Blackboard Ultra Integration (Beta)
Join the AutoMark Blackboard Learn Ultra beta for roster sync, grading, feedback, and grade passback.
AutoMark integrates with Blackboard Learn Ultra through LTI 1.3 and Blackboard's REST APIs. Instructors can launch AutoMark from a course, import assignments and student submissions, review rubric-based grades and feedback, and return the results to Blackboard.
Private beta: We are currently onboarding a limited number of Blackboard Ultra institutions. Contact AutoMark if you want the integration for your school. AutoMark's Blackboard App Catalog listing is in progress; until it is published, installations are guided directly by our team.
You can also browse the Blackboard App Catalog while our listing is being prepared.
This guide walks a Blackboard administrator through the beta installation and a short verification. AutoMark will provide the Application ID and support the administrator during setup.
Prerequisites
- Blackboard Learn administrator access
- An Ultra course with an instructor, at least one student, and a gradable written assignment
- The AutoMark Application ID provided during beta onboarding
- Your Blackboard Learn base URL (for example,
https://learn.yourschool.edu)
Part 1: Install AutoMark
Step 1: Open LTI Tool Providers
Log in to Blackboard Learn as an administrator. Open the Administrator Panel, then go to Integrations → LTI Tool Providers.
Step 2: Register the LTI 1.3 Tool
Select Register LTI 1.3/Advantage Tool. Paste the AutoMark Application ID supplied during onboarding, then click Submit.
Blackboard will retrieve AutoMark's registration and security settings automatically. Do not create a separate application in the Blackboard Developer Portal.
Step 3: Approve AutoMark
Review the tool configuration and set Tool Status to Approved.
Allow Blackboard to send the information AutoMark needs for the instructor workflow:
- Role in course
- Name
- Email address
- Course and user identifiers
- Names and Roles Provisioning Services
- Assignment and Grade Services
Click Submit to finish the LTI installation.
Step 4: Confirm the AutoMark Placement
On the LTI Tool Providers page, find AutoMark and open Manage Placements.
Confirm that the AutoMark course-tool placement is:
- Available
- Visible to instructors
- Configured to open in a new window
The placement should appear to instructors in Books & Tools inside an Ultra course. If it is missing, contact support@automark.io before creating a second placement.
Part 2: Enable Course Sync
AutoMark uses Blackboard's REST APIs to retrieve course assignments, enrollments, and student submissions and to attach graded feedback. The same centrally registered AutoMark application is used for this connection.
Step 5: Open REST API Integrations
Return to the Administrator Panel, then go to Integrations → REST API Integrations and select Create Integration.
Step 6: Register the AutoMark Application
Enter the same AutoMark Application ID used in Step 2.
Choose a dedicated Blackboard service account with access to the beta courses. For a limited beta, the account only needs access to the courses participating in the evaluation.
Configure the integration as follows:
- End User Access: Yes
- Authorized To Act As User: Service Default
Click Submit.
Important: Do not send the service account password or any Blackboard API secret to AutoMark. Blackboard authorizes the centrally registered application using the Application ID.
Step 7: Send Your Blackboard URL to AutoMark
Email support@automark.io with:
- Your Blackboard Learn base URL
- The name of your institution
- The name of one beta course
AutoMark will activate the institution and confirm when the first instructor can launch the tool.
Part 3: Verify the Instructor Workflow
Step 8: Launch AutoMark from an Ultra Course
Open a beta course as an enrolled instructor. In Books & Tools, select AutoMark.
The first launch connects the Blackboard course to AutoMark and creates the instructor's AutoMark account. The instructor should not need a separate password.
Step 9: Import an Assignment
In AutoMark, select a Blackboard assignment and import it. Confirm that the assignment title, point value, roster, and available submissions appear correctly.
Step 10: Grade One Submission
Add or confirm the rubric, then grade one student submission. Review the suggested rubric scores, inline comments, and overall feedback before approving the grade.
Step 11: Return the Grade and Feedback
Send the approved result back to Blackboard. Confirm that the student attempt shows:
- The approved score
- Overall written feedback
- The AutoMark-graded PDF attachment, when PDF feedback is selected
After this verification succeeds, repeat the workflow with the rest of the beta class.
Troubleshooting
AutoMark does not appear in Books & Tools: Confirm that the AutoMark placement is available and that LTI is enabled at the global, tool, and course levels. Do not create a duplicate placement unless AutoMark support asks you to.
The tool says it is disabled: In Blackboard, LTI must be enabled in three places: for the AutoMark tool, for the course, and in the global LTI properties.
The launch fails: Confirm that the person launching AutoMark is enrolled in the course with an instructor role. Then launch AutoMark again from the affected course.
The course, roster, or assignments are missing: Confirm that the REST API integration is enabled, is not blocked, and uses an account with access to the beta course. Then relaunch AutoMark.
A grade or PDF does not appear in Blackboard: Confirm that the assignment has a Blackboard gradebook column and that the instructor launched AutoMark from the same course before sending the grade again.
Join the Blackboard Ultra Beta
We are looking for schools that want to evaluate AutoMark with Blackboard Learn Ultra. Contact us to discuss an installation and beta pilot.
For additional support, email support@automark.io.