Using Brightspace with paper assessments

Brightspace (D2L) is widely used in higher education and growing in K-12. The PaperScorer integration runs on LTI 1.3 and Brightspace's standard Grade Items system. Here's the full picture.

What the integration handles

Once set up:

• Roster sync from Brightspace to PaperScorer
• Assessment links between PaperScorer tests and Brightspace Grade Items
• Automatic grade posting to the Brightspace gradebook
• Student visibility via their Progress page

Prerequisites

• Brightspace administrator access for initial registration (teacher can't do this step)
• Standard Brightspace Grade Items configuration (not custom grade schemes that prohibit numerical import)
• Instructors need the "Manage External Learning Tools" permission

Step 1: Admin — Register PaperScorer as an LTI Advantage tool

In Brightspace admin tools:

1. Go to External Learning Tools → LTI Advantage → Register Tool
2. Tool Status: Enabled
3. Paste the PaperScorer registration details (tool URL, public keyset, client ID) — request from integrations@paperscorer.com
4. Deployment type: Tenant-wide (or scope it to a specific org unit if piloting)
5. Enable Deep Linking (so instructors can select specific PaperScorer assessments when embedding)
6. Enable Assignment and Grade Services (AGS) for grade posting
7. Enable Names and Role Provisioning Services (NRPS) for roster access

Save. The tool is now available to instructors.

Step 2: Instructor — Add PaperScorer to a course

In your Brightspace course:

1. Content → Add Existing Activities → External Learning Tools
2. Find PaperScorer in the tool list
3. Select it to embed in your course

Alternatively, embed it as a topic inside a module for easier navigation.

Step 3: First launch and account linking

Launch the PaperScorer tool from your course. You'll be prompted to:

• Sign in with an existing PaperScorer account, or create one
• Authorize the LTI link between your PaperScorer account and this Brightspace course

Once linked, subsequent launches open directly into the linked PaperScorer context.

Step 4: Sync roster

In PaperScorer, click Sync Roster. The NRPS service pulls your Brightspace enrollment — including auditors and withdrawn students, which PaperScorer filters appropriately.

Step 5: Create a linked assessment

To link a PaperScorer assessment to a Brightspace Grade Item:

Method 1: Link to an existing Grade Item.

1. In Brightspace, create the Grade Item as usual (manual or associated with an assessment)
2. In PaperScorer, when creating the assessment, select the Brightspace Grade Item to link to

Method 2: Create via Deep Linking.

1. In Brightspace content, add an external activity via deep link
2. PaperScorer opens with a link-creation dialog — build or select an assessment and save
3. A corresponding Grade Item is created automatically

Both work. Deep Linking is faster for new content; manual linking is useful when you've already scaffolded your Brightspace course structure.

Step 6: Administer and scan

Paper testing flow is unchanged:

• Print bubble sheets
• Administer
• Scan via mobile, document scanner, or email

Grades post to the linked Brightspace Grade Item automatically. Students see scores on their Progress page; parents with access see them in the parent portal.

Grade scheme handling

Brightspace supports multiple grade schemes (percentages, letter grades, custom points). PaperScorer posts the raw percentage; Brightspace translates to the course's display scheme.

For courses with custom grade schemes (e.g., competency-based programs), verify that the first scan posts the expected display value. Usually it does; occasionally custom schemes require a one-time configuration adjustment on the Brightspace side.

Working with Brightspace's learning outcomes

If your Brightspace course uses Learning Outcomes (D2L's standards framework), PaperScorer can tag questions to outcomes and post outcome-level mastery alongside the raw grade. This is useful for:

• Competency-based courses
• Programs with accreditation reporting requirements
• Courses using the Rubrics tool with outcome alignment

Outcome posting is configured in the assessment setup screen in PaperScorer. Once tagged, per-outcome mastery appears in the Brightspace gradebook alongside the numeric score.

Common issues

Grade Item shows "--" instead of a score. The student's attempt wasn't matched. Check the PaperScorer-to-Brightspace roster alignment — usually means the student was added to Brightspace after the last roster sync.

LTI launch shows "Invalid Audience" error. Registration issue on the admin side. The aud claim in the LTI launch doesn't match PaperScorer's expected value. Admin should verify the registration parameters.

Deep linking returns no assessments. Your PaperScorer account doesn't have access to the course context — usually fixed by re-authenticating or having the course admin re-invite you.

Multiple organizational units

Brightspace's org unit structure can be complex. PaperScorer respects the org unit hierarchy:

• A course in one org unit can't see PaperScorer assessments from another
• Instructors with access to multiple org units can manage assessments per-context
• System-wide admins see everything

This is mostly invisible in daily use but relevant for institutional reporting.

The end result

Paper tests flow into Brightspace as if you'd run them natively in Brightspace — just without the manual grade entry. Every LTI-integrated platform works similarly; the Brightspace-specific nuances are mostly in the first-time admin registration, which is done once and forgotten.