Adding an Alignment using Advanced Blackboard Integration

Overview

This article outlines the process for connecting Planning & Self-Study measures to assessment data within Blackboard. The alignment process serves as the foundational step for pulling Learning Management System (LMS) data into the platform by linking measures to specific student activities. This guide is intended for users who have already created a measure and need to establish a direct connection to Blackboard assignments, tests, or discussions.

Creating an Alignment to a Measure

The first step of pulling data into Planning & Self-Study is to create a Measure against an Outcome.

Note: Alignments are not plan-specific, meaning they can be created interchangeably within the Measure Library or directly from within an Assessment Plan.

Once this is complete, alignments can be created to connect the Measures to Activities in Blackboard. For instructions on setting up new measures, users can reference the article below.

Adding Measures to an Outcome Guide.

Adding an Alignment Directly from the Assessment Plan

When users edit a measure within an assessment plan, the Results section includes an LMS Integrations option. This option appears automatically for institutions with an Advanced Blackboard integration, providing a direct path to manage alignments to LMS activities and rubrics without leaving the plan workspace.

1. Access an assessment plan and navigate to a measure.

2. In the Results section, select LMS Integrations.

   

3. Choose either Align by Activity or Align by Rubric to proceed.

Adding an Alignment via the Measure Library

1. Click Organization Management.
2. Click into a program/organization.
3. Click Program Information.
4. Click Manage Measures under an Outcome.

5. Create a New Measure, or click into an existing Measure.

   

6. If using an existing measure, click Edit Measure.

   

7. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Add Alignment.

Adding an Alignment

Click Add Alignment within a measure.

Select the Source from the drop-down menu and click Next.

Choose the Alignment Type and click Next.

By default, Align by Activity is selected, and Align by Rubric is disabled.

Note: Blackboard supports rubric-based assignments, but users must choose Align by Activity to link an assignment that utilizes an external grading rubric.

Select one or more academic terms. Making a selection populates the dashboard grid with assignments, quizzes, or graded discussions mapped to organizational courses. Only terms containing course sections synced to the active organization are displayed.

Select Activities

All assignments, tests, and graded discussions mapped to institutional section directories are available for selection.

1. Select Activities: Choose one or more items from the generated list. Users can check multiple individual items or select all entries before clicking Next.

   

2. Review Selection: After clicking Next, the application displays a summary profile of the chosen metrics alongside an aggregate count checker. Clicking View Selected Activities displays a comprehensive item review summary including:

   • Name of the Activity
   • Term: Academic terms associated with the assessed course sections.
   • Course & Section: Institutional catalog titles and section codes where evaluations occurred.
   • Grading Method: Displays the point, letter-grade, or percentage scoring criteria managed via Blackboard.

   

   Note: All activities from cross-listed courses aligned to a selected term are visible for configuration.

   

   After configuring properties, an aggregate volume total appears near the top header area. Click View Selected Activities to access detailed records.

Note: To remove a tracking mapping, select the corresponding Delete row item icon from the verified dashboard interface list.

Filtering Activities by Course, Section, and Rubric

Users can parse item listings via three cascading contextual filter boxes: Course, Section, and Rubric. These filters narrow systematically based on antecedent parameter selections.

Course Filter

• Isolates row data by core discipline or class name.
• Populates matches from active reporting periods that have at least one verified active learning objective submission.
• Includes an internal text search widget to find specialized course targets quickly.
• Filters out unconnected listings instantly from view once applied.

Section Filter

• Refines item listings down to individual classroom rosters.
• Displays sectional variants mapped to verified collection semesters.
• Includes an internal text filter input to streamline discovery.

Rubric Filter

• Isolates activities tied to designated scoring guidelines.
• Narrows available configurations down to items matched to active catalog fields.
• Triggers a workspace notification banner if no matching assessment tools are found.

Cascading Filter Behavior

• Selecting a designated course filters subsequent section and rubric menus down to matching metrics valid for that entry.
• Selecting a distinct section limits rubric results strictly to elements used within that unique group roster.
• System Filter Sequence Hierarchy: Course > Section > Rubric.

Final Steps

• Align Activity: Click Align Activity to proceed with the alignment.
• Create Measure: Click Create Measure to generate the measure using the selected alignment.

Note: An activity can only be aligned once within the same measure. If it has already been aligned, it will not be available for selection again.