Blackboard LTI 1.3 Integration - Administrator Setup

Note: This article provides instructions for administrators to configure the SL&L tool within Blackboard. Please follow these steps carefully to ensure a seamless integration for your users.

  1. From the administrator account for your Student Learning & Licensure (SL&L) organization, click on Settings, then click Configuration Settings, then click LMS Integrations

    The configuration settings page with LMS INTEGRATIONS highlighted showing LMS 1, LMS 2 and Canvas Timeline integration status as inactive along with edit icon.

  2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) to the right of LMS 1 or LMS 2
  3. From the LMS dropdown, select Blackboard
  4. In the LMS URL box, enter the URL for your institution's Blackboard environment. Example: blackboard.livetext.com, blackboard.jsu.edu, etc.
  5. In the Client ID field in SL&L, enter: 2761a189-689a-4eae-9d14-70a3aa78fb95
  6. In the Issuer field, enter: https://blackboard.com

    Note: Please make sure there are no trailing spaces or special characters (such as a "/") at the end of the URL

  7. In the Public keyset URL field, enter: https://developer.blackboard.com/api/v1/management/applications/2761a189-689a-4eae-9d14-70a3aa78fb95/jwks.json
  8. In the Access token URL field, enter: https://developer.blackboard.com/api/v1/gateway/oauth2/jwttoken
  9. In the Authentication request URL field, enter: https://developer.blackboard.com/api/v1/gateway/oidcauth

How to Get the Deployment ID from Blackboard

  1. Log into your Blackboard administrator account
  2. Navigate to the System Admin area and click on LTI Tool Providers
  3. Click on the Register LTI 1.3 Tool tab
  4. Enter the Client ID from step 5 above and click on the Submit button
  5. On the next screen, copy the Deployment ID and paste it in the Deployment ID field in SL&L
  6. Click the SAVE button in SL&L
  7. In Blackboard, make the following updates:
    • Select Approved for the Tool Status
    • Select all three checkboxes for User Fields to Send
    • Select Yes for Allow grade service access
    • Select Yes for Allow Membership Service Access
  8. Click Submit

Placement Creation in Blackboard

  1. From the LTI Providers screen in Blackboard, click on the "0" (zero) link displayed under the Placements column corresponding to the SL&L tool provider created above
  2. Click the Create Placement button
  3. Enter the following to create a placement:
    • Enter a Label name of your choice
    • Enter a unique identifier in the Handle field
    • Select Course content tool for the Type
    • Check the box for Allows grading
    • Enable Launch in New Window
    • Enter the Tool Provider URL: https://sll.watermarkinsights.com/via/lti/v1p3/launch
  4. Click Submit
  5. Click the LTI Tool Providers button
  6. Click Manage Global Properties
  7. Verify that Allow configured tool providers to post grades is enabled, and click the Submit button
  8. Enable Deep Linking by following the steps listed below:
    1. Click the Create Placement button (please refer to the screenshot) and enter the following information.

      The LTI Tool Providers section showing the 'Create Placement' button highlighted.

      1. Enter a "Label" name of your choice (it would be good to provide a title that indicates that the link corresponds to Deep Linking or that indicates that this link enables bulk creation and linking of Blackboard assignments with SL&L activities).
      2. Enter a unique identifier in the Handle field.
      3. Select Deep Linking content tool for the Type field (please refer to the screenshot).

        The Type field with an arrow pointing to the 'Deep Linking content tool' option.

        Important Note: DO NOT ENABLE the "Allow student access" option available under the "Deep Linking content tool" selection.
      4. Enable Launch in New Window in case you would like the Deep Linking workflow page to open in a new window. If you would like the Deep Linking workflow page to open within the same window the "Launch in New Window" option can be left unchecked/unselected.
      5. Enter the Tool Provider URL: https://sll.watermarkinsights.com/via/lti/v1p3/deeplink
      6. Click Submit.
    2. Click the LTI Tool Providers button.
    3. Click Manage Global Properties.
    4. Verify that Allow configured tool providers to post grades is enabled, and click the Submit button.

Using Deep Linking to Bulk Create and Link Blackboard Assignments to SL&L Activities

Once you have enabled Deep Linking for your LTI 1.3 integration between Blackboard and SL&L, your Blackboard Course Admins and Blackboard Course Instructors can begin to use it to bulk create and link Blackboard assignments based on SL&L activities.

