LMS and Gradebook Sync Setup Guide for Canvas 1.1

Packback is compatible for integration with most Learning Management System (LMS) platforms, including Blackboard, Canvas, D2L, and Moodle. This article lays out how to go about setting up your Learning Management System with Packback and our Gradebook Sync feature.

This article will cover the entire setup flow across the following steps: 

• Adding the Packback Tool/Link To Your Learning Management System
• Connecting Your Learning Management System Course to Packback
• Turning on Gradebook Sync
• Setting Up Gradebook Sync for Canvas 1.1

Follow along with instructions below to learn how you can go about enabling the Packback integration in Canvas. 

Step-by-Step Instructions for How to Add Packback to Canvas

1. To enable Packback in your course on Canvas, open the module/course where you'd like to enable Packback. Then, click Settings.
2. From here, click Navigation.
3. If your institution has enabled Packback as a tool that can be displayed in the navigation bar for a course, you should see Packback as an available tool at the bottom of the page, below your active navigation elements.
• If you do not see Packback as an available tool, you may need to contact your school's IT department and ask them to enable the "Navigation" placement for Packback in your course. If you need any assistance, please contact our team at help@packback.co. 
4. To add Packback to your course, simply drag the item "Packback Questions" into the desired spot in the navigation bar and then click Save. You'll immediately see Packback Questions appear in the left hand sidebar navigation for your course.

From there, you're ready to connect your Learning Management System course to Packback.

Connecting Your Learning Management System Course to Packback

From here, you'll now be able to connect your LMS to a Packback community. If you haven’t added Packback as a tool in your Learning Management System quite yet, you’ll need to do that first in order to complete the connection process. 

Already have a Packback community created?

If you’ve already created a Packback community and are just looking to connect your Learning Management System to it, you’ll first need to click on the Packback link that has been added to your Learning Management System.

From there, you’ll be shown a list of Packback communities associated with your account. Click Connect next to the one you’d like to connect your Learning Management System course to. To complete the Learning Management System setup process, simply verify that the connection information is correct and Confirm Connection.

Still need to create a Packback community to connect to?

If you haven’t created a Packback community quite yet, you’re able to do so right from your Learning Management System! 

Click on the Packback link that’s been added to your Learning Management System, first. This will initiate the Learning Management System Setup Wizard. On this page, click Create a New Community and fill out the community details. Make sure to double check the information and finally select Save and Continue at the bottom of the page. 

Congratulations, you’ve successfully created a new community and connected it to your Learning Management System!

Already created a Packback community but don’t see it?

If you’ve already created a Packback community but don’t see it when you click the Packback link in your Learning Management System, it’s possible you created the community under a different email address than is logged into your Learning Management System. 

In this case, please reach out to our Support team for assistance. You can contact us via email at help@packback.co. We’ll be happy to help!

Turning On Gradebook Sync

If you are hoping to have Packback sync to the gradebook built within Canvas for LTI 1.1, here are the step-by-step instructions for how to accomplish that!

1. Click on "Gradebook Sync" in Packback underneath Professor Tools
2. Confirm your deadlines and posting requirements
3. Turn on Gradebook Sync

Gradebook Sync is now active and you can proceed to create your assignments!

Step-By-Step Instructions for Setting Up Gradebook Sync

1. Go to the course in Canvas and click on Assignments
   
2. Click on +Assignment (feel free to group these assignments or add them to a module).
   
3. Enter the name of the assignment. This will also be the name of the corresponding gradebook column. For example, “Packback Week 1.”
   
4. For "Points" Please select a value greater than 0. (Points cannot be left as 0). For “Submission Type,” select External Tool. Click Find and select Packback from the list.
   
   
5. Save the assignment
   
6. After you click Save, Canvas will automatically open the newly-created Packback assignment within Canvas and activate it for your Packback community. If you chose to have Packback open in a new window, please open Packback in a new window. Click Please choose deadline… and select the Packback assignment you wish to connect to your Canvas assignment. Packback will send grades from the select Packback assignment to the corresponding Canvas grade column.
   
7. Repeat this process for all other Packback assignments you will have in this class. If you have 10 Packback graded assignments, you will need to do these steps 10 times. You can create all your Canvas assignments now, or you can create them one-by-one and do these steps as the semester progresses.
   
   Important Note: Students will need to click on each specific assignment link within Canvas to receive a grade from Packback. Packback highly recommends removing Packback from the navigation panel, so that students can only access via the assignment link.

Having trouble?

If you are running into issues with the above instructions or just have a question, please reach out to our Support Team at help@packback.co.