Best practices for Google Integration with Brightspace

Hi Anne,

Yes! I can share a few practical steps to make Google Assignments feel much more seamless in D2L Brightspace—and closer to what faculty enjoy in Google Classroom.

Here are some simple, high-impact tips:

1️⃣ Standardize the Workflow for Faculty

One of the biggest friction points is inconsistency. Consider:

• Providing a standardized step-by-step guide for creating assignments using the Google Assignments integration inside Brightspace.
• Encouraging faculty to always create assignments from:
  • Content → Existing Activities → External Learning Tools
  • Or Assignments → New Assignment → Google Assignments

This reduces confusion and ensures grades sync properly to the Grade Book.

2️⃣ Offer short, focused training

Many instructors prefer Google Classroom because it feels easier. A quick walkthrough showing how Google Assignments works in Brightspace—automatic Drive copies, originality reports, and grade sync—can help them see the similarities.

3️⃣ Highlight automatic grade syncing

One advantage inside Brightspace is that when grades are published, they sync directly to the Brightspace Grade Book—no exporting or manual entry needed. This is a big efficiency win that’s worth emphasizing.

4️⃣ Review the integration configuration

If the process feels “OK, but not great,” it may be worth confirming:

• LTI 1.3 Advantage is being used (recommended for improved sync and security)
• Proper role provisioning is enabled
• Domain-wide delegation is configured correctly
• Google Drive permissions are not restricted by institutional policies

A quick configuration review can sometimes resolve small friction points.

5️⃣ Leverage Brightspace Features to Add Value

Remind faculty that Brightspace offers tools beyond assignment submission, such as:

• Intelligent Agents
• Release Conditions
• Rubrics tied directly to assignments
• Class Progress analytics

This helps position Brightspace as an enhancement—not a replacement.

I hope these tips help make the experience smoother for your faculty! 😊

Hi @Anne.T.17,

Thanks for your update.

To ensure Google Classroom / Assignments is set up using LTI 1.3 Advantage in Brightspace, the following steps are required:

• Register the tool in Manage Extensibility
• Create a deployment with Assignment and Grade Services enabled
• Configure Deep Linking as part of the setup

You can also review Manage Extensibility to check whether these configurations are already in place.

Thanks,

Sangeetha

Hi,

Thank you for reaching out in the Brightspace Community.

If Google does not appear under Admin Tools → Manage Extensibility, this typically indicates that the Google integration was configured using an older LTI setup or a legacy connector. This can occur even when Google Classroom and Google Assignments are currently functioning within Brightspace.

Regarding your question about resetting up the integration using LTI 1.3 Advantage:

• Yes, configuring a new LTI 1.3 integration would disrupt the existing setup if the current connector is removed or replaced.
• Any existing Google links, assignments, or associations created using the current integration would not automatically migrate to the new LTI 1.3 configuration and would need to be recreated.

Before making any changes, we recommend reviewing the current integration configuration to avoid unintended disruption. If you encounter any issues or would like assistance reviewing your LTI setup, it would be a good idea to create a support case with details of the current Google LTI integration so we can investigate further.

Please keep us posted on whether this information helps you complete your intended workflow.

Kind regards,
Shobhit Sachdeva