Using LMS Integration to place CertMaster Learn content (2023 or prior) into D2L Brightspace

Note: The following requires that you have an LMS integration with CompTIA already configured in your LMS. If you are interested in setting this up, please contact your Sales representative, who can get you in touch with our integration team. For more info on the configuration process, see our other articles on LMS integration.

KNOWN ISSUE – The ‘Study Tasks’ category of the content selector currently has a bug where items selected from it will create a grade book column in your LMS grade book, but will not return grades. We recommend you select items from the other categories. All content found in the Study Tasks category can be found in other categories; it’s simply a re-arrangement of the items by Lesson.

Create Learn (or Learn+Labs) links in a Brightspace Course

1. Navigate to your course, and then to the Content tab.

2. Click Existing Activities and select CertMaster Learn or CertMaster Learn and Labs), and after a few seconds, the content selector will load. Your tool title may vary depending on when you set up your integration (or your LMS Admin's preferences).

   • Note: If your institution recently transitioned from using separate tools for Learn and Labs to using the combined Learn+Labs tool, you may see multiple tools with CertMaster Learn or CertMaster Labs in the name. The Learn-only and Labs-only tools only exist to maintain legacy connections, and you should always select the combined Learn+Labs option when it is available.
3. Check each item that you’d like to create a link to, and click Submit at the bottom
   • Do not select items from the ‘Study Tasks’ category of the content selector. See the Known Issue Warning at the top of this article.

4. For each asset selected, an LTI Link will appear in the course. If any of the selected assets are gradeable (Practice Questions, PBQs, Assessments, and Labs), a gradebook column for it will also be created in the LMS Gradebook. On student completion, grades will be sent from our platform to the LMS within seconds.

What should I use in my course?

The short answer is: Anything you want! However, being greeted by a list of many reading pages the first time you open the content selector can be a bit overwhelming. Below is a popular method for how to use the tool to build a course:

Create a Module for each Lesson in CertMaster Learn – Create a module or folder for each Lesson in the course, and in each one, add:

• Lessons (readings): Use just the first item in each Lesson, and students can continue reading from there. If you wish to be slightly more granular, you can link the first item in each Topic instead. These will not pass back grades or completion to the LMS.

• Practice Questions: In the Practice Questions section, you’ll find one question set for each Lesson, which is a set of 10-20 multiple-choice questions. These will pass grades back and can be used as graded quizzes or simply as ungraded review material.

• Performance-based Questions (PBQs): The number in the title of each PBQ is the Lesson it’s associated with. Not every Lesson has a corresponding PBQ, and some have multiple, but most Lessons have at least one. These are alternate question types, like drop-downs, drag-and-match, etc., and pass grades back to the LMS. Place a link and try one out if you’d like to see for yourself!

• Assessments: For each course, there is a single final assessment meant to mirror the certification exam. These have around 90 questions, which are a mix of multiple choice and PBQs. These do pass grades back to the LMS.

• (Optionally, CertMaster Labs: If you’re also utilizing our CertMaster Labs product, you can link these practical experiences to give your students practice in an actual Windows or Linux environment. There is documentation available for where to place each Lab within each CertMaster Learn lesson -- just ask your CompTIA rep!)

On the other hand, if you want to let CertMaster Learn do the heavy lifting of providing structure and a hub for the student, feel free to reduce the number of links you provide the student, using them more as an entry point than a syllabus. If you're not as concerned with grade syncing (or your LMS doesn't support it), you can place a single link, which is sufficient to grant the student access, and call it a day!

Assignment and Grade Services (AGS) Functionality

Our tools utilize LTI 1.3’s Advantage Services – specifically Deep Linking and Assignment and Grade Services (AGS) – to allow grades to automatically pass from our platform to the LMS gradebook as they’re completed. See our article LMS Integration: Assignment and Grade Services (AGS) for Technical Requirements, Frequently Asked Questions, and other information on this process.

Other Tips

• Other CertMaster Learn functionality from the native platform (like the Boost Dashboard and Group Reporting) is still available to integration customers, though Group Reporting does require manually setting up each Group.

• You can navigate the content selector more easily by clicking the blue header bars to expand or contract the sections you’re interested in.

• Though they don’t appear in the content selector, you can also create links to other CertMaster Learn assets, like the Learning Plan page, Flashcard games, or the Boost Dashboard for Instructors. For more info on how to do this, reach out to your CompTIA integration specialist.

Where to find CertMaster LTI 1.3 Tools in D2L Brightspace: