Connecting your G Suite domain to itslearning

Modified on: Tue, 5 Oct, 2021 at 4:31 PM

The integration between Google and itslearning makes it possible to:

Add files from Google Drive to itslearning, for example as course resource
Attach a file from Google Drive to an assignment and provide each student (or group) a copy to write their answer*
Quickly open and log in to itslearning on a Chromebook*

* Only available if a G Suite for Education domain is connected to itslearning. How to do this is explained below.

Before you start

Make sure you have access to:

an itslearning system administrator account;
a Google domain administrator account for the domain you want to connect.

Do you have multiple G Suite domains?

If you have multiple G Suite domains, for example 1 for students and 1 for teachers, there are a couple of things to be aware of:

the itslearning G Suite marketplace app needs to be installed on all domains;
the teacher's domain should be whitelisted in the student's domain and vice versa. If you want to know how to whitelist a domain, please see: https://support.google.com/a/answer/6160020?hl=en

Install the itslearning app from G Suite marketplace

'itslearning' user

During the setup process, we will create an 'itslearning' user in your G Suite domain. All copies made for assignment answers or regular assignment submissions from Google Drive will be added to the Google Drive of this account. This can be seen as a neutral place where assignment answers are stored. The integration will share the documents with the right students and teachers. Our integration manages the permissions during the assignment workflow. For example:

After a student has submitted his answer, he can no longer edit the document. If the teacher decides he needs to resubmit, edit permissions are given back.
When using Google documents in group assignments, itslearning will ensure that all group members can work on this document.
If a teacher is absent or has left the school, the substitute or replacement teacher will be able to follow-up all assignments in the itslearning course.

To organize answer documents for teachers on Google Drive, a folder will be created for each assignment

Lastly, the use of the 'itslearning' user prevents users from accidentally deleting assignment answers.They can delete the link to a shared document on their Google Drive, but the document itself will still be on the drive of the 'itslearning' account and attached to the answer in itslearning.

Note: this account MUST be in the root of your domain. It should not be moved into an organisational unit. Also make sure it does not get suspended if an integration provisions the G Suite accounts (for example when your Active Directory provisions the accounts in G Suite).

Follow these steps to install the itslearning app from G Suite marketplace:

Log on to Google Admin console using the G Suite domain administrator account
Go to Apps>>Marketplace Apps
Click the + icon in the menu bar.
In the window that opens, search for the app itslearning
From the search results, click on the app and choose Domain install
In the window that opens click Continue, agree to the terms and service conditions and click Accept.
Ensure the app is ON for everyone.

You are now done with the setup in G Suite. From this moment on, the app 'itslearning' will appear in the app drawer of the Google Chrome Browser:

Clicking on this app will take the user to a generic login page of itslearning, where they are automatically logged in and redirected to their itslearning site if they have connected their Google account to their itslearning account.

Next, you need to connect to the G Suite domain from itslearning.

Connect G Suite domain to itslearning

Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for the permissions of the Marketplace app to be propagated to all G Suite accounts, including the domain administrator account. During this time you get a warning message that the Marketplace app is not installed.

Log in to itslearning as system administrator and go to Admin >> Edit Global settings >> Cloud services. The page opens on the Google tab.
Ensure the option Allow users to add files from Google Drive is checked.
Click on Add a new G Suite Connection
Log in with the domain administrator for the G Suite domain
If you have installed the itslearning app, click connect to connect the G-Suite domain to itslearning.
Click Save

The G Suite domain is now connected to itslearning.

Chromebook app

Administrators can add itslearning to the launch bar of a Chromebook. This allows users to log into itslearning with a single click, using their school's G Suite account. (Updated January 2021)

Note: If you are using another identity provider (IDP) other than Google, logging in with the Chromebook single sign on (SSO) might not be suitable. For example, if the other identity provider grants your users access to content from third parties.

How to install the Chromebook app

Log in as domain administrator on https://admin.google.com
Go to Devices
In the left menu, navigate to Chrome >> Apps & Extensions >> Users & browsers
On the page that opens, click on the yellow + icon in the right bottom and choose Add by URL