Understanding LTI Integration: The Foundation of LMS Connectivity

Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) is the technical standard that enables MyMathLab to communicate with Canvas, Blackboard, and other learning management systems. Developed by IMS Global Learning Consortium, LTI creates a secure bridge between different educational platforms, allowing them to exchange information about users, courses, and grades.

How LTI Integration Works

When your instructor sets up MyMathLab integration, they’re essentially creating a secure handshake between the two systems. Here’s what happens behind the scenes when you click a MyMathLab link in your LMS:

The LMS encrypts your identity information and course context, sending it to MyMathLab through a secure token. MyMathLab verifies this token, confirms your enrollment, and either logs you in automatically or prompts you to link your existing Pearson account. Once connected, your activity in MyMathLab can flow back to the LMS gradebook through the same secure channel.

This process, while technically complex, should be invisible to students when properly configured. The fact that you’re reading this guide suggests you’ve encountered one of the many points where this integration can create confusion or fail entirely.

Single Sign-On vs. Account Linking

One of the most confusing aspects of LMS integration involves the relationship between your LMS account and your Pearson/MyMathLab account. There are generally two scenarios:

True Single Sign-On: In this ideal setup, clicking the MyMathLab link in your LMS automatically logs you into MyMathLab with no additional credentials needed. Your instructor has configured the integration to create and manage your MyMathLab account automatically. This works best when you’ve never had a separate Pearson account.

Account Linking Required: If you already have a Pearson account (perhaps from a previous course or because you registered directly on the MyMathLab website), you’ll need to link it to your LMS identity the first time you access MyMathLab through the LMS. This one-time process connects your existing account to your LMS profile.

The confusion arises because the process looks identical from the student perspective initially—you click a link in your LMS either way. It’s only when you’re prompted for Pearson credentials that you realize account linking is required. According to EDUCAUSE research on learning management systems, this authentication handoff remains one of the most common friction points in educational technology integration.

What Information Gets Shared

Understanding what data flows between systems can clarify both the capabilities and limitations of LMS integration. Typically, the following information is shared:

From your LMS to MyMathLab: your name, email address, student ID, course enrollment status, and role (student or instructor). From MyMathLab back to your LMS: assignment scores, completion status, time spent, and attempt counts. The specific grade details depend on how your instructor configured the gradebook sync settings.

Importantly, your LMS cannot access your MyMathLab activity in other courses, and MyMathLab cannot see your activity in other LMS courses. Each integration is course-specific and isolated for privacy protection.

MyMathLab Integration with Canvas

Canvas, developed by Instructure, has become one of the most widely adopted learning management systems in higher education. Its integration with MyMathLab is generally considered among the most reliable, though students still encounter specific challenges unique to the Canvas environment.

Accessing MyMathLab Through Canvas

In Canvas, MyMathLab typically appears in one of three ways: as a link in the course navigation menu (usually labeled “MyMathLab” or the textbook name), as individual assignment links within the Assignments page, or embedded directly within Canvas modules as external tool content.

The navigation menu approach provides a gateway to your complete MyMathLab course. Clicking this link launches MyMathLab in a new window or iframe, showing your full dashboard with all assignments, eText access, and study resources. This is the most common implementation and generally the most reliable.

Individual assignment links create direct access to specific MyMathLab homework or quizzes from within Canvas assignments. This approach feels more integrated—you see the assignment in Canvas just like any native Canvas assignment—but it can create confusion because the assignment metadata (due dates, point values) might appear differently in Canvas versus MyMathLab if they’re not perfectly synchronized.

Module embedding places MyMathLab content directly within Canvas module progression, allowing instructors to sequence external tool content alongside Canvas-native materials. This creates the most seamless experience but can complicate troubleshooting when issues arise, since it’s not always obvious whether you’re interacting with Canvas or MyMathLab at any given moment.

Canvas-Specific Features and Settings

Canvas offers several features that affect how MyMathLab integration functions. The External Apps (LTI Tools) configuration in Canvas determines which features are available and how grades sync.

