Moodle configuration

Configuring Moodle is the starting point for integrating Acreditta into your online learning environment. As an administrator, this first step enables the capabilities Moodle needs to issue digital credentials.

1. Service configuration

• Log in to Moodle with an administrator user.
• Go to Site administration.
• Go to Server.
• Find the Web services option in the submenu and open External services.

• Click Add to create a new service.
• In the Name field, give the external service a name and short name.
• Enable the Enabled option and click Save changes.

In the new window that opens, click Add functions.

Add the following functions:

• core_course_get_courses
• core_enrol_get_enrolled_users
• gradereport_user_get_grade_items
• core_completion_get_activities_completion_status
• core_completion_get_course_completion_status

2. Token configuration

• Go to Site administration and click Server.
• Find the Manage tokens option in the web services submenu.
• Create a new token by clicking Create token.

• Select a user with administrative privileges.
• In the Service field, select the service you created in the previous step.
• Make sure the date checkbox is unchecked.
• Click Save changes.

Copy the code somewhere safe: you’ll need to enter it in the LTI Token field when adding the external tool in Acreditta. Depending on your Moodle version, you may not be able to view it again.

3. External tool configuration in Moodle

• Go to Site administration and click Plugins.
• Find the Activity modules submenu and open Manage tool.

• Click Configure a tool manually.

On this page, fill in the form as follows:

In the Services menu:

• In the first option, select Use this service to sync grades only.
• In the next field, check Use this service to retrieve member information based on privacy settings.
• In the Tool settings field, choose Use this service.

In the Privacy menu:

• For Share launcher’s name with tool, select Always.
• For Share launcher’s email with tool, select Always.
• For Accept grades from the tool, click Always.
• Enable the Force SSL option.
• Save the changes to finish the configuration.

• You’ll be redirected to the list of external tools (on some Moodle 3.9 instances, go to Plugins → Activity modules → External tool → Manage tools).
• Find the tool you just created on the screen.
• Click View configuration details (the four-lines or magnifying-glass icon).

• Note down the data shown in this window: you’ll need it when configuring Acreditta’s external tool in the next step.

4. Enable “Publish as LTI tool”

• Go to Site administration and click Plugins.
• Find the Authentication submenu and open Manage authentication.
• Enable the LTI option by clicking the eye icon.

• Go back to Site administration and click Plugins.
• Find the Enrolments submenu and open Manage enrol plugins.

• Enable Publish as LTI tool.

• Go back to Site administration and click General (Plugins on Moodle 3.9).
• Find the Security submenu and select HTTP security.
• Check the Allow frame embedding box.
• Click Save changes at the bottom of the page.

5. Review additional settings

The following settings are usually already enabled by default in Moodle, but it’s worth checking in case they were changed in the past for some reason:

• Go to Site administration → Server → Web services → External services and enable Enable web services and Enable mobile web services. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save changes.
• Go to Site administration → Server → Web services → Manage protocols and enable (eye icon) the REST protocol. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save changes.
• Go to Site administration → Users → Permissions → Define roles, edit the Authenticated user role (pencil icon). On this screen find the Use REST web service (webservice/rest:use) option and enable it. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save changes.

Next step

• Acreditta external tool configuration