Blackboard 3rd Party Integration Process

When to Use?

This article will walk you through gathering the needed information to fill out a request for a Blackboard 3rd Party Integration.

Within the Blackboard Ultra LMS, we can integrate 3rd Party tools that give faculty and students quick access to applications and resources that are outside of Blackboard. Faculty can submit requests to add 3rd Party tools by filling out this Blackboard 3rd Party Integration Request Form.

Procedure

3rd Party tools are helpful add-ons or apps that seamlessly connect with Blackboard, to make it easier for faculty and students to access additional resources or features without needing to switch between different platforms. Examples of 3rd Party tools are LTI tools and REST API, such as Panopto, Zoom, or Blackboard Ally. Currently, we have the following 3rd Party tools already available within Blackboard. Please check this list prior to making an integration request.

Note: 3rd Party tools that rely on Blackboard Building Block (B2) are no longer supported and cannot be integrated.

Request a 3rd Party Tool

To request a 3rd Party tool, you'll be required to provide information on the following questions. If you're not sure about a question, you may answer Unknown, but this will increase the amount of time needed to process the request.

First, identify the name of the 3rd Party tool and be prepared to provide additional information about the courses, faculty, and students expected to use this 3rd Party LTI tool. You’ll be required to provide:

1. Integration Name (the name of the tool)
2. New or Upgrade (are you requesting a new LTI or an upgrade of an existing one?)
3. Course ID (enter the number of courses that will be impacted and their course ID’s; i.e. CHM100, all sections ~65 sections total per semester)
4. Number of Students Impacted (What is the total approximate number of students in the courses that are expected to use this tool?)
5. Integration Usage (Will this integration be implemented outside your department? If yes, please list the expected professors, department, and/or courses)

Next, provide the required information about the Vendor. A tool’s vendor is the company or organization that creates and provides the software or application that integrates with Blackboard. They develop and maintain the tool, offering support and updates to ensure its compatibility and functionality (i.e. the third-party tool Google Assignment is maintained by the vendor, Alphabet). You’ll be asked to provide:

1. Vendor name (name of the company or organization)
2. Vendor website (URL link)
3. Vendor Contact Name (name of your contact within the company or organization)
4. Vendor Email Address (the email of your contact within the company or organization)
5. Integration Type (mention whether this is an LTI or Rest API)
6. Integration Documentation Link (A resource for Blackboard Admin to use to integrate the tool with Bb Ultra)

Note: If a vendor is unresponsive or has development work that will take more than several weeks, we request that the initial requester work with the vendor and close the ticket. The requester can submit a new integration request or re-open their past request once the vendor has tested and confirmed the integration is working.

Finally, you'll be asked to provide details around the 3rd Party tool use, it's financial impact and how you plan to train students on its use:

1. FERPA Compliant (Has the vendor end user license agreement been reviewed for FERPA compliance, student privacy, and security? Please upload a document supporting this.)
2. Accessibility support (Does the vendor provide accessibility support, offer WCAG 2.0 AA compliance, or do they have VPAT documentation available?)
3. Training/Support Plan (Please describe how students will be trained and supported in case of problems with the software. Consider who will faculty and students call or email to learn how to use the integration? and how will issues or errors be addressed?)
4. Financial Burden (expected cost or any financial implications internally to faculty/staff or students. If there is a cost associated with this tool, further permissions might be required from the Registrar, Bookstore, or Provost Office)
5. Available without Integration? (Can the tool be used or accessed without the Blackboard integration through a website or application?)

Note: As the requester, you are responsible as:

• the designated tester of the integration
• the point of contact for the vendor, including supporting the implementation process
• the primary support person for any student or faculty inquiries regarding the integration

If approved, the implementation may take up to 3 months to ensure proper testing and security review. If an upgrade to the GVSU Blackboard system renders the integration inoperable, it is the responsibility of the vendor to provide GVSU with an updated version or fix for the integration.

For additional support or questions, please submit a help request using this link.