LMS Integration: Setting up the Blackboard REST API

IMPORTANT: If you are an existing SS&E client and want/need to switch to the Blackboard REST API integration please reach out to your customer success manager or support to discuss the process of converting to the Backboard REST API integration before completing these steps.

• This article provides information on the steps needed to configure Blackboard to allow SS&E to connect and retrieve information using the Blackboard REST API.
• Once you have completed these steps please let support know as there are additional configuration steps that must be configured and implemented by SS&E Professional Services Staff.
• If you have a support package, this can utilize your plan and your ticket can escalate directly to the Professional Services team.
• If you are not currently utilizing the SS&E Support Package offerings, this will require a paid engagement. For more details please reach out to your Customer Success Manager.

Create a Role for SS&E Permissions

The following steps explain how to create a new user that has a role with privileges that allow SS&E to integrate with Blackboard. 

1. Create the role
   
   • Go to Administrator Panel
   • Locate Users Section
   • Click System Roles
   • Click Create Role
   • Enter the following for each field:
     • Role Name: SseRestRole or AvisoRestRole
     • Role ID:  SseRestRole or AvisoRestRole
     • Description: Role granting permissions to Watermark Student Success & Engagement in order to integrate with Blackboard REST API
   • Click Submit
     • You will be taken to the ‘Manage Privileges’ page to add privileges for the SseRestRole / AvisoRestRole. 
2. Add privileges to the SseRestRole / AvisoRestRole
   • To add a privilege:
     • Locate the in the table or search for it
     • Click its corresponding checkbox
     • Find the ‘Privileges’ drop down
     • Click permit privileges
       • Note: You may add more than one privilege at once.
   • Add the following privileges:
     • Course/Organization Control Panel (Grade Center) Full Control
       
       • If you are unable to find this privilege, enable “Course/Organization Control Panel (Grade Center) All Grading” instead
         
     • Administrator Panel (Users) Users
     • Course/Organization Control Panel (Users and Groups) Users
     • Administrator Panel (Courses) Courses Merge
       
     • NOTE: Non System Admin users are unable to see the data for System Admins. If you have users in Blackboard who have the System Admin role and need their data to be pulled into SS&E, you must make the SS&E user a System Admin.
       
   • When you are finished adding the privileges, click the OK button located in the bottom right of the page

Create a User for SS&E Integration

You will need to create a user for SS&E to use to access the API.

1. Go to the Administrator Panel
2. Locate the Users Section
3. Click Users
   
4. Click Create User
5. Enter the following values into the designated fields:
   • First name: SseRest or AvisoRest
   • Last name: Integration
   • Username: SseRestIntegration or AvisoRestIntegration
     
   • Password/Verify Password:
   • System Roles: Add our SseRestRole or AvisoRestRole to this user
     
6. Click submit located in the bottom right of the page
   

Create the SS&E Integration

This process will associate the SS&E integration with the user you just created.

1. Go to Administrator Panel
2. Locate the ‘Integrations’ section
3. Click REST API Integrations
4. Click ‘Create Integration’
5. Enter the following into each field:
   • Set Application ID to d918e6f0-c6f5-4f0c-af21-ea35aa76930c
   • Add the SS&E user you created in the previous section
     • Click Browse...
     • Search for 'Sse' or ‘Aviso’ 
     • Click the checkbox on the SseRestIntegration or AvisoRestIntegration user
     • Click Submit
   • Check to be sure the ‘Learn User’ field is populated with SseRestIntegration or AvisoRestIntegration
   • End User Access: No
   • Authorized To Act As User: Service Default (No)
6. Click Submit

That's It for giving us access. Once this process is complete please let us know. There are still steps we need to complete.

What APIs are used by SS&E?

So glad you asked! Here is some information on the API calls we use for the integration:

List of APIs We Require:

• Token Retrieval
  • /learn/api/public/v1/oauth2/token
• Courses
  • /learn/api/public/v3/courses
• Course Memberships
  • /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/users
• Course Membership
  • /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/users/{userId}
• Grade Columns
  • /learn/api/public/v2/courses/{courseId}/gradebook/columns
• Grade Column Attempts
  • /learn/api/public/v2/courses/{courseId}/gradebook/columns/{columnId}/attempts
• User Grades
  • /learn/api/public/v2/courses/{courseId}/gradebook/columns/{columnId}/users/{userId}
• User
  • /learn/api/public/v1/users/{userId}
• Terms
  • /learn/api/public/v1/terms