How to integrate a coding platform in your learning management system (LMS)

Coding education is best imparted through practicals, which means spending most of the time in a digital setting. However, keeping your students hooked in that setting, especially if your classroom is remote, can prove a big challenge.

But what if you could turn your platform into a coding playground? What if you could make your students fall in love with coding?

As pioneers of coding education technology, we’ve observed that students respond better with hands-on experience. You can provide this kind of practical experience to your students while teaching any programming language through an IDE plugged into your learning management system or within the course materials.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to integrate a coding platform full-fledged IDE into your LMS and keep your learners invested.

Understanding LMS Integration Process with Coding Platforms

Integrating a coding platform into your learning management system is not rocket science. However, making the most of the integration requires understanding the integration process. When discussing integration, we’re talking about the smooth connection that improves learning within an LMS with a coding platform.

So, let’s discuss what goes on regarding integrating a coding platform into your LMS.

The first and foremost thing to note is that both platforms should work in harmony so that no clashes disrupt the workflow. This integration allows data, material, and functionality to be easily exchanged, giving students an organized learning experience.

For example, learners can access lessons, assessments, and coding exercises straight from the integrated coding platform within your LMS, which speeds up the learning process.

But there are a few things to consider before you get ahead with the integration process, so let’s discuss them:

Compatibility

Ensure your LMS is compatible with the coding platform you wish to integrate. They must communicate effectively and support each other’s features without conflicts.

User Experience

Integration should enhance, not hinder, the user experience. Any integration should be intuitive and seamless, allowing learners to navigate the LMS and coding platform effortlessly. When you integrate an IDE on your website it should provide you with swift code execution.

Data Synchronization

It is essential to maintain data consistency between the LMS and coding platform. Changes made in one system should be reflected accurately in the other to prevent confusion and discrepancies.

What are the Benefits of Integrating Coding Platforms with your LMS?

Integrating a coding platform into your LMS comes with benefits you might miss out on if you don’t take the integration route. So let’s see what they are:

Increased Engagement

Integrating an IDE within your learning environment can keep your students more engaged. They can directly try out code, execute it, and add test cases, leading to better learning outcomes.

The interactive addition will keep your learners invested and motivated in their coding journey by adding interactive elements.

Value Retention

It’s easy to learn something when we try it out practically. The same is true for coding: You get better with practice.

So, with an IDE integrated into your LMS, your students can learn on the go without the hassle of searching the Internet for the best platform.

Your learners can apply theoretical concepts in real-world situations. Practical coding activities help solidify knowledge by giving it a real-world context, improving learning, and helping them remember what they have learned.

Better Practical Learning

Coding platforms enable students to experiment with ideas of coding and observe instantaneous outcomes, thus facilitating experiential learning. This hands-on approach fosters experiential learning, allowing students to gain practical skills and insights that deepen their understanding of coding principles.

In addition to improving comprehension, this hands-on approach develops critical practical skills necessary for success in computer science.

Our findings have shown that integrating a coding platform increases your students’ learning productivity by 25%.

Develops Problem-Solving Skills

Debugging code and error handling develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills useful in academic and professional contexts.

Students can tackle challenging issues and devise original solutions through projects and challenges, including coding.

Aligns with STEM

By introducing students to basic computer science and technology concepts, integrating coding into your learning management system (LMS) helps STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education programs.

This interdisciplinary approach develops a comprehensive awareness of the intersections between different disciplines and prepares students for careers in STEM-related industries in the future.

Choosing the Right Coding Platform

Scalability

Choose a coding platform that can scale with the institution or organization’s growth, supporting increasing users and courses without degrading performance.

Ease of Use

The platform should be easy for teachers and students to use and navigate.

Multi-Language Support:

Learning to code in multiple languages is important, so the coding platform you choose for your LMS must support multiple languages. Be it Java, C# or python code execution, a IDE with multi-language support helps students with a diverse learning environment.

Engagement

Resource availability: The platform should include resources like reference projects and materials to help students learn and start coding.

Privacy and Security

Adhere to data protection regulations and ensure the coding platform complies with privacy and security standards, protecting students’ and educators’ information.

Quick Onboarding And Continuous Support

Ensure that the chosen coding platform offers efficient onboarding processes for educators and students, allowing them to familiarize themselves quickly with its features and functionalities. Additionally, the platform should provide continuous support to address issues or questions arising during usage, ensuring a smooth learning experience for all users.

