How to set up Schoology with LTI 1.3 in Flat for Education

Flat for Education connects to Schoology with LTI 1.3.
LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) is the standard that lets Schoology open other learning tools. With LTI 1.3, teachers and students sign in to Flat for Education from Schoology with no separate password (single sign-on), classes are created automatically and students are added the first time they open Flat for Education, and assignments and grades are sent back to the Schoology gradebook.

Why use LTI 1.3?

LTI 1.3 is the setup we recommend for districts: one installation by your admin makes Flat for Education available in every course, with nothing for teachers to configure. See the Schoology overview to compare it with LTI 1.1 and find the right guide for your role.

For admins

Install the app

For teachers

Once your admin has installed the app, there's nothing for you to set up. Flat for Education is already in your course sidebar and under Add Materials.

Create an assignment

Teachers add Flat for Education assignments to a Schoology course from the course Materials page, like any other Schoology material. The assignment comes from your Assignment Library, so create it there first (or use one of the samples).

From Add Materials

1

Open Add Materials in your course

In your Schoology course, open Materials, click Add Materials, then choose Flat for Education (LTI 1.3).

2

Pick an assignment and click Select

A window opens with your Flat for Education assignments:

• My Assignments: the assignments you created.
• Shared Assignments: assignments shared with you.
• Samples: ready-to-use assignments from Flat for Education.

Click the assignment you want to use, then click Select.

3

Find the assignment in your Materials

The assignment is added to your course Materials right away and is visible to your students in Schoology.

4

Set grading, points and due date

To send grades to the Schoology gradebook, click the gear icon next to the assignment, then Edit. Make sure Enable Grading is checked, and choose a grading Category other than (Ungraded).
You can also set the Points and a Due Date. Click Save Changes and you're all set.

From Flat for Education

You can also add assignments from Flat for Education itself:

The assignment appears in the Materials of each selected course.

What students see

When students open the assignment from Schoology, Flat for Education signs them in and links their account automatically. Their names then appear on the assignment page in Flat for Education, so you can follow their work, give feedback and grade it. Students don't appear in your Flat for Education class until they've opened Flat for Education from Schoology at least once.

Create a score

You can create or open all of your music notation scores directly from your library in Flat for Education. Use them to build engaging assignments for your students, or to show musical examples on screen during class.

From the course sidebar

The easiest way to start a new score is to open Flat for Education from the Schoology sidebar:

From there, you have three ways to begin:

• New score: start a brand new, blank score.
• Import PDF or photos: upload a PDF or photo of sheet music and turn it into an editable score.
• Import file: import existing music from files like MusicXML or MIDI.

For a detailed guide to creating scores, including importing files and choosing instruments, see how to create your first music score.

Troubleshooting

If teachers or students see "Invalid OIDC state" when opening Flat for Education, first check that the app was installed for All courses in step 6. Then see Schoology FAQ and error messages for the full fix.

Frequently asked questions

Who can install Flat for Education with LTI 1.3?

You need a Schoology admin account, because the app is installed once for your whole organization. You'll also need access to your Flat for Education account to add the Deployment ID in step 5.
If you're a teacher, ask your school's admin. If you're in charge of IT and don't have a Flat for Education access, contact our support team and we'll add you as a Support admin.

Why don't my teachers see Flat for Education in their courses?

The app is probably not installed in all courses yet. In your Schoology Organization Apps, find Flat for Education (LTI 1.3), click Install/Remove and select All courses.
Teachers will then find Flat for Education in their course sidebar and under Add Materials.

Are grades sent back to Schoology automatically?

Yes, as long as grading is set up on each assignment.
In your course Materials, click the gear icon next to the assignment, then Edit. Check that Enable Grading is ticked and that Category is set to a grading category, not (Ungraded), then click Save Changes.

Why doesn't my Schoology assignment appear in Flat for Education?

Schoology may be sending the assignment to a different tool.
In your course Materials, click the gear icon next to the assignment, then Edit. In the Edit External Tool window, check that Tool Provider is set to Flat for Education (LTI 1.3), not Automatic, based on URL or another tool. Click Save Changes and you're all set.

Why can't my students see a new assignment in Flat for Education?

At the moment, a new assignment only appears for students in Flat for Education after you've opened it once from your course Materials in Schoology. Click the assignment and let Flat for Education load. Students already in the class will then see it straight away.