Overview
This checklist helps troubleshoot common issues when integrating Blackboard with Planning & Self-Study. It covers key setup areas: ensuring foundational data files are correctly loaded in P&SS, checking Blackboard LMS configurations and administrator permissions, understanding prerequisites for pulling data from Blackboard, and managing data refreshes. Following these steps helps ensure accurate and timely data flow for reporting and planning.
1. Initial Setup: Foundational Data Files
Before connecting Blackboard, it is essential to ensure core data files are loaded in Planning & Self-Study. Completing the companion course first can provide a deeper understanding.
Planning & Self-Study: Required Data Imports for System Administration
Planning & Self-Study: Optional Data Imports for System Administration
For IT Administrators:
- Understand Required vs. Optional Fields: Note which data files/fields are necessary for the Blackboard integration and which ones add more detail to reports.
- Student Learning & Licensure (SLL) Users: If SLL is in use and some data files are already loaded, section IDs may need updating to match Blackboard.
-
Section ID Match: Confirm the Section ID in the P&SS Section file (System Administration) matches the Course ID in Blackboard.
- Student Email Match: Verify the email address listed for students in the P&SS People file and Enrollment file (System Administration) matches the email address used in Blackboard.
2. Blackboard LMS Configuration
For LMS Administrators
Best practice: Load foundational data files in P&SS first, then activate the Blackboard integration.
- Integration Setup Steps:
- Review the How to Set Up Advanced Blackboard Integration help article for configuring the Blackboard integration.
3. Using the Integration
For Planning & Self-Study System Administrators
Data in Blackboard
- Confirm the data to be pulled already exists in Blackboard. Planning & Self-Study can only pull existing Blackboard data.
- If the Blackboard assessments have not been scored, the scores will pull in later when the data is refreshed.
*Note: Blackboard does allow for rubric based assignments, but align by activity must be selected to use an activity that has an associated rubric.
Measures
- Alignment to Measures: Ensure the correct alignment has been added to the measure in P&SS. Please review the help article called Adding an Alignment using Advanced Blackboard Integration.
- Met Criteria: Confirm that the Met criteria has been set for the activity in P&SS.
- Correct Plan: Confirm the correct plan is selected in P&SS for the data being pulled. (For example, if you intend to use Spring 2025 data, verify that the data for Spring 2025 is available in Blackboard and that it is being pulled into the correct plan in P&SS)
Data Filtering
- Optional: To filter your results by any of the data points below, the following data files need to be uploaded.
| Filtering Value | CSV Import File | CSV Field | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modality | Sections | Delivery_Method | The delivery method of the section, such as online or hybrid |
| Gender | Basic Person Attributes | Gender | The gender of the person, usually as reported to IPEDS |
| Race/Ethnicity | Basic Person Attributes | Race/Ethnicity | The combined race and ethnicity values of the person, usually common in combined Race/Ethnicity reporting |
| Generation | Basic Person Attributes | First_Generation | The flag indicating if the person is a first generation student |
| Pell Eligibility | Basic Person Attributes | Pell Eligibility | The flag indicates if the person is eligible to receive PELL grants |
| Attending Status | Student Term Attributes | Attending_ Status | This flag indicates if the person attends Full Time or Part-Time |
| Primary Major | Student Term Attributes | Primary Major | The primary major of the student during the given term |
4. Data Refreshes
By default, Blackboard data updates and pulls into Planning & Self-Study every two weeks (2 weeks from the last data pull). However, a refresh may be needed sooner:
- If you believe data has been entered since your most recent refresh and you want to ensure that it appears.
- Data has been back-entered in Blackboard after the initial refresh.
Note: The first data sync pulls all past data, current term data, and any future terms that have been mapped or synced. For any manual refreshes, please submit a request to Watermark Support via the help center.
For System Administrators
It is best practice to create a recurring schedule for uploading data to ensure the P&SS system stays up to date.