Assignment Groups in Canvas interact with MyMathLab integration in important ways. If your instructor has organized Canvas assignments into weighted groups (Homework 30%, Quizzes 20%, etc.), MyMathLab assignments that sync to Canvas will be placed into whichever assignment group the instructor specified. This means your MyMathLab homework might be weighted differently than you expect if you’re only looking at the MyMathLab gradebook.

Canvas SpeedGrader, the tool instructors use to review student work, has limited functionality with MyMathLab assignments. Instructors can see your final score and sometimes access a link to view your work in MyMathLab, but they cannot grade or provide feedback on MyMathLab assignments directly within SpeedGrader. This is a technical limitation of how LTI grade passback works.

The Canvas mobile app handles MyMathLab integration inconsistently. Some students can access MyMathLab through the app, while others receive errors or are redirected to mobile browsers. For the most reliable experience, especially when completing timed assessments, using a desktop or laptop browser is strongly recommended.

Canvas Gradebook Sync Behavior

Canvas receives grade updates from MyMathLab based on triggers set by your instructor. The most common setup syncs grades when you submit an assignment in MyMathLab. However, some instructors configure sync to occur at specific intervals (hourly, daily) or only when they manually trigger an update.

This creates a common source of confusion: you complete homework in MyMathLab, see your score there immediately, but Canvas shows no grade or a different grade. This doesn’t indicate a problem—it simply means the sync hasn’t occurred yet. Depending on configuration, it might take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours for your Canvas gradebook to reflect MyMathLab scores.

Canvas also displays grade information differently than MyMathLab for assignments with multiple attempts. MyMathLab might show your most recent attempt, your highest attempt, or an average, while Canvas displays whichever score was most recently synced. Always verify which score is being recorded for your final grade by checking with your instructor.

MyMathLab Integration with Blackboard

Blackboard Learn, one of the oldest and most established learning management systems, integrates with MyMathLab through similar LTI protocols as Canvas, but with some distinct behavioral differences that students should understand.

Accessing MyMathLab Through Blackboard

In Blackboard, MyMathLab most commonly appears as a link in the course menu on the left side of the screen or as a content item within a specific content area (like “Course Materials” or “Assignments”). The specific location depends entirely on how your instructor has structured the course.

Blackboard’s content area approach can make MyMathLab feel less integrated than in Canvas. You might navigate to Assignments, click through to Week 3, scroll down to find the MyMathLab link, and only then launch the external tool. This multi-step process is a function of Blackboard’s content organization philosophy rather than a limitation of the integration itself.

Some Blackboard implementations use deep linking, which allows more direct access to specific MyMathLab assignments. With deep linking configured, clicking an assignment name in Blackboard launches directly to that specific homework in MyMathLab rather than showing the MyMathLab dashboard first. This creates a more streamlined experience but can disorient students who expect to see their full MyMathLab course layout.

Blackboard Ultra vs. Original Experience

Blackboard exists in two versions: the Original Experience (the traditional interface many institutions have used for years) and the Ultra Experience (the modernized interface Blackboard has been promoting since 2016). MyMathLab integration works in both, but with some important differences.

In Original Experience, MyMathLab typically appears as a content item that launches in a new window or frame. The visual distinction between Blackboard and MyMathLab is usually clear—you can see when you’ve left Blackboard and entered MyMathLab.

Ultra Experience provides better iframe integration, potentially embedding MyMathLab content more seamlessly within the Blackboard interface. However, this can create confusion about whether you’re viewing Blackboard content or MyMathLab content at any given moment. Pay attention to the URL and the interface styling to maintain orientation.

Grade synchronization works similarly in both versions, but Ultra displays grade information with a more visual approach. You might see progress bars, completion indicators, or grade distributions that aren’t present in Original Experience. These are Blackboard’s interpretations of the data received from MyMathLab and might not match exactly what you see in the MyMathLab gradebook.

Blackboard-Specific Technical Considerations

Blackboard has historically been more sensitive to popup blockers and browser security settings than Canvas. If you click a MyMathLab link and nothing happens, your browser has likely blocked the popup. Look for a blocked popup notification in your address bar and allow popups for your Blackboard domain.

Session timeout issues are more common in Blackboard integrations. Both Blackboard and MyMathLab maintain separate session timers. If you’re working on a long MyMathLab assignment and your Blackboard session expires, you might lose access even though your MyMathLab session is still active. The Blackboard Learn Student documentation recommends periodic activity in both systems for extended work sessions.

Blackboard’s Grade Center (the instructor-facing gradebook) sometimes displays MyMathLab grades as “Needs Grading” even when they’ve been automatically synced. This is a display quirk in how Blackboard handles external tool scores and doesn’t indicate an actual problem. Students can usually see their correct scores in the My Grades area even when instructors see this status in Grade Center.

Gradebook Synchronization: Understanding the Flow of Grades

The gradebook sync between MyMathLab and your LMS represents the most critical—and most frequently problematic—aspect of integration. Understanding how this process works can help you identify issues early and avoid surprises when checking your grades.

How Grade Passback Works

When you complete and submit an assignment in MyMathLab, the system calculates your score based on the grading criteria your instructor established. This score exists immediately in MyMathLab’s internal gradebook. However, getting that score into your LMS gradebook requires an additional step: grade passback through the LTI connection.

Grade passback is not instantaneous. MyMathLab sends grade updates to your LMS based on configured triggers. Common triggers include immediate sync on submission, sync at instructor-specified intervals (every hour, every six hours, daily), or manual sync when the instructor initiates it. Your instructor controls this setting, so the timing varies between courses.

The LMS receives the grade data and processes it according to its own rules. This includes applying any grade weighting, assignment group calculations, or grading schemes that exist in the LMS. The final score you see in your LMS gradebook might therefore differ from the raw score in MyMathLab if your instructor has applied additional calculations.

What Syncs and What Doesn’t

Not all information in MyMathLab transfers to your LMS. Typically, only assignment scores sync—your final percentage or point total for each homework, quiz, or test. Additional details like which questions you missed, how much time you spent, or how many hints you used remain in MyMathLab only.

Some instructors configure selective sync, choosing to send only certain assignment types to the LMS gradebook. For example, they might sync quiz and test scores but not homework scores, keeping homework as practice that doesn’t affect your LMS grade calculation. Always check both your MyMathLab gradebook and your LMS gradebook to understand which assignments contribute to your final course grade.

Due date information can sync separately from grades, and these two data points don’t always match. You might see a due date in Canvas that differs from the due date in MyMathLab because your instructor updated one system but not the other. When in doubt, the MyMathLab due date is typically authoritative for MyMathLab assignments, but confirm with your instructor to be certain.

Grade Sync Delays and What They Mean

A delay between completing work in MyMathLab and seeing the grade in your LMS is normal and expected. Delays of several hours are common; delays of up to 24 hours, while frustrating, aren’t necessarily indicative of a problem.

However, if grades haven’t synced after 48 hours, or if you notice that some assignments sync while others don’t, this suggests a configuration issue that requires attention. Before assuming there’s a problem, verify that you actually submitted the assignment in MyMathLab (saved work doesn’t sync—only submitted work does).

Grade sync failures sometimes occur silently. The LMS receives the grade data but rejects it due to a mismatch in assignment configuration. For instance, if your instructor created an assignment in Canvas worth 50 points but the corresponding MyMathLab assignment is worth 100 points, some LMS configurations reject the sync rather than automatically converting the score. These situations require instructor intervention to resolve.

Viewing and Comparing Gradebooks

Maintaining awareness of both your MyMathLab gradebook and your LMS gradebook is essential for catching sync issues early. The MyMathLab gradebook shows your performance on all MyMathLab assignments with complete details. Your LMS gradebook shows your official course grades, including how MyMathLab assignments fit into your overall grade calculation.

Develop a habit of checking both gradebooks after completing major assignments. If you see a score in MyMathLab but not in your LMS after the expected sync period, document the discrepancy and contact your instructor. Most gradebook issues are easier to resolve when caught early rather than discovered at the end of the semester.

Remember that your instructor sees additional grade details that you don’t. They can view sync logs, see exactly when grades were sent from MyMathLab, and identify whether the LMS received and processed those grades. When reporting grade sync issues, provide specific details: which assignment, when you completed it, what score you see in MyMathLab, and what you see (or don’t see) in your LMS.

