The external tool activity module enables students to interact with learning resources and activities on other web sites. For example, an external tool could provide access to a new activity type or learning materials from a publisher.
To create an external tool activity, a tool provider which supports LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) is required. A teacher can create an external tool activity or make use of a tool configured by the site administrator.
External tool activities differ from URL resources in a few ways:
External tools are context aware i.e. they have access to information about the user who launched the tool, such as institution, course and name
External tools support reading, updating, and deleting grades associated with the activity instance
External tool configurations create a trust relationship between your site and the tool provider, allowing secure communication between them