Using an LMS Integration (Multi-Step Path)

Videos and Steps to Accomplish: 4 Videos/Steps

This is a multi-step getting started path which allows you and your students to automatically be enrolled in CertMaster.  Please watch the video, complete the steps, and then watch the next video, and so forth. By the end of this article, you should be up and running smoothly. 

Note: We can only integrate with LTI 1.1 and LTI 1.3 Compliant LMS platforms. Click here to see if your LMS is LTI- Compliant 

Start your LMS Integration Set up

To start your LMS integration, depending on your LMS you must either have a Consumer Key and Secret (LTI 1.1 integrations), or a CertMaster Client ID and unique registration link to provide your Deployment ID (Blackboard LTI 1.3 integration). To begin integration you have two options:

• Tell your CertMaster Account Representative that you would like LMS integration, and also provide the School's/District's LMS Administrator name and email.
• Use this online form to submit an LMS Integration Setup request: https://hs.testout.com/lms-keyandsecret 
  

Whether you are an admin installing and configuring the integration, or an instructor or designer creating CertMaster assignment links within your LMS course,  you can go here to learn the nuts-and-bolts. 

Automatically Creating a class and Enrolling students

Once you have links from your LMS integrated with CertMaster, AS THE INSTRUCTOR: 

Click one of the CertMaster assignment links inside of your LMS class. When you click on the link, your class is automatically created in CertMaster. Make sure to do this for each class. When you do, a class matching your LMS class's name will be automatically created in your CertMaster account. As a best practice, don't rename it, archive it, or create a duplicate of it, at least until after your semester ends.  DO NOT create your class manually in CertMaster.  

Note:  It is critical that at least one initial assignment be clicked to establish integration between your LMS and CertMaster account, which involves the creation of the automatic class. The End Date of each automatically created class is 12 months from the date of creation. If necessary, the End Date can be extended or shortened within CertMaster by choosing Edit Class for each class and adjusting the End Date. The End Date does not expire product licenses and does not impact your ability to create additional course copies within your LMS. 

Regarding Start and End Dates of your CertMaster class (for LTI 1.3 Advantage, TestOut EduApp, and Plugin integrations):

• If the LMS course start date is known via the integration, this date will be used as the start date for the CertMaster class. 

• If the LMS course end date is known via the integration, this date will be used as the end date for the CertMaster class. The end date shouldn’t exceed 18 months from when a course is first created in CertMaster.

• If the LMS course start date is NOT known via the integration, the date when the first initial CertMaster assignment link is clicked will be used as the start date for the CertMaster class. 

• If the LMS course end date is NOT known via the integration, the CertMaster end date will be 12 months from the start date (the start date is based on the standards set above). 

• If the LMS course end date is set to continuous, the CertMaster end date will be 12 months from the start date (the start date is based on the standards set above).

INSTRUCT YOUR STUDENTS: 

Click one of the CertMaster assignment links inside of your LMS class. When they click the link it will automatically create the student account inside of CertMaster , and enroll them in the right class (with their CertMaster account being automatically created in the background, and license activated). 

Note:  It is critical that at least one initial assignment be clicked to establish integration between your LMS and CertMaster student account. This is how the CertMaster system knows that your student exists, and is important for multiple aspects of integration functionality. 

• For students that already have CertMaster accounts, you want to make sure that the email address associated with their account is their school email address. This way the integration will be able to find and integrate with the existing student CertMaster account. 
• DO NOT create your students' accounts inside CertMaster through CSV, individually, or through email. 
• Students DO NOT need to create their accounts through testout.com.

Watch Video - Automatically Creating a class and Enrolling students 

Steps - Automatically Creating a class and Enrolling students  

1. From your Learning Management System (LMS), click the link(s) that have been created for you by your LMS course design team or LMS administrators. 
   Note: These links are normally in a course section or class. 
2. From CertMaster , click the Home icon.
3. Click Continue to leave the CertMaster learning resource and proceed Home inside CertMaster . 
4. Click My Campus, and notice the following:
   • In the Classes tab, your LMS class name will now show as a CertMaster class name.
   • In the Classes tab, your CertMaster Product (such as TestOut PC Pro v 6.0) will already be associated to the CertMaster class.
   • In the Students tab, the name of your student(s) will automatically appear IF they have clicked over from your LMS to CertMaster.
5. Click your Profile Name in the Upper Right (such as Sunny Day), and select My Profile. Notice the following:
   • The First and Last Name were brought over from your LMS profile when you clicked the link.
   • The email was also brought over from your LMS profile when you clicked the link.
   • The associated products were also activated when you clicked the link.
   • Your account was automatically associated to the correct school inside of CertMaster.
6. Click the X in the Profile dialog.