Common Integration Issues and Their Causes

Despite standardization through LTI, MyMathLab integration with learning management systems generates predictable categories of issues. Understanding these common problems and their underlying causes can help you respond effectively when they occur.

Access and Authentication Problems

The most frequent integration issue involves being unable to access MyMathLab through your LMS. You click the MyMathLab link and encounter an error message, a blank screen, or a login prompt that shouldn’t be there. Several distinct problems can produce these symptoms.

Expired LMS sessions cause many access failures. Your LMS maintains a session that times out after a period of inactivity. If your session expires while MyMathLab is still open, the next time MyMathLab tries to communicate with the LMS (to sync a grade, for example), the connection fails. The solution is simple: return to your LMS, log in again if necessary, and relaunch MyMathLab through the LMS link rather than using a bookmarked MyMathLab URL.

Account linking issues create authentication failures when you have an existing Pearson account that hasn’t been properly linked to your LMS identity. The first time you access MyMathLab through your LMS, the system should prompt you to link accounts if needed. If you skip this step or if it fails silently, subsequent access attempts will fail or create a duplicate account. The Pearson Student Support resources provide detailed guidance on resolving account linking problems.

Browser compatibility issues, while less common than in the past, still occur. MyMathLab works best in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, but certain browser configurations—particularly aggressive privacy settings, ad blockers, or cookie restrictions—can interfere with LTI authentication. Testing access in a different browser or in incognito/private mode can help identify whether your browser configuration is the problem.

Grade Synchronization Failures

Grades that appear in MyMathLab but never arrive in your LMS frustrate students and create grading disputes. Several factors contribute to sync failures.

Configuration mismatches between MyMathLab assignments and LMS assignments prevent successful grade passback. If your instructor created a MyMathLab assignment but didn’t create a corresponding placeholder in the LMS gradebook, there’s nowhere for the grade to go. Similarly, if the point values don’t align or if the assignment IDs don’t match, the sync might fail silently.

LTI connection interruptions can break grade sync even when everything was previously working. Network issues during the grade passback attempt, server timeouts, or temporary service disruptions on either the Pearson or LMS side can cause a grade to fail to transfer. These issues often resolve themselves if the system retries, but some configurations don’t include automatic retry logic.

Permission or role changes in your course enrollment can disrupt grade sync. If you switched sections, were temporarily dropped from the course due to registration issues, or had your role in the LMS changed for any reason, grade sync might stop working until your enrollment stabilizes.

Assignment and Content Access Issues

Sometimes you can access MyMathLab generally but cannot access specific assignments or course materials. These selective access problems usually indicate either that content hasn’t been published yet or that there are restrictions based on prerequisites or time windows.

Instructors can hide assignments in MyMathLab until specific dates or until students complete prerequisite work. If you see an assignment listed but cannot open it, check for any prerequisites or availability dates. Your instructor might have intentionally restricted access as part of their course design.

eText access through LMS integration sometimes behaves differently than through direct MyMathLab access. Some students report being able to access the eText when logged into MyMathLab directly but receiving errors when trying to access it through an LMS link. This often results from how the eText license is associated with your account. If you have eText access issues through your LMS, try accessing MyMathLab directly to see if the problem persists.

Mobile and Cross-Device Problems

LMS integration with MyMathLab works most reliably on desktop and laptop computers using standard web browsers. Mobile devices and tablets introduce additional complexity.

Mobile apps for Canvas and Blackboard handle external tools inconsistently. Some launch MyMathLab successfully; others redirect to mobile browsers with varying success rates. For completing assignments, particularly timed assessments or exercises requiring the MathPad input tool, using a computer is strongly recommended.

Cross-device session management creates confusing behavior. If you start an assignment on your laptop, then try to continue on your phone through the mobile app, you might see stale data, duplicate sessions, or errors about assignments being already open. MyMathLab assignments should be completed in a single session on a single device when possible to avoid these issues.

Troubleshooting Guide: Systematic Problem Solving

When you encounter problems with MyMathLab LMS integration, systematic troubleshooting can often resolve issues without needing to wait for technical support. Work through these steps in order, testing after each one to see if the problem resolves.

