D2L: Synchronize Assignments with Direct Links
Reference Number: AA-00723 Last Updated: 2021-07-15 16:27

Why do I need to synchronize my assignments?

If you want to sync Hawkes assignment grades with D2L, and/or if you want to create Hawkes direct assignment links within D2L, you must first synchronize the Hawkes assignments with D2L.  

Syncing assignments by creating a new LMS column will also sync over Hawkes due dates to D2L. 

When do I need to synchronize my assignments?

You will need to sync your assignments at the beginning of each term and throughout the term if you add additional Hawkes assignments after the start of the term.

What are Direct Links?

If you utilize direct links, the Hawkes assignments synced with your D2L course will be selectable. When selected, the links will take students directly to that assignment???s landing page within Hawkes, bypassing the Hawkes sign in and dashboard navigation process. This allows students to access individual Hawkes assignments directly from D2L.  

Setting direct links up will also automatically enable Hawkes Single Sign On, which creates the student???s Hawkes account, enrolls them in the correct Hawkes section, and automatically provides them with temporary access when they select their first Hawkes assignment. 

While not required, we recommend that you also add the Single Sign On tool to your course, which will take your students directly to their Hawkes Dashboard, to make it easier for students to access the eBook and Practice Test resources.

How to Sync Assignments with Direct Links

1. Select a D2L course. Then select the Hawkes Synchronization Tool.

2. Select the Assignments tab. Ensure the ???Create direct links to assignments??? box is selected. 


  • Most instructors will keep the 3rd box, ???Include Hawkes section and instructor name in LMS Assignments???, unselected. This ensures direct direct links only include the assignment name and not also your name and section for every assignment.  

3. Select the individual assignments (light green rows) you would like to sync over by checking the checkbox next to their name(s).


  • You should only sync individual assignments (light green) and not assignment groups (dark green rows) when using direct links.
  • If you have more than 40 Hawkes assignments, you must open the Results drop-down and select Show All to view all assignments. Otherwise, all assignments will not be synced over.  

4. Review the Actions to Perform column for each assignment you are syncing. 

  • In most scenarios, select ???Create LMS Column??? from the drop-down box
  • If your D2L course was copied, you may already have columns created in D2L for each assignment, so you should select that corresponding assignment name from the drop-down box.  

5. Select Sync.


6. Select Continue and finally Confirm on the subsequent pages. 

Assignment Sync Notes & Best Practices  

  • You will need to return to the Hawkes sync tool anytime you create or assign new Hawkes assignments. For example, if you add a new Hawkes assignment mid-semester and want that assignment and grade to appear in D2L, you will need to return to the sync tool and sync over that new, individual assignment.
  • Hawkes due dates only sync over automatically during the initial assignment sync (when the sync tool is used to create the D2L assignment) or when a new grade is synced over for an assignment (in which case only the due dates for that specific assignment will sync over). So, if you change a Hawkes due date and no student has recently completed that assignment, the due date will not update in D2L automatically. To update the D2L due date, you can either manually change it in D2L or delete that Hawkes assignment in D2L and re-sync it using our synchronization tool.
  • If for any reason the direct links aren???t working, this may be because previously-created links have become broken or you did not use the Hawkes Sync tool to create the assignments in D2L with the Direct Links option selected.   
  • If you set up Direct Links, consider adding the Single Sign On tool to direct students more easily to the Practice Test tool. Alternatively, provide your students with instructions on how to navigate to the Practice Test tool from a direct link assignment landing page. (Select course name back button, eg ???< College Algebra???, in top left corner. Then select the WebTests tab and Practice WebTests to create your own practice test.  

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