Add a Course Materials Link to Your Blackboard Ultra Course
Information provided from the NDSU Bookstore
If you need to add course materials to a Blackboard Original Course, visit Add a Course Materials link to Your Blackboard Original Course KB page.
Before you start
If you recently merged Blackboard courses, create the Course Materials link in the merged course and delete any links created before merging. Ensure the NDSU Bookstore knows all sections using the item—otherwise, links may not work for students in unreported sections. If you copied a course from a previous semester, delete the old Course Materials link and set up a new one.
If you are using any of these homework items, the instructions below will not work:
- Achieve
- ALEKS
- Connect
- inQuixitive
- MindTap
- WileyPlus
- OWL
- Packback
- WebAssign
- and a few others are not delivered by VitalSource
Contact our publisher representatives for assistance in integrating links for the homework items above. The NDSU Bookstore can provide contact information if needed. Pearson homework items should follow the instructions below.
Link instructions
- Log into your Blackboard course and click the + sign on the line under “Course Content.”
- Click “Content Market.”
- Scroll down and click the "plus" sign on the “VitalSource Inclusive Access-NDSU” tile.
- To the far right, click the three dots, then “Edit.”
- Hover your mouse next to “VitalSource Inclusive…” and a pencil symbol will appear.
- Click the pencil to edit the link name and rename it “Course Materials”. You can name it what you would like, but we recommend “Course Materials” as students can access their book list for all their courses via the link.
- Update the visibility to students, add a Description as desired, then click Save.
- Click on your link to test it
If you have multiple Inclusive Access eBook items, you only need to make one link for students to access them. Please note, the NDSU Bookstore will send these instructions right after the item is set up. It may take up to three hours for Blackboard to re-sync and for the below steps to work correctly.
The Blackboard link (link created above) should bring you to an Instructor Portal/My Courses Home page where you can view your current courses and access instructor resources. If you are using an Inclusive Access eBook, an instructor copy of it will be accessible here.
- When students click on the link, they will be forwarded to a landing page that lists all of their course materials that the Bookstore is aware of, for all of their classes.
- If you are using an Inclusive Access eBook, students can access it by clicking “Read Now” on the correct tile.
- If you are using an Inclusive Access item that includes a homework system, students can access it by clicking “Launch Courseware” on the item tile if it is a Pearson item.
- If the homework item is from a publisher other than Pearson, students will use the integrated link that the publisher has provided to you.
- The integrated link should not ask students to pay or provide an access code.
- If you are not using an Inclusive Access item for your course, students will still be able to see and shop for all of their course materials that the Bookstore is aware of, for all of their classes.
- If, after three hours, your link does not bring you to the Instructor Portal/My Courses Home page or gives you an error message, contact Alicia at alicia.laferriere@ndsu.edu with your Bb Course ID(s). This can be found in the Properties area and typically follows this format: NDSU1 - Term Code - Department/Course - Section #, etc…
Post information in your Blackboard course, syllabus, and/or email your students regarding how to find your Course Materials link.
- If you are using Inclusive Access items:
- Remind students to watch for emails from the NDSU Bookstore regarding program details.
- Informational emails begin going out to enrolled students approximately two weeks before the start of the course.
- If you do not receive your copy of this email, email or call Alicia at 1-9478.