What are the Prerequisites for LMS Integration?

To guarantee a smooth and efficient integration, there are a few important factors to consider when integrating coding platforms with your learning management system (LMS). These include:

Technical Challenges

Integration of a coding platform in your LMS can have some technical challenges, so it’s important to have a blueprint for overcoming them.

This involves assessing whether the coding platform is compatible with your current LMS setup and deciding whether additional hardware or software requirements are required for the best results.

Factors including data security, system reliability, and scalability should be carefully investigated to lessen the possibility of technical challenges during implementation.

Compatibility

When you teach coding online the coding platform and your LMS must be compatible for seamless integration and operation. Ensure the coding platform works well with your learning management system (LMS) so instructors and students can easily access and navigate it. Test compatibility rigorously before implementing on a large scale, as compatibility problems could hinder user experience and learning outcomes.

Stakeholder Engagement: Discuss the importance of involving all stakeholders, including IT staff, educators, and possibly students, in the integration process.

Training Educators

Your educators should have the right support and training when considering integrating an LMS into your platform. To effectively encourage student learning and engagement, educators must be adept at using the coding platform within the LMS environment.

By giving teachers extensive training materials and sessions, they can fully utilize the coding platform and provide their students with dynamic and interesting learning opportunities.

Integrate A Coding Platform into your LMS With JDoodle

Integrating a coding platform into your LMS platform is easy with JDoodle. You can integrate a coding environment in two ways: compiler APIs and embeds. Let’s see how:

Embeds

Embeds are IDE plugins from JDoodle that you can integrate into your LMS, course materials, online courses and tutorials, websites, etc.

JDoodle’s embeds support over 88+ programming languages. There are three types of embeds: basic embeds and unlimited. th embedded IDE gives you full customization with the WYSIWYG editor and integrates them in three simple steps. Here they are:

Create Your JDoodle Account

1. Log in to JDoodle using your credentials. If you’re new, sign up for a free account.
2. Once logged in, navigate to your user dashboard and find the “Embed” section, where all embedded code snippets are managed.
3. In the “Embed” section, create a new embed by clicking the” Create Embed” option.

If you face any trouble creating an account, read this documentation.

Create Your Embed

1. You’ll be directed to the “Create Embed” page.
2. Provide an appropriate name for your embed and a brief description of its purpose.
3. Select the programming language for your embed (note: we have a selection of three kinds of embeds: basic(supports one programming language), premium(supports multiple programming languages), and ultra(available for users that like to customize their embeds to their needs)).
4. Review your settings and proceed to generate your embed.

Read our documentation to create a premium embed or learn more about Embeds.

Obtain Embed Code

1. Copy the generated embed code provided by JDoodle.

Integrate into Your LMS

1. Now, navigate to your Learning Management System (LMS) platform.
2. Navigate to the area where you want to integrate the code snippet.
3. Depending on your LMS, find the option to edit or add content.
4. Paste the copied embed code into the designated area within your LMS.
5. Save your changes, seamlessly integrating the code snippet into your LMS for enhanced learning experiences.

For more information and advanced features, fill out this form

Compiler API

JDoodle Compiler APIs are another way of integrating an IDE into your LMS. It comes with the support of over 88 programming languages and can be integrated into your LMS in a few steps, but you must first subscribe to get API credits A free user gets 200 API credits every day and you can get up to 50k API credits starting at $10 per month.

So. let’s see how to integrate a compiler API:

Subscribe To API Plans

1. Log in to JDoodle using your credentials. If you’re new, sign up for a free account.
2. Once logged in, navigate to your user dashboard and find the “API” section. This section is dedicated to creating compilers. Here, you will need to subscribe for API credits. Every user gets 200 API credits free every day.
3. Once subscribed, you will get your client ID and client secret.

Executing Your Code

Below, we’re going to demonstrate a basic usage of our Compiler APIs. For more info, you can read our documentation or contact us.

1. Write your code in the JDoodle IDE or use JDroid, JDoodle’s AI companion, to generate code based on a prompt.
2. After writing your code, right-click on the IDE page and select ‘Inspect’ from the drop-down menu.
3. In the inspect panel, navigate to the ‘Network’ tab and select ‘Fetch/XHR.’
4. Execute your code within the IDE. An execute function will appear in the network tab. Right-click on it and choose “copy curl” or “copy curl (bash).”

