Codon Learning Support

Table of Contents

• Before getting started
• Step by step instructions
• FAQ about assignment and calendar sync
• FAQ about grade sync
• A note for Brightspace/D2L users

Before getting started

Step by step instructions

First, for any assessments that you want to be able to sync grades for, enable sync to LMS :

1. Open the assessment.
2. On the Details page, flip the "Enable sync to LMS" toggle to On (you'll need to Publish the Assessment first, if it isn't already).
   
3. Click "Save." This will trigger the creation of the assessment in your LMS, which will cause it to appear in your LMS course's gradebook, assignment list, and calendar (Brightspace/D2L users will only find the assignments in the gradebook - see more in "A note for Brightspace/D2L users" below).
   

**Pro tip:  you can turn on Sync to LMS for several assignments at once from the Assessments page.

Next, sync grades:

1. Go to the Student Performance tab in the top level menu.
2. Click on the button "Sync Scores to LMS".
   
3. Select one or more assessments on the left list and then click "Sync Now".
   
4. Review the warning message and click "Sync scores now".
   
5. You'll need to click "Check Sync Status" occasionally to trigger the table below to update so you can see if the scores went through.
   
   

FAQ about assignment and calendar sync

What information about the assignment is sent to the LMS when I initially "enable sync to LMS" on the Details page?

• The title, due date and time, and total points available are sent to the LMS.

Do I need to re-enable "sync to LMS" when I change details about an assignment?

• No, the title, due date and time, and total points available are automatically updated in the LMS any time you change them in the LMS.

If I change details about an assignment in my LMS, will they update in Codon?

• No, information is only sent from Codon to the LMS. No grade or assignment information is ever sent from the LMS to Codon.

What if I decide to delete an assignment that I already synced to the LMS?

• As long as students have not started the assignment, you can delete it in Codon and will also need to delete the assignment in your LMS.
• If you delete an assignment in the LMS, be sure to delete the assignment in Codon - otherwise, it can look like the assignment is syncing from Codon but the assignment data have nowhere to go in the LMS.

What happens if I un-publish an assignment that I already synced to the LMS?

• If you un-publish an assignment it automatically also un-syncs. That means any changes to due date, points, or title will no longer automatically update in the LMS. You also won't be able to select that assignment to sync scores.
• If you turn publish back on and then sync back on, it will reconnect with the LMS (and update any changes) as long as you didn't delete the assignment in the LMS in the meantime. 

If I change details about an assignment in my LMS, will Codon override them next time I update the assignment in Codon?

• It depends on what you change. If you change the title, due date and time, or total points available in the version of the assignment in the LMS, that information will get overwritten next time an assignment update is triggered for any one of those three details in Codon. For example, if you changed the assignment title in the LMS and then changed the assignment due date in Codon, the assignment title will get overwritten as part of the update to send the new due date to the LMS.
• If you change any other detail about the assignment like the description, assignment category, or grade display settings, those will NOT get overwritten next time Codon sends an assignment information update to the LMS.

I already created a placeholder assignment in the LMS. How can I tell Codon which LMS assignment to link my Codon assignment to?

• There isn't a way to link a pre-existing assignment in the LMS to a Codon assignment. Instead, create the assignment in Codon first and then we will create the copy of the assignment in the LMS for you once you "enable sync to LMS" and save.

FAQ about grade sync

How often are scores synced to the LMS?

• As often as you log into the Codon app and trigger the score sync from the Student Performance page. Scores are not automatically sent on a repeating basis and sync cannot be scheduled in advance.

If I have manually entered or changed a student's score for a Codon assignment in the LMS gradebook, will it get overwritten if I sync scores (for the first time or again)?

• Yes. We do not have a way to detect which scores have been changed by the instructor in the LMS gradebook. For this reason, we recommend waiting to sync scores from Codon to the LMS until the due date and any due date accommodations have passed. 

A note for Brightspace/D2L users

• There is a known issue with the ability to have Codon assessments sync to the Brightspace/D2L calendar. Assessments WILL sync to the gradebook, but they do not show up anywhere else. We are looking into a solution for this, but it is unlikely we will have this feature earlier than January 2024. If you find a good workaround, please let us know! We'd love to share it with some of our other users.
• Grades have to be turned on in your Brightspace/D2L course before enabling sync on individual assessments. If you realize you've enabled sync prior to turning on grades, do the following to get the assessments to sync:
  1. Turn on grades in your Brightspace/D2L course (note that previously enabled assessments will not automatically appear)
  2. Go back to the Codon platform
  3. Navigate to the Assessments page
  4. Click "Update Preclass and Homework status and dates"
  5. Turn OFF "enable sync to LMS" for any assessments where it is on
  6. Save
  7. Click "Update Preclass and Homework status and dates"
  8. Turn enable sync to LMS back on
  9. Save
  10. Assessments should now show up in the Brightspace/D2L gradebook