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Dynamic Mentor Integration (LTI 1.3)

Overview

A dynamic mentor integration using LTI 1.3 that allows different mentors to appear in different courses within the same LMS environment. This example uses Canvas but applies to other LMS platforms.

Admin Setup: Developer Keys

  1. In Canvas, go to Admin → Developer Keys.
  2. Click Developer Keys → LTI Key to create a new integration.
  3. Configure the parameters (provided by the mentorAI team):
    • Redirect URIs
    • Target Link URI
    • OpenID Connect Initiation URL
    • JWK Method: Public JWK URL
  4. Under LTI Advantage Settings, enable user data sharing (email, name) for reporting visibility.
  5. Add the custom field that enables dynamic mentor selection per course.
  6. Set Privacy Level to Public.
  7. Set Placements: Account Navigation and Link Selection (defaults).

Course Navigation Placement

Add Course Navigation as a placement:

  • Default enabled: the mentor appears in every course's side navigation automatically
  • Default disabled (via Paste JSON): the mentor does not appear in side navigation unless an instructor enables it

To disable by default, use Paste JSON and set "default": "disabled" under the course navigation placement.

Instructor Configuration

  1. Open the course where you want the mentor.
  2. An instructor/admin panel shows an Enable toggle and a Mentor ID field.
  3. Get the mentor's unique ID from the mentor platform URL (the segment after the last /).
  4. Paste the Mentor ID and click Save.

Student View

  • Students see the mentor in the side panel and can chat directly.
  • If both the side panel and course navigation are enabled, the mentor appears in both locations.
  • Students can close the side panel and use the course navigation page exclusively.

As an instructor:

  1. Go to Course Settings → Navigation.
  2. Drag the mentorAI item to the hidden section.
  3. Click Save — the mentor no longer appears in the course navigation for students.

As an admin:

  • Set "default": "disabled" in the Developer Key JSON to prevent the course navigation link from appearing globally.
  • Instructors can still enable it per-course if the admin leaves the option available.

Key Takeaways

  • Dynamic integration allows different mentors per course using a single LTI tool
  • Mentor ID links each course to a specific mentor from the platform
  • Course navigation and side panel are independent — you can enable either or both
  • Instructors control per-course visibility; admins control global defaults

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