Set up the Access Pearson integration in Blackboard

Detailed step-by-step guide for the setup of the Access Pearson integration with Blackboard LMS

1. Add the Access Pearson link if you don't see it.
2. Pair your Blackboard course with a MyLab or Mastering course.
3. Add assignment, course tool, or eText links.
4. Get students started.
5. Sync grades.

You have the Blackboard Original course view if you see Course Management in your course's left (base) navigation.

 or 

Not sure which integration you're using in Blackboard? This topic covers the Access Pearson (also known as LTI 1.3) integration. The tool for this integration is usually named Access Pearson. The app for the MyLab and Mastering integration (also known as LTI 1.1) is usually named MyLab and Mastering. Check with your Blackboard administrator if you're unsure which integration was set up for you.

Step 1: Add the Access Pearson link

If you don't see the link, add it to your Blackboard course.

Using Codeless Inclusive Access for Barnes & Noble, Follett-Willo, or VitalSource?

You don't need to add the MyLab and Mastering link if you're using a Codeless Inclusive Access integration. However, you might need to remove any standard integration settings from your course before your system admin adds the link. Otherwise, there could be issues with student access or purchase.

Watch a video

1. If your course will belong to a course group (copied from a template or a coordinator course), set up the template before creating student-use copies.
2. Open your Blackboard course.
3. If you're transitioning your course from the MyLab and Mastering (LTI 1.1) integration to the Access Pearson (LTI 1.3) integration, you'll need to prepare your course. See Transition an active course or Transition a copy of a previous course for instructions.
4. Select an existing content area, such as Content, from the left navigation. Or select  and Content Area to create a new one.

   

   Enter a name, such as Access Pearson. Select the Available to Users check box, so students can access the new content area, and Submit.

   

5. Select the Tools tab, More Tools, and then Access Pearson. (Or select the Build Content tab and Access Pearson. )

   

   Create a new link. We recommend you name the link Access Pearson.

   

6. Make the link available to students, and complete any other fields. Then select Submit.
7. Select Access Pearson.

   

8. Agree to any authorization requests.

Next, pair your courses.

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Step 2: Link accounts and pair courses

To open MyLab and Mastering from your LMS course, link your accounts once. Then pair your courses and set up assignments in your MyLab or Mastering course.

Link your accounts

If you're a section instructor or teaching assistant, see Register as a section instructor or TA.

1. Select the MyLab and Mastering or Access Pearson link. (Add the link if you don't see it.)Prompted to get started?

   Select Get Started to link your accounts.

   

   Prompted to open Pearson?

   Select Open Pearson. You might see another page telling you how to re-open your content. If MyLab and Mastering isn't already open in another tab, return to your LMS course navigation and select the MyLab and Mastering or Access Pearson link again. In a partner integration, your link is something like BookShelf or Launch courseware.

   

2. Agree to any authorization requests.

3. Enter the username and password from your existing Pearson instructor account and select Link accounts. If you don't have an account, select Create an account and follow the prompts. You can only link one LMS account to one Pearson account.

   

4. Select Continue.

   

   Prompted to choose your product?

   If you're asked to choose your product, select MyLab | Mastering. (For Revel, eText, or Live Response, go to Revel and Pearson eText for your LMS Help.) Your selection is permanent and can't be undone.

   

5. Select Get Started on the Pearson Home page.

   

   If you aren't a validated instructor, select Get Started and follow the prompts to enter details about your role. Wait for a confirmation email.

   

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If you see a blank white page, you might need to temporarily disable the AdBlock browser extension. See your browser Help for instructions.

Account upgrade

If you have a valid Pearson account and get the message, "Account Upgrade Needed," contact Pearson Support. Your account is active but needs a subscription to the MyLab and Mastering course.

Educator account needed

If you get the message, "To create courses you need a MyLab and Mastering educator account," contact Pearson Support for assistance.

Next, pair your courses.

Pair your courses

Start from your LMS course to pair it with a new or copy of a MyLab or Mastering course. You can't pair MyLab or Mastering courses you created outside your LMS course such as from the MyLab and Mastering website. However, you can pair copies of these existing MyLab or Mastering courses.

