Instructor Quick Start Guide Integrating MindLinks with Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1 Cengage Learning s MindLinks provides seamless, powerful integration with your institution s Learning Management System, enabling instructors to add MindLinks content to their courses, eliminating multiple logins for students. Follow the procedures outlined in this document to configure your site to use MindLinks and to test connectivity to Cengage Learning.
Instructor Email Refer to the email message you received for the MindLink Course URL information this document references. >> Do not lose/delete your email from Cengage Learning since you might need it later. Click on MindLinks Parameters from the administrator email to retrieve the configuration parameters for the MindLinks Building Block including School ID, Key, and Secret. For security purposes you will be prompted first to enter your Cengage Learning instructor account credentials. You should have previously been provided with an account however if you do not have one you can request one on the registration page. Requests for new accounts can take up to 48 hours to validate. Add MindLink to Course The directions that follow explain how to set up a MindLink to your MindTap course. Follow these steps to set up your course: Step 1: Go to your course in Blackboard Learn: Page 2 of 8
Step 2: Turn Edit Mode ON if necessary. Step 3: Select the Content Area in which you want to create the MindLink. Step 4: Select the Build Content menu, and then select URL (under Create) Step 5: Enter a Name for the URL. Page 3 of 8
Step 6: Return to the email. Copy the MindLink Course URL specified. Step 7: Return to Blackboard. Paste the URL link into the URL field: - Windows: Ctrl + v - Mac: Cmd + v IMPORTANT: Make sure that you copy and paste the entire URL link. If you paste an incorrect or incomplete link, an error message displays. If you see an error message, clear the URL field and copy and paste the URL again. Step 8: Confirm that the Tool Provider checkbox is set. Step 9: Enter Description. Page 4 of 8
Step 10: Set Open in New Window to Yes. Step 11: Click the Submit button. Step 12: Launch the link: - Turn Edit Mode OFF if necessary. - Select the name of the URL you created. Step 13: When you connect to MindTap the EULA (End User License Agreement) displays. Click Accept. Step 14: Complete the MindTap course set up information. Click Submit. Page 5 of 8
Step 15: The MindTap Welcome screen displays. Step 16: Enter the MindTap. View the Learning Path. Page 6 of 8
Deep Link to MindLinks using Content Selector (Optional) You can obtain additional links into the course, to provide students access into specific MindTap locations. Examples: Learning Unit, Learning Activity. To access the Content Selector, Add a link to the second URL located in the instructor email into the LMS using the same instructions outlined in add a MindLink to a Course. Once the link is added to the LMS, you will have the ability to open the content selector and navigate through the learning objects to locate items that can be deep linked. Step 1: Open the Learning Tool added as an instructor. Step 2: Select Desired Content Objects by placing a check in the respective box. >> To expand the objects, click the horizontal triangle to the left of the respective titles >> Shortcut: To copy a single URL to the clip board, press the MindLinks ( ) icon next to the desired object name. Paste into the LMS as a Learning Tool Link as part of the Student. Step 6: Once all Selections have been made, click the Confirm Selection at the bottom of the Select Content list Page 7 of 8
Step 7: Review the List and press Text File to confirm your selection. >> If you need to modify items from list, press the Cancel button to return to the Select Content view. >> is it OKAY to close the Content Selector window at this time if it does not close automatically. Step 8: Save and Open the Text file. Step 9: Paste each of the items into the LMS as individual Learning Tool Links using the instructions outlined in Add MindLinks to Course. Page 8 of 8