---
title: "Adding VHL Content to Your Pooled Course"
canonical: "https://help.cccs.edu/space/KnowledgeBase/269778947/Adding%20VHL%20Content%20to%20Your%20Pooled%20Course"
format: markdown
---
**Step 1:** In your D2L course, in any module where you would like to add VHL links, choose **Existing Activities **and then** VHL Quicklink**.

![VHL Quicklink is near the bottom of the Existing Activities dropdown list.](media://2d319775-c5e2-4ff9-9f29-88a7c833360c)

**Step 2: **A VHL login page will be displayed the first time you link to VHL; enter your VHL credentials. If you do not already have a VHL instructor account, contact [at.support.online@cccs.edu](mailto:at.support.online@cccs.edu).

**Step 3:** After logging in you will be directed to the **Course Connector **page, which will list what current VHL course sections you have available for linking.

**NOTE:** If you do not see any courses to connect, you will create one first by logging into **[VHL Central](https://help.cccs.edu/space/KnowledgeBase/284131330/Create+a+New+VHL+Course+and+Section)**.

If you see the section you would like to link, select the section and choose** Link this Section**.

![Melody Fan Sandbox selected in the Add Activity section.](media://17c19944-7611-47ec-ace2-36ff19b9b193)

**Step 4:** Choose the type of link you would like to add. 

- A LINK TO CURRENT ASSIGNMENTS links to the student dashboard
- LINK TO A SPECIFIC ACTIVITY
- LINK TO A SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT
- LINK TO VHL CENTRAL HOME creates a link for instructors and students to automatically log in to their VHL Home Page.

![Add Activity section with Current Assignments, Specific Activity, and VHLCentral Home sub-sections.](media://f5066c79-886e-4f3e-b99f-3a9a90da488d)

To link to the student dashboard choose LINK TO CURRENT ASSIGNMENTS. You should be returned to the VHL module and see an item link for **Current Assignments**. Next to the item link should be a  
drop-down button that lists options for the item. Click on the drop-down button and select the **Edit properties in place** item from that list. A check box should appear to **Open as External Resource** – check that box and click on the module title (under the Table of Contents) on the left to save your settings. Then the instructor can select that item to open a preview of the student dashboard in a new tab.

To link to a specific activity:

1. Choose **LINK TO A SPECIFIC ACTIVITY**. You should be directed to a preview of the VHL program Content in the Activities page. On the right side should appear a link for each activity. Activities that  
have been assigned in the VHL program will have due dates as expected.
2. Select a link for the activity you wish to link to. A **Create Link **dialog should open with a CANCEL link and **CREATE **button.
3. Select the **CREATE **button. You should be returned to the VHL module and see an item link for the activity. Next to the item link should be a drop-down button that lists options for the item. Click on the drop-down button and select the **Edit properties in place** item from that list. A check box should appear to **Open as External Resource** – check that box and click on the module title (under the Table of Contents) on the left to save your settings. Then the instructor can select that item to open the activity.

To link to a specific assessment:

1. Choose **LINK TO A SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT**. You should be directed to a preview of the VHL program Content in the Assessment page. On the right side should appear a link for each assessment. Assessments that have been assigned in the VHL program will have due dates as expected.
2. Select a link for the assessment you wish to link to. A **Create Link **dialog should open with a CANCEL link and **CREATE **button.
3. Select the **CREATE **button. You should be returned to the VHL module and see an item link for the assessment. Next to the item link should be a drop-down button that lists options for the item. Click on the drop-down button and select the **Edit properties in place **item from that list. A check box should appear to **Open as External Resource **– check that box and click on the module title (under the **Table of Contents**) on the left to save your settings. Then the instructor can select that item to open a preview of the student dashboard, activity or assessment in a new tab.

To link to the VHL Central page, choose **LINK TO VHL CENTRAL HOME**.

You should be returned to the VHL module and see an item link for **VHLCentral Home**. Next to the item link should be a drop-down button that lists options for the item. Click on the drop-down button and select the **Edit properties in place** item from that list. A check box should appear to **Open as External Resource** – check that box and click on the module title (under the Table of Contents) on the left to save your settings. Then the instructor can select that item to open a preview of the student dashboard in a new tab.

# Enabling Gradebook Sync:

The instructions below describe how to have VHL grades appear in the D2L gradebook (this example uses the Portales 1 textbook).

1. In the Content area of the D2L course use the **Current Assignments **link previously created (see above) to load a preview of the student's dashboard. Select the **VHL Central **link in the upper left of the dashboard page.
2. The instructor's VHL Central page should load.
3. Go into the VHL book/program the course is in and in the linked VHL course section go to **Grades**, **Gradebook**, and then **Scores **(tab). A LMS SYNC link should appear on the right.
4. Select the LMS SYNC link and an **LMS Sync **dialog will open with an EDIT SETTINGS option where the instructor can enable syncing and choose what columns (Cumulative, Lessons, Weeks or Category) they wish to appear in their LMS gradebook.
5. Select EDIT SETTINGS and the **Edit Settings** options appear.
6. Select **Enabled** for SYNC STATUS.
7. Select the **COLUMNS TO SYNC** and then click **SAVE**. The VHL course section grades will be synced periodically. The instructor can also re-open the dialog and use the SYNC NOW button to immediately sync grades. NOTE: Each column grade will appear in the LMS with a score that is based upon a maximum of 100 points.

**NOTE: **If the instructor wants to adjust the Gradebook sync, the instructor can always return to the VHL Gradebook Scores tab and use the LMS SYNC button there to access to LMS Sync dialog and edit the settings.

**NOTE: Students will need to link their D2L account to their VHL account by using one of the deep links the instructor has created to login just once to VHL before their work can be synchronized with the instructor gradebook. After that, students can open VHL directly if they do not want to go through D2L. We recommend giving the students the "Student workflow for LTI-Advantage:" document to help explain this procedure to them.**

**If a student has not yet linked their D2L account to their VHL account, a notification icon, which is a red circle with a slash, will appear by their name in the VHL gradebook. If you hover a mouse over the icon a message displays explaining this situation.**