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There are three recommended ways to use Kialo with Moodle:

1. Use the Kialo Moodle plugin

The Kialo Moodle plugin is the best way to use Kialo with Moodle, but an administrator of your Moodle instance has to install the plugin.

Students will be automatically signed in and will have the same name in Kialo as in Moodle. You can use your Moodle Groups in Kialo. Grades given in Kialo will be synced back to Moodle (ETA Q3 2024) and for added security the plugin makes using Kialo without sharing links possible. The plugin also allows you to backup and restore your course without having to recreate all discussions and update the links to them.

2. Use a Link to an Instant Access Kialo discussion

This makes it very easy to have a quick discussion with your students.

3. Use LTI

This does everything that the Kialo plugin does, but Moodle groups will be arbitrarily named in Kialo and avatars for students won’t be the same as in Moodle. It will likely take around 5 minutes to set up LTI yourself.

1. Use the Kialo Moodle Plugin

Use this method if an admin has installed the Kialo plugin on your Moodle instance.

1. In Edit Mode, click Add an activity or resource and select Kialo.
2. In the popup, add an Activity Name, e.g., Discussion about Shakespeare.
3. Click Select Content.
4. Select a Kialo discussion or create a New one.
5. Click Save and return to course.

2. Link to an Instant Access Kialo discussion

Use this if you do not want your students to create Kialo accounts. 

1. In Kialo, enter your discussion and click the Share button.
2. Enable Instant Access (don’t require Kialo accounts). 
3. Copy the link and use it in your course.

3. Use Kialo via LTI

Adding Kialo as an External Tool 

First, set up Kialo as a preconfigured tool in your course – this only needs to be done once:

1. Click More to open the dropdown menu and select LTI External tools.
2. Click Add tool.
3. Fill out the Tool settings section as follows (screenshot); don’t adjust any fields which aren’t mentioned:
   
   Tool name: Kialo
   Tool URL: https://www.kialo-edu.com/
   LTI version: LTI 1.3
   Public keyset: https://www.kialo-edu.com/lti/jwks.json
   Initiate login URL: https://www.kialo-edu.com/lti/start
   Redirection URI(s): https://www.kialo-edu.com/lti/launch
   Custom parameters: groups=$Moodle.Person.userGroupIds
   Tool configuration usage: Show in activity chooser and as a preconfigured tool
   Default launch container: New window
   Check the Supports Deep Linking option
   
   Expand the Privacy section and select the following:
   Share launcher’s name with tool: Always
   Share launcher’s email with tool: Always
   
   
4. Click Save Changes.
5. After the configuration popup has closed, reload the page, otherwise the Select Content button will be grayed out.

Using Kialo as an External Tool 

Now Kialo has been set up as a preconfigured tool, whenever you want to add a Kialo discussion in your course:

1. Click Add an activity or resource and select External Tool
2. Add an Activity Name, e.g., Discussion about Shakespeare.
3. Select Kialo as the preconfigured tool.
4. Click Select Content, then select a Kialo discussion or create a New one.
5. Click Save and return to course.

Done! Students clicking the discussion link in Moodle will be automatically signed into their Kialo accounts and given the Writer role.

Using Your Moodle Groups on Kialo

Kialo’s Small Group Mode supports Moodle groups when using the plugin or LTI. Students will be automatically sorted into the the same groups on Kialo which they are in on Moodle and have their own copy of the discussion to work in.

Step-by-step guide on how to use Moodle Groups on Kialo:

1. Ensure the Kialo plugin is installed or LTI is setup on your Moodle site.
   
   
2. In Kialo, create the discussion template which each group will start with:
   a. Create a new discussion, pick one from Kialo’s Topic Library, or use an existing discussion.
   b. Check Enable Small Group Mode when prompted. (If using an existing discussion, click the Settings icon in the top-right of the discussion, open the Small Group Mode tab, then check Enable Small Group Mode.)
   c. Select Use LMS Groups as the group assignment method.
   
   
3. Add the Kialo discussion to your Moodle course. Follow the instructions for either the plugin or LTI as appropriate if you’re unsure how. Your Moodle groups are synchronized with Kialo when the first student joins the discussion.
   
   
4. In Kialo, enable Student Participation once you’re ready for students to begin working:
   a. Click the Settings icon in the top-right of the discussion.
   b. Open the Small Group Mode tab.
   c. Click Enable Student Participation, then Confirm.
   
   

Done! Each group will be able to start working in their copy of the discussion.

Warning:

If you set up LTI before September 2024 and want to use Moodle Groups with Kialo, you must update Kialo’s external tool configuration on your Moodle site and add the “Custom parameters” field in the updated settings. This is not necessary if using the plugin.