific SI Lab Portal lesson or assignment.
Each graded SI Lab Portal activity must be associated with a gradebook item in Canvas for grades to be passed back.
Students must launch activities from the mapped Canvas activity link rather than the Class Homepage for grades to sync properly.
If an activity contains manually graded questions, grades will not be sent until manual grading is completed.
Each unit will have two activties and two links: one for Exploration and one for Experimentation and Evaluation. Lab Kit Inventory is the only unit with one link.
1. Open your Canvas course and click Assignments
2. Create an Assignment
3. Configure the External Tool
Scroll down to Submission Type. In this section:
- Click the dropdown menu and select External Tool.
- Click Find and then select the SI Lab Portal Tool (naming conventions will vary by institution.)
- The activity mapping window may open automatically; if it doesn't, Click Select.
The SI Lab Portal Mapping menu will appear in the Add Activity window.
4. Select Your Class
Open the dropdown to select the SI Lab Portal class that contains the lesson or assignment you want to link.
5. Select the Lesson
Open the dropdown to select the lesson or assignment from the available activity list.
You can view the list of units and activities in your course by clicking on the Class Home Page link in your Canvas course, or by logging in to SI Lab Portal directly.
6. Create the LTI Link
Click Link to Assignment to create the link to the selected activity.
7. Complete the Tool configuration
The Configure External Tool box will appear again. Scroll down and check the box to Load in a New Tab, then click Select.
The Science Interactive activity details will automatically populate in the assignment fields. You're welcome to modify the details as you would like.
Once you're done, click Save and Publish.
Continue this process until all of the labs in your course have been linked.
Manage Existing Links
To modify a lesson link after it has been created:
Open Assignments in your Canvas course.
Select the activity you want to edit and select Edit Assignment Settings in the top right corner.
Update the settings as needed.
All Science Interactive Links must be set to open in a new tab or window.
If you see an SI Lab Portal page embedded in Canvas, you likely forgot to check Load this Tool in a New Tab.
Click Edit Assignment Settings, then scroll down to Submission Type, and check Load this Tool in a New Tab. Then click Save.
Grade Passback Requirements Checklist
The activity must be mapped using an SI Lab Portal activity link.
The student must launch the activity from the Canvas link.
The student must submit the assignment using the Submit Assignment button in the SI Lab Portal activity.
All questions must be fully graded, including the manually graded questions.
The Canvas tool must be configured to accept grades.
Need Help?
If you experience issues with setup, grade synchronization, or activity configuration, please complete the Instructor Support Form, and a member of our team will reach out to provide assistance.