  1. The Blackboard Course Admins and Blackboard Course Instructors can access the Deep Linking workflow from their Blackboard Course from the Build Content menu in the Content area (you can reach out to your Blackboard Administrator to know about the title of the Deep Linking access point).
  2. Once you access the Deep Linking workflow option, a pop up will be displayed OR a new tab will open (based on how your Blackboard Administrator has set up the Deep Linking feature to open) where in you will be able to view a paginated list of activities (20 activities per page) from the course sections that you have access to in SL&L (please refer to the screenshot).

    The 'Add Activity To your LMS' section showing a paginated list of activities from SL&L within the Deep Linking workflow, with activity titles, course codes, and section names visible.

    1. If you are an administrator in SL&L, you will see a list of activities from open course sections that belong to the hierarchy nodes to which you have access.
    2. If you are an instructor in SL&L, you will see a list of activities from the open course sections for which you are the instructor.
    3. The list only includes activities that have been published, but are not linked to any LMS assignment.
  3. You can filter the list of activities in the following ways:
    1. By searching based on Activity Title, Course Code, and Section Name.
    2. Using the View drop-down: This drop-down enables you to filter the list of activities based on 3 options.

      The 'View' dropdown menu with options: 'Activities from all sections', 'Activities from matched sections', and 'Selected Activities.

      1. "Activities from all sections": Selecting this option displays a list of published, but unlinked activities from all open course sections that you have access to in SL&L.

        The Deep Linking workflow showing the 'View' filter set to 'Activities from all sections', with a list of available activities.

        Note: If you do not have access to any open course sections as an SL&L Administrator or an SL&L Course Instructor OR if no published activities have been created in the open course sections that you have access to as an SL&L Administrator or an SL&L Course Instructor OR if all activities from the open course that you have access to as an SL&L Administrator or an SL&L Course are already linked to an LMS assignment, an empty state message will be displayed.

        An Empty state message in the Deep Linking workflow when 'Activities from all sections' is selected, but no activities are found.

      2. "Activities from matched sections": Selecting this option displays a list of published, but unlinked activities from course sections that you have access to in SL&L, which match the Blackboard Course (through which you have accessed the Deep Linking workflow page) based on Section ID or Section Name.

        The Deep Linking workflow showing the 'View' filter set to 'Activities from matched sections', with a list of matching activities.

        Note: From among the open course sections to which you have access as an SL&L Administrator or an SL&L Course Instructor, if there are no course sections that match the Blackboard course (through which you have accessed the Deep Linking workflow page) based on Section ID or Section Name OR if no published activities have been created in the course sections that match the Blackboard course (through which you have accessed the Deep Linking workflow page) based on Section ID or Section Name OR if all published activities from the course sections that match the Blackboard course (through which you have accessed the Deep Linking workflow page) based on Section ID or Section Name are already linked to an LMS assignment, an empty state message will be displayed if you select the "Activities from matched sections" option.

        An Empty state message in the Deep Linking workflow when 'Activities from matched sections' selected, but no matching activities are found.

      3. "Selected Activities": Selecting this option displays a list of activities that you have selected after accessing the Deep Linking workflow page.

        The Deep Linking workflow showing the 'View' filter set to 'Selected Activities', with a list of previously chosen activities.

        Note: If you have not made any selections on the Deep Linking workflow page, an empty state message will be displayed if you select the "Selected Activities" option.

        An Empty state message in the Deep Linking workflow when 'Selected Activities' is chosen, but no activities have been selected.

  4. Search and select the activities that you would like to create and link as Blackboard Assignments.
  5. Click the Add Activities button.

NOTE: The selected SL&L activities will be created as assignments in the Blackboard Course and the created Blackboard assignments would also be linked to the corresponding SL&L activities.

NOTE: An SL&L activity that is linked to a Blackboard assignment using Deep Linking would display the value Connected for the LMS Connection: field ONLY AFTER the SL&L activity is accessed through the linked Blackboard assignment at least once.

NOTE: To completely unlink an SL&L activity from its linked Blackboard assignment:

  • First use the Disconnect LMS Link option for the SL&L activity.

  • Then, delete the Blackboard assignment that was linked to the SL&L activity.

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