Steps - Returning Grades to the LMS for LTI 1.1

These steps apply to the students' actions. 

1. For each assignment/link in your LMS, the student should click the link over to CertMaster.
2. The student will then complete the learning resource, such as:
   • Lab Simulation
   • Section Exam
   • Custom Exam
   • TestOut Pro Certification
3. The score is automatically sent to your LMS depending on whether your LMS course design team or LMS administrators have used LTI 1.1 or a plugin tool.
   
   • If using LTI 1.1, after completing and scoring the resource the score is sent back to your LMS.
   •  ○ If using a plugin tool, the score is automatically sent back to your LMS.
4. Close the CertMaster browser tab.
   Note: As a matter of best practice, the student SHOULD ALWAYS close CertMaster after completing their CertMaster learning resource.
5. The student will repeat Steps 1 through 4 for every assignment/link in your LMS.

For LTI 1.1 integrations instruct your students that in order for CertMaster scores to transfer back to your LMS automatically they must launch the corresponding LMS link for each graded CertMaster assignment.

• Launching an assignment link in your LMS tells CertMaster to send over the score for that assignment. When they first do it, it sends over the first score they receive.
• If the student doesn't like the first score and immediately does the assignment again without returning to your LMS, that newer or better score will not come back to your LMS unless the student returns to your LMS to launch the link to that assignment again.
• New or updated scores can be returned to your LMS retroactively in this way. 1 link launched = 1 score sent back. 
• Depending on your school's configuration, launching an assignment link from your LMS for an already completed item may return either the newest/most recent score or the highest score. In this case, click the assignment link will result in a green checkmark indicating that the already recorded score has been returned. For an already recorded score, the student will also result in a green checkmark. Most commonly the most recent score will be returned.

Steps - Returning Grades to the LMS for LTI 1.3 with Advantage integrations

With LTI 1.3/Advantage, there is no longer a one-to-one ratio (1 link launched = 1 score sent back) for grade return.  This means that so long as an assignment link exists within your LMS course, all scores for CertMaster assignments [in your course] that students complete will automatically be returned to your LMS Grade Book, whether they click on the actual CertMaster assignment link in the course or not.  We recommend that all students access CertMaster via the LMS course assignments (not via directly logging into testout.com to complete assignments) for grades to automatically be returned to the LMS course Grade Book. Though please note that students need to click at least one CertMaster assignment in the LMS course for their CertMaster account to be integrated (so scores can return from CertMaster to your LMS).  

Each instructor will also want to click at least one CertMaster assignment in the LMS course. This step will ensure that the instructor CertMaster account is integrated, and automatically creates a class in the instructor CertMaster account named after the LMS course. As each student clicks on their initial CertMaster assignment in the LMS course, in addition to their CertMaster account becoming integrated, they will also be automatically enrolled in the automatically created class in the instructor's CertMaster account. 

Note: Only scores achieved within an LMS course's start and end dates will be synced to your LMS.

TestOut Sends a Raw Percentage Score to the LMS

TestOut sends a raw percentage score to the LMS. Then it’s up to the LMS to how to work with the percentage and display the score. In most cases, the percentage calculates against configured points possible in each assignment and awards the student accordingly. 

Watch Video - Troubleshooting Returning Grades for LTI 1.1 LMS Integrations - Tip #1

Steps - Troubleshooting Returning Grades for LTI 1.1 LMS Integrations - Tip #1

Some students do not close CertMaster after completing a learning resource, and they continue to the next learning resource in the course. These steps apply to the students' actions. 

1. For each assignment/link in your LMS, the student should ALWAYS click the link over to CertMaster.
   • If the student has already completed the learning resource, the grade is sent back to the LMS when the student clicks the link.
   • If the student has not completed the learning resource, then they should complete the learning resource. 
2. After completing their resource the student should close CertMaster .
3. The student will repeat Steps 1 through 2 for every assignment/link in your LMS.

Watch Video - Troubleshooting Returning Grades Tip #2

Steps - Troubleshooting Returning Grades Tip #2

Some students have two accounts by accident.

• In all cases, the student should have a Single Sign-On account when they clicked on the LMS link(s) over to CertMaster.
• In some cases, a student has created a non-LMS account by going to TestOut.com, and then proceeding through the account creation process. 

To merge an account, the student should perform the following steps:

1. From your Learning Management System (LMS), click the link(s) over to CertMaster.
2. Click the Profile Name in the Upper Right (such as Sunny Day), and select My Profile.
3. Click Merge Accounts.  
4. Type in the username and password from the non-LMS account.
5. Click Merge Accounts button.
6. Click the X in the Profile dialog.