Quick start: Mastering instructor
Updated 27 Sep 2024
This guide covers the steps for instructors to start using Mastering
Using an LMS? Start your course from your learning management system if you work in Blackboard, Canvas, D2L Brightspace, Moodle, Sakai, or Schoology.
- First steps
- Create a course
- Get to know your course
- Get students started
- Reuse or copy materials
- Prepare your assignments
- Report performance and scores
- Move beyond the basics
First steps
Create an instructor account
Register as an instructor to sign in to Mastering products. Use the same account for any Pearson course.
Watch how to create an account
Access your course
- Go to the Pearson MyLab & Mastering website.
- Select Sign in to your course.
- Enter your credentials.
- Create a new course or select an existing course.
Create a course
Create a course in Mastering
Manage your courses on the My Courses page. To create a course, either search for Pearson course materials or copy a course. Only instructors can create a course. (
Using an LMS? Start your course from your learning management system if you work in Blackboard, Canvas, D2L Brightspace, Moodle, Sakai, or Schoology.
- On the My Courses page, select Create/copy course.
- Identify the Institution where you’ll teach the course.
- To find course materials:
- Choose from the Pearson catalog, or
- Copy an existing course
- Select Search.
The page refreshes and you can select course materials and enter course details. - Select Create course.
You'll receive an email confirmation when the course is ready.
Get to know your course
Prepare your course
After you create your course, you can edit course settings.
- Course type, dates, allow course copy, and more —
From the course menu, select Back to my courses then
Details. Edit course details - Assignment time zone, section instructor privileges, and more —
Select Course Settings (Getting Started section) on the Course Home. Edit these course settings - Course appearance and menu items
—
Edit course appearance - Share documents —
When available, select Document Sharing to share documents, presentations, and audio/video files with the class. Students can also upload documents.
Use your instructor home page
From the Course Home you can quickly open the Mastering Gradebook and assignments, whether in list view (
All Assignments) or in calendar view (
Calendar).
To open these and other course features from the course menu, select Instructor Tools.
Get students started
Enroll students
To enroll in your course, your students need a valid email address and either a course invitation or the course ID.
- On the My Courses page, find your course tile and select Invite students.
- Select Copy instructions or Export pdf to share the registration instructions with students. Students use the course URL to go directly to the registration page for your course.
For more details on how to register and enroll students see Enroll students.
Manage the student roster
The Mastering Gradebook lists students in the course and their grades. To manage the roster of students, see the course roster.
- Enable colleague-type section instructors
(co-teachers or department coordinators) - Promote a student to teaching assistant
Reuse or copy materials
Copy your course or another instructor's course
When you copy your own or another instructor's course, all course content copies except for the gradebook, roster, and calendar events. The new course has a different course ID and an empty gradebook.
If you are not the course owner, make sure the course settings allow other instructors to copy.
Copy a course to a new edition or new version
A message shows on your course to let you know if a new edition or new version is available for your course materials.
Prepare your assignments
Create assignments
To create a standard Mastering assignment:
- Select Create Assignment from the Assignments area of the Course Home page.
- Confirm that Create a new assignment from scratch is selected and choose Continue.
- Follow steps 1-5 to create the assignment. Details about these steps
Copy assignments
You can copy individual assignments between courses. To copy all assignments from a course, it may be easiest to copy the course.
Adjust assignment settings
Set assignment dates to make them available to students. You can also adjust an assignment for one or more students (exempt; change the due date, score, or time limit; and reset).
- For standard assignments, you can select from the homework, quiz and test categories.
- You can edit grading and presentation rules for assignments, such as to allow students to rework completed items for practice. Apply these settings by assignment or category.
Address student cheating
Mastering can help you to identify and discourage student cheating. For example, you may be able to create question pools and randomize assignment items (sequence or using variables).
Report performance and grades
Use your gradebook
The Mastering Gradebook records student scores on online work and lets you add scores for offline work.
- Drill down to review a student's work
- Manage grades and grading
- How grading works for different kinds of assignments
- Assignment results (includes diagnostic charts for standard assignments)
You may also want to:
- Adjust scores and settings by student, like to grant an exemption or extension.
- Sync or import scores from Mastering into your LMS gradebook
Move beyond the basics
Take advantage of many other powerful features in your course.
Dynamic Study Modules (DSM) — Use Dynamic Study Modules to increase student engagement. DSMs are homework assignments that adjust to each student's needs for independent study.
eTextbook — Students use the eTextbook to listen to the audiobook, search, and use study features (AI, videos, highlights, notes, and flashcards). Open the eTextbook in a browser or in the Pearson+ app. Use the eTextbook to share notes with the class.
Instructor Resources — Powerpoint presentations, media assets, editable/printable quiz or test bank questions, instructor guides, case studies, and more Instructor Resources may be provided for your textbook.
For other Mastering features — See How Do I? videos.
See also: AskPearson