1. To create or copy a MyLab or Mastering course, choose one of the options available to you:

   • Search the catalog.

     Pearson Seamless

     After you find and select content, you'll see options to copy another instructor's content or any content you've used previously. You can't pair or associate content you created outside your LMS course such as from the MyLab and Mastering or Revel website. However, you can add copies of this content.

     Ad blocker

     Your browser may have an ad blocking extension, such as AdBlock Plus or uBlock Origin. Temporarily disable the extension for this site. See your browser Help for instructions. Then open Pearson and resume pairing your courses.

   • Copy a previous course you’ve taught with. (Learn what's included in the copy.)

     See a banner saying, "Your course is a copy?"

     You might be offered the option to copy a paired course. Select Yes, copy this course to copy the course and its assignment or course tool links.

     If you select Yes, copy this course, you can't rename the MyLab or Mastering course or change due dates for assignments from the Enter Course Details page that appears later (see steps 4 and 5 below). Instead, after you finish pairing your courses, go to https://mlm.pearson.com/ to edit the course name and dates. See My Courses Help for instructions. If you select No, create another course, use the same course ID as the original to copy the assignment or course tool links and avoid duplicate grades.

     

   • Enter a course ID to copy another instructor's course. For a member section in a course group, enter the course ID of the MyLab coordinator course.
   • Select the course materials provided to you.

   

2. Select your course.

   

3. If prompted, choose a course type:

   • If you want students to enroll in the course, select Student-use Course.

   • If you don't intend students to enroll in the course, select Instructor-use only. For managing multiple sections for a MyLab course, consider using a MyLab coordinator course in a course group. For MyLab IT courses paired with your LMS, you must copy an existing coordinator course.

   

4. Enter the course name and description. Use something specific for the name like your term and class section. This helps you quickly identify the course later.

5. Select the course dates.

   • Students who try to register before the start date get a course2 error.

   • Students can no longer open the Pearson course on the course end date (Eastern Time, US). Set a date after the last re-take opportunity for the final exam.

6. Select whether to allow other instructors to copy your course using your course ID. You can change this setting later.

   

7. Select Create course. You'll see a confirmation message.

   

8. Wait for email confirmation your course is created. This might take up to 3 hours.
9. Close the browser tab, and return to your LMS course

Next, set up assignments.

Set up assignments

1. From your LMS course, select the MyLab and Mastering or Access Pearson link. Don't see the link?
2. Select Open MyLab & Mastering.

   

3. Make sure assignments are set up in your MyLab or Mastering course. Assign due dates in your Mastering course. Manage due dates only from your MyLab or Mastering course, not your LMS course.

   To successfully sync grades and open assignments, make sure assignment names are fewer than 128 characters. Avoid UTF-8 or these characters \ / " * < > + = | , % ! &

4. Return to your LMS course.

Using the MyLab and Mastering integration for Blackboard?

Open MyLab and Mastering or Access Pearson tools. Add links, including any assignment or tool links to your course. Select Submit.

Choose the folder containing the links, and then select Submit.

Repeat these steps anytime to update links.

Next, add assignment or tool links or get students started.

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Step 3: Add assignment, course tool, or eText links

Optionally, you can add links that students use to open MyLab or Mastering assignments, course tools, such as Grades, or eText (also called eTextbook) from your Blackboard course. Learn how assignment, course tool, or eText links function.

Prerequisites: First pair your MyLab or Mastering and Blackboard courses and set up assignments in your MyLab and Mastering course.

Transitioning your course from the MyLab and Mastering (LTI 1.1) integration to the Access Pearson (LTI 1.3) integration?

In most cases, assignment, course tool, and eText links will automatically be available in the new version of the LMS course. You'll have the option to see a status that includes a list of any links that aren't automatically transferred. You might need to delete the links from your course and then manually add them back.

Watch a video

1. In the left navigation, go to the content area where you want the assignment, course tool, or eText links. If you like, select the plus sign (+) to add a new content area or module for the links. Select the Available to Users check box, so students can access the links. (See Blackboard Help for details.)

