Using Kialo with Moodle

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 a Moodle admin has to install it. 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 you give in Kialo will be synced back to Moodle (ETA July 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

Very easy to have a quick discussion with your students.

3. Use LTI

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 setup 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 for your activity, e.g. Discussion about Shakespeare.
3. Click Select Content.
4. Select a 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. In Edit Mode, click Add an activity or resource and select External Tool.
2. Click on the + next to Preconfigured Tool.
3. Fill out the external tool configuration 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
   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. In Edit Mode, click Add an activity or resource and select External Tool
2. In the popup that opened, add an Activity Name for your activity, e.g. Discussion about Shakespeare.
3. Select Kialo as the preconfigured tool.
4. Click Select Content, then select a 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 the Kialo Plugin or LTI with Moodle Group Mode

Moodle group mode support for the Kialo Plugin and LTI is planned in Q2 2024. Submit your email address to be notified when it is released. 

Currently, using the Kialo Plugin or LTI normally with group mode will result in all groups receiving access to the same Kialo discussion, rather than each group receiving their own discussion as intended. As a workaround, you can manually create a Kialo activity for each group, then use the restrict access Moodle setting to only show each activity to the desired group:

1. Create the starter Kialo discussion for your groups.
2. In Kialo, Clone the discussion until you have an equal amount of discussions and groups. For example, if there are four groups, clone the discussion three times so there are four discussions total. You may find it useful to number each discussion title to keep track easier.
3. Create and set the restriction rules for the first discussion:
   • Create the Kialo activity in Moodle selecting the first Kialo discussion.
   • Expand the Restrict Access section of the activity settings, click the Add restriction button and select Grouping.
   • Click the first group and select Add Restriction.
   • Save the activity.
4. Repeat the previous step for each group, selecting the appropriate Kialo discussion activity and group for each step. 

When finished, you should have a Kialo activity for each group with a separate discussion selected. Each group will only be able to view their group’s Kialo discussion.