IN THIS ARTICLE
When I try to integrate Yellowdig with Blackboard Learn, I don't see an option that says "This link is to a tool provider". Why is this happening, and how do I fix it?
Why am I receiving a confusing error message when I click on my Yellowdig launch link in Blackboard Learn?
I edited and/or copy-pasted my Canvas XML code during integration, and now my Canvas interface is wonky. What happened?
On the top of my Community page, I'm seeing a "grading not configured" message. What's going on, and how do I fix it?
I heard that students can enable grade passback in Canvas without ever clicking the Yellowdig link in "Assignments", but it isn't working for my students. How do I enable this feature?
Students are unable to launch into my iFramed Yellowdig Community. What's going on, and how do I fix it?
Can I configure multiple grading columns with Yellowdig?
This is an FAQ and troubleshooting guide for various LTI-integration scenarios. Since we cannot control changes made by Learning Management Systems or predict the effects of certain institutional customizations, we cannot guarantee that our answers are correct for all users or that our answers won't change over time. When in doubt, reach out to us at support@yellowdig.com.
When I try to integrate Yellowdig with Blackboard Learn, I don't see an option that says "This link is to a tool provider". Why is this happening, and how do I fix it?
First off, make sure that you've entered https://api.yellowdig.app/launch into the URL field first. The option will not display until you've entered the URL. If you still don't see this option, it's likely because LTI tools are not enabled in your Blackboard course. To enable LTI, navigate to Customization → Tool Availability. Then scroll down to "LTI" and check the box in the "Available" column. Finally, click the SUBMIT button.
Why am I receiving a confusing error message when I click on my Yellowdig launch link in Blackboard Learn?
Yellowdig authenticates users on the basis of an email parameter that is passed from your LMS to Yellowdig. In Blackboard, administrators determine whether or not Blackboard sends users' emails to LTI tools. To integrate Yellowdig with Blackboard, email passthrough must be turned on. To have passthrough turned on for your institution, contact your Learning Management Administrator. If you don't know who your institution's Learning Management Administrator is, contact us and we'll reach out on your behalf. If you are an administrator, follow these instructions (item (4) under the heading "Configure LTI tool providers global properties") to enable email passthrough for your organization.
I edited and/or copy-pasted my Canvas XML code during integration, and now my Canvas interface is wonky. What happened?
You likely changed your XML code in ways that are creating instability in the integration. Even if you simply copy-pasted your XML code, unseen HTML elements can cause problems behind the scenes. Unless you are a power user, we strongly recommend that you configure by URL, not by pasting the XML. Even if your institution provides an official custom XML, you should always copy-paste the URL that links to the XML code; do not copy-paste the code itself. When in doubt, simply follow our instructions to the letter.
On the top of my Community page, I'm seeing a "grading not configured" message. What's going on, and how do I fix it?
If you're the Community Owner, this means that grade passback has not yet been set up for your students. If you're a Community Member, this means that grade passback has not yet been set up for you personally. In Canvas, the solution to the problem is to click on the Assignments link for Yellowdig at least once. After that, you can use the sidebar link in Canvas to enter Yellowdig, but to initially set up grade passback, the instructor must click the Assignment link, and each student must do the same. If you are experiencing this problem as a Blackboard user, check to see whether there are multiple links to Yellowdig. It is possible that, due to Blackboard assignment settings, only one of these assignment links enables grade passback. In that case, students must click that assignment link to enable grade passback. Because this can create confusion for students, we strongly recommend that Community Owners create only one LMS link to their Yellowdig Community. We do not recommend links for each week (e.g., "Yellowdig - Week 2", "Yellowdig - Week 3").
I heard that students can enable grade passback in Canvas without ever clicking the Yellowdig link in "Assignments", but it isn't working for my students. How do I enable this feature?
See these instructions for a nifty "hack".
Students are unable to launch into my iFramed Yellowdig Community. What's going on, and how do I fix it?
Same-site cookie restrictions sometimes prevent Yellowdig from setting cookies for users when Yellowdig is set to open in an iFrame, thereby making it impossible for these users to launch into Yellowdig under certain conditions (e.g., outdated browser, incognito window). When in doubt, set Yellowdig to open in a new window. This will likely solve any access problems your students are experiencing.
Can I configure multiple grading columns with Yellowdig?
No. Creating multiple graded assignment links is a common mistake, and it creates massive headaches for both instructors and students. Because of the way LTI works, we can only pass back grades to one grade column at a time, and we always pass back students' current grade for the entire life of the Community (not just for the week or for an assignment). If you attempt to create multiple graded assignment links associated with multiple grading columns, students' grades will pass back to the column associated with the assignment link they most recently clicked. Hence, students' current Yellowdig grades will be scattered across different grading columns depending on which link they clicked last. This creates significant downstream problems for instructors and students and consumes your institution's Yellowdig support resources. Creating an assignment link associated with a grading column that is "out of 0" is not a solution; in fact, it creates an even worse situation for everyone involved. Because Yellowdig passes back grades as a proportion, if a student clicks such an assignment link, that student's LMS grade will become 0 (since anything times 0 is 0), and their LTI connection to the "actual" grading column (namely, the grading column that is not "out of 0") will be effectively severed. In other words, students' Yellowdig grades will be wiped from their LMS. Remedying problems created by multiple grading columns can be very difficult, since it requires widespread cooperation from students. Because of the way LTI works, we cannot simply "push" students' correct grades to your LMS; rather, each student needs to click on the same assignment link. If you decide to create multiple assignment links, we may not be able to achieve satisfactory solutions to the problems generated by this decision. If you are confused about any of this, please reach out to Yellowdig at support@yellowdig.com before setting up your Yellowdig Community. You will save yourself, your students, and your support team a lot of avoidable troubleshooting.
Audience: This help article is for Instructors, Designers, and Administrators. Students or Learners cannot access these settings.