Comparison of the main alternatives to the integration of external tools in different platforms.

Abstract

The integration of third-party external tools in Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) and social networks enhances the flexibility and the ease of customisation of successful systems such as Moodle and LAMS. In this context, several authors and organisations have proposed different ways to deal with the integration problem. Some of the most representative approaches are: IMS Learning Tools Interoperability (IMS LTI), Basic LTI, the Apache Wookie (Incubating), and the Group Learning Uniform Environment (GLUE!) architecture. This paper analyses the main features of each of these approaches, such as the number and diversity of tools that can be integrated, the degree of coupling involved, and the richness in the communication, with the aim of establishing a comparison that may help to decide the adoption of some of them, depending on the expected requirements.