   

2. Select Build Content and then Pearson Links or the name your admin chose

   

3. From the Add links from list, choose whether to see assignments, course tools, or eText. Then scroll to see all the links or search for a specific link. Choose a column heading to sort.

   

4. Select one or more links from and repeat for any option in Add links from.Adding eText links?

   Select a Chapter to see its associated links.

   

5. Select Add links at the bottom of the page.

   You'll see the new links in your content area. Delete any characters you don't expect in the headings of your links.

   

Next, get students started.

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Step 4: Get students started

Student payment: After you pair your LMS course with a MyLab or Mastering course, it’s simple for your students to open MyLab and Mastering. Students link accounts once. Depending on the course setup, they might need to purchase access. Options include pre-purchased access code, credit card, or PayPal. Free 14-day temporary access is available for some courses but isn't supported for Codeless Inclusive Access integrations.

Multi-semester or sequential courses: For the second half of a multi-semester course, students might be prompted to link their LMS and Pearson accounts the first time they access the MyLab or Mastering course. Students must use the same Pearson username and password as the first part of the course. Otherwise, they might be prompted for payment again.

Course ID or invite links: You don't need to give students course IDs or invite links. Communicate your course activity expectations and grade weighting with students. Let them know what's required for your course, including purchase options. Also, like instructors, students can download diagnostics to provide to Pearson support.

Student View in the Access Pearson integration: To access the student view of the MyLab or Mastering course as an instructor, remove the LMS Student View filter, and then select a student assignment, course tool, or eText link. If you select the Access Pearson link from the Student View, you’ll get error code SOCKET_LS_T_03.

Using Barnes & Noble, Follett Willo, RedShelf, or VitalSource?

If a student is incorrectly prompted to purchase access, remove the Pearson integration settings.

Student resources

Share registration instructions and other resources with your students early, so they can immediately engage with course materials. We suggest copying and pasting these URLs into an email to students before classes start or your syllabus. Another option is to add these URLs as web links in a getting started section of your Blackboard course. See Blackboard Help for how to add links.

• Video: https://pearsoncustomersuccess.co/d1d

• PDF: https://pearsoncustomersuccess.co/3e132

• Student Help: https://help.pearsoncmg.com/integration/cg/student/

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Step 5: Sync grades

Sync grades one-way from your MyLab and Mastering course to your Blackboard course. Learn how grade sync works.

Prepare for grade sync in your MyLab or Mastering course

1. Access the Pearson Home page and select Open Pearson.
2. Select Open MyLab & Mastering.
3. In your MyLab and Mastering course, turn on any grade settings and create assignments that meet the guidelines below. If needed, set availability/due dates and choose grade sync settings.

   Guidelines: To avoid problems opening MyLab and Mastering courses and syncing grades, make sure names, including course and assignment names, and settings don't have UTF-8 and these special characters: \ / " * < > + = | , % ! &

   Depending on your MyLab and Mastering platform, there are different ways to prepare for grade sync.

   Mastering

   See Mastering Help for grade sync considerations.

   MyLab

   See MyLab Help for how to set up grade sync from your MyLab course and choose how to sync scores.

   MyLab IT and World Languages

   See MyLab Help for how to set up grade sync from your MyLab course and choose how to sync scores.

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Next, return to your LMS course to set up grade sync.

Set up grade sync from your Blackboard course

Prerequisite: To avoid problems opening your MyLab or Mastering course and syncing grades, make sure names and settings in your LMS course don't have UTF-8 and these special characters: \ / " * < > + = | , % ! &

1. Access the Pearson Home page and select Open Pearson.
2. Select Grade Sync.

   

3. To automatically sync grades as they become available, select On for Automatic Grade Sync. This doesn't sync past grades. (If Off is selected, MyLab and Mastering grades only sync to your LMS when you select Sync Grades Now.)

   

   Regardless of whether automatic grade sync is turned on, use Sync Grades Now anytime to manually sync all existing grades, including grades available before you turned auto sync on.

   

4. Make selections in the Items to Sync list. You might need to wait up to 15 minutes after you set up grade sync to see these items.

   

5. Select Sync Grades Now to create links for any assignments and to initially populate the LMS gradebook.

   

See also: Get diagnostics