Using Postman

1. Launch Postman and select the import option from the top menu.
2. Paste the copied cURL(bash) URL into Postman and press ‘Send.‘

Explanation of Compiler API Workflow Using Postman

• Setting Up Postman:

Install and set up Postman for API testing and development.

• Making a Compilation Request:

Use Postman to make a POST request to the compiler API endpoint (e.g., https://compilerapi.com/compile).

• Sending Code for Compilation:

In the request body, include the code you want to compile and any necessary parameters (e.g., language).

• Handling Compilation Errors:

If the code has errors, the LMS API response will indicate the compilation failure and error messages.

• Successful Compilation:

If the compilation is successful, the response will contain the output of the compiled code.

Real World Applications

Coding skills are essential knowledge that can be used beyond the classroom. It’s a skill for a lifetime, so it’s very important to give your students that stepping stone for coding through LMS integrations.

Through the use of the coding platform in your LMS, students can solve real-world issues and gain important insights into the value and applicability of coding in contemporary society. Because of its practical application, students are more motivated and engaged, which promotes deeper learning.

Some of the real-world applications for coding integration into your LMS platform include:

Enhanced Curriculum Delivery:

Schools and universities can offer more interactive and engaging coding lessons. This integration allows students to practice coding directly within the LMS, receive immediate feedback, and apply theoretical knowledge in practical scenarios.

Skill Development:

Helps develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital literacy skills among students, preparing them for future careers in technology.

Employee Upskilling:

Companies can use an integrated LMS to provide employees with coding skills necessary for digital transformation, enabling them to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Onboarding Process:

Streamlines the onboarding process for new hires in tech roles by providing them with essential coding training through the LMS.

Accessibility:

Makes coding education more accessible to a wider audience, including self-learners and professionals looking to switch careers or enhance their skills.

Certification Programs:

Offers certification programs in various programming languages and technologies, which can be directly integrated into learners’ portfolios.

Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

When you integrate a coding platform into your LMS, keep a few things in mind. We have created a list for easier understanding:

Seamless User Experience:

Ensure the coding platform is fully integrated into the LMS interface, allowing users to access coding exercises and projects without leaving the LMS environment.

Comprehensive Support and Training:

Provide adequate training for instructors on how to use the integrated platform effectively.

Offer ongoing technical support for educators and learners to address issues swiftly.

Curriculum Alignment:

Align the coding platform’s content with the educational institution’s curriculum goals to ensure the technology supports learning objectives.

Accessibility and Inclusivity:

Ensure the coding platform is accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. Consider features like screen reader compatibility and keyboard navigation.

Continuous Evaluation and Feedback:

Implement mechanisms for continuous assessment and feedback on coding assignments, enabling students to learn from mistakes and improve their skills progressively.

Boost Coding Education In Your Classroom With JDoodle

JDoodle is a coding platform. Universities such as Kansas, Link Edu Group, iText, and UNSW trust our platform for all their coding needs.

Our IDE has multiple features that are hard to find in other online IDEs. We support over 88 programming languages, and our LMS APIs have multifile support. It doesn’t just stop there; our advanced IDE is equipped with all the features your coding platform can have.

But let’s move on to our APIs and embeds. Our embeds come loaded with the WYSIWYG editor, which helps you customize them to your liking. Our free users get one free premium embed that they can tinker with as much as they like and embed into their website to get all the benefits of integration.

If you’re looking to brighten your student’s future in the programming world, JDoodle is here to assist you in achieving this goal. For more information, you can reach out to us for a free 1:1 consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to integrate a coding platform into my LMS?

Integrating a coding platform into your LMS is very easy:

1. Sign Up with JDoodle

2. Create your embed or API

3. Integrate it into your website using the HTML code provided

Choosing the right coding platform for education?

JDoodle stands out as a reliable coding platform for educational purposes due to its user-friendly interface, extensive language support, and robust compiler features. Its emphasis on simplicity and accessibility makes it a valuable tool for learners at various skill levels.

What are the best practices for using LMS?

Having a seamless user experience is key to using an LMS because it is essential for educators and learners to get a platform they can use without any disturbances.