How does LTI 1.3 integration grade sync work?

Step 1: Release scores to students

In order to sync scores to the Learning Management System (LMS), they must first be released in the Perusall gradebook.  Instructors can release scores from the gradebook in a few ways.

• By default, course are set to release scores manually, allowing instructors to review/edit grades prior to release.  To release the scores, click the button at the bottom of the column in the Perusall gradebook for the assignment, or
• Set an automatic release policy: Go to Settings > Scoring > General > Release scores to students.

Step 2: Send scores to the LMS

To choose how scores are sent to the LMS, navigate Settings > Scoring > LMS Grade Sync > Grade sync to LMS, and choose one of the following options:

• Select Do not sync grades back to the LMS if you do not want Perusall sending any scores to your LMS at all.

• When you select Automatically sync students' average or total scores to LMS, Perusall will automatically create a gradebook column in your LMS course that syncs the average or total scores.

  There is no need for individual Perusall assignment links. Students will click on the generic Perusall link that you added to your course to set up the tool.

  • Blackboard Instructor Setup
  • Canvas Instructor Setup
  • Desire2Learn Instructor Setup
  • Moodle Instructor Setup
  • Sakai Instructor Setup
• All released scores (i.e., scores visible to students within their Perusall accounts) will be automatically synced to separate gradebook columns in the LMS. Most scores will sync immediately upon updating, but occasionally may take up to an hour to sync automatically; you can always force an immediate sync by selecting Gradebook > Sync to LMS at the bottom of the corresponding gradebook column.

• With this option, Perusall will not send any scores to your LMS until you explicitly ask for grades to be synced for a particular assignment by selecting Gradebook > Sync to LMS at the bottom of the corresponding gradebook column.

  Alternatively, you can manually sync all assignments via the Sync to LMS > Sync All Assignments button at the top of your Perusall gradebook.

Step 3: LMS gradebook column management

For instructors who opt for automatic syncing of individual assignment scores, there are two options regarding how Perusall communicates grade information with your LMS.  Click on the video below to learn more.

• When you select Perusall creates gradebook columns in LMS for each Perusall assignment automatically, Perusall informs your LMS of the name of the assignment, the number of points, and the deadline (some LMSs may not utilize the latter information), and keeps this information up-to-date when you create, update, or remove assignments within Perusall.
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    • If you use this option, there is no need to create individual links in your LMS for students to click on; students can enter Perusall through a generic link.
    • In Canvas only: Perusall will also automatically create assignment links in your Canvas course that link directly to each assignment reading. They will be placed in your Canvas Assignments page.

• When you select, Instructor creates deep links in LMS; no Perusall gradebook columns will appear in LMS until deep links have been created, Perusall will not automatically create and manage gradebook columns in your LMS. Instead, Perusall will send student scores back to the gradebook columns that your LMS creates for the deep links you set up within the LMS.

  • Blackboard Integration Features
  • Canvas Integration Features
  • Desire2Learn Integration Features
  • Moodle Integration Features
  • Sakai Integration Features

  If you do not create a deep link pointing to a particular Perusall assignment, Perusall won't sync the scores for that assignment back to your LMS.

Troubleshooting

• When Perusall encounters a grade sync error, it should be reported in your Perusall gradebook.
  
  Green check marks beside scores indicate a successful grade passback to the LMS gradebook, while orange exclamation marks indicate errors. Scroll over the icon to get the direct error message.

  

• When using the first option (automatic gradebook column management), Perusall will create gradebook columns in your LMS automatically for each Perusall assignment as needed. If you accidentally delete a Perusall-created gradebook column, you can restore it by manually resyncing grades to the LMS -- click Sync to LMS at the bottom of the corresponding gradebook column within Perusall.
• Duplicates in the LMS generally occur when a course is set to auto-create mode, and the instructor is also manually adding deep links. 
  
  To remove the duplicates, navigate to Settings > Scoring > LMS grade sync > LMS gradebook column management, and switch Instructor creates deep links.  When you do, you'll see a pop-up says "Also delete existing gradebook columns in my LMS that Perusall is currently syncing to."
  
  
  
  Enable this, and Save Changes.  Perusall will delete the duplicate columns that we have automatically created, and then when you launch the deep links from your LMS course, the grades will appear in the LMS gradebook columns you've created.
• After you've created deep links in your LMS course, the final step is to open the link, taking you from your LMS course to Perusall.  (Anyone in the LMS course can do this, students or instructors.)
  
  If you've already opened the link, and the scores are still not syncing, try creating a brand new assignment in your LMS course, and adding the deep link, there.  Then, the scores from Perusall should sync to the new assignment in the LMS.  You are safe to delete the non-functioning link.
• If the Perusall gradebook error reports "Course has no LTI item URL," navigate to the assignment settings, and ensure that grading is enabled for the specific assignment, and verify that your LMS admin has enabled grading for the Perusall LTI 1.3 tool. If you need further support, contact Perusall support.
• If you or your students receive an error saying "The assignment cannot be found," this means that the assignment link from your LMS points to an assignment that Perusall cannot recognize, or that your student is not assigned to this assignment.  This is usually due to one of the following circumstance:
  • The assignment in question was not copied into the current course.  To fix this, copy the assignment into the course, and relaunch the assignment from your LMS.
  • The assignment may have been deleted.  To fix this, restore the assignment from deleted assignments, and relaunch the assignment from your LMS.
  • The assignment ID does not match the original ID.  If the assignment is in your course, yet not being recognized, try relinking the assignment by recreating the deep link.
  • The assignment is assigned to specific students or groups.  Edit the Perusall assignment, and check these settings under Options to ensure the student is part of the assigned selection.