Basic Troubleshooting Steps

Start with the simplest solutions. Clear your browser cache and cookies, focusing particularly on data from your LMS domain and pearson.com domains. Cached authentication data sometimes causes access issues that completely clearing the cache resolves.

Log out of both your LMS and MyMathLab completely, close all browser windows, wait a moment, then log back into your LMS first and launch MyMathLab through the LMS link. This reestablishes the authentication handshake cleanly and resolves many session-related issues.

Disable browser extensions temporarily, particularly ad blockers, privacy tools, and script blockers. While these extensions serve important purposes, they can interfere with the JavaScript and cookies that LTI integration requires. If disabling extensions solves the problem, you can selectively re-enable them to identify the specific extension causing interference.

Try accessing MyMathLab through your LMS in a different browser. If it works in Chrome but not Firefox (or vice versa), the issue is browser-specific rather than account-related. This information is valuable when reporting problems to technical support.

Resolving Specific Error Messages

Different error messages point to different underlying problems. Recording the exact error text you see helps with troubleshooting.

“Invalid LTI Launch” or “LTI Launch Failed” errors indicate a problem with the authentication handshake between your LMS and MyMathLab. This usually results from expired sessions, incorrect configuration by your instructor, or server-side issues. Log out of both systems, clear your cache, and try again. If the error persists, your instructor may need to verify the LTI configuration settings.

“Invalid Assignment” or “Assignment Not Found” errors suggest that the link in your LMS points to an assignment that doesn’t exist in MyMathLab or that you don’t have access to. Your instructor may have deleted or renamed the assignment in MyMathLab without updating the LMS link. Contact your instructor to verify the assignment status.

“Access Denied” or “Not Authorized” errors indicate a permissions problem. Verify that you’re enrolled in the course in both systems and that your enrollment status is active. If you recently added the course or changed sections, the integration might need time to update with your new enrollment data.

Addressing Grade Sync Problems

When grades aren’t syncing from MyMathLab to your LMS, verify first that you actually submitted the assignment in MyMathLab. Saved work doesn’t trigger grade sync—only submitted assignments do. Check your MyMathLab gradebook to confirm the assignment shows as submitted with a score.

Wait for the expected sync period (24 hours is reasonable) before concluding there’s a problem. If grades still haven’t appeared after 48 hours, document the issue: screenshot your MyMathLab gradebook showing the score and submission date, screenshot your LMS gradebook showing the missing grade, and note any error messages you’ve encountered.

Check whether other students in your course are experiencing similar grade sync issues. If the problem is widespread, it’s likely a configuration issue your instructor needs to address. If you’re the only one affected, the issue may be specific to your account or enrollment status.

Some grade sync problems resolve when instructors manually trigger a sync from their end. Contact your instructor with your documented evidence. They can check sync logs, verify configuration settings, and manually push grades if necessary.

When to Contact Technical Support

Some problems require intervention from Pearson technical support, your institution’s LMS support team, or your instructor. Knowing which support channel to contact saves time.

Contact Pearson Student Support for issues with your Pearson account, problems accessing MyMathLab directly (not through your LMS), eText access issues within MyMathLab, or assignment content problems like questions not displaying correctly.

Contact your institution’s LMS support (often called IT Help Desk, EdTech Support, or similar) for issues accessing your LMS, LMS performance problems, or errors that mention your LMS specifically in the error message.

Contact your instructor for gradebook sync issues, missing assignments, questions about which assignments should appear where, or when you’re uncertain which type of problem you’re experiencing. Instructors can often quickly identify whether an issue is configuration-related or requires escalation to technical support.

Best Practices for Students Using LMS-Integrated MyMathLab

Following certain practices can minimize integration problems and ensure you have reliable access to your coursework throughout the semester.

Always Access Through Your LMS

The single most important practice: always access MyMathLab by clicking the link in your LMS rather than going directly to the MyMathLab website or using a bookmarked MyMathLab URL. This ensures that your session is properly authenticated through the LTI connection and that your work will sync correctly to your LMS gradebook.

Bookmark your LMS course page, not the MyMathLab page. If you bookmark MyMathLab directly and use that bookmark, you bypass the authentication handshake, which can create duplicate accounts, prevent grade sync, or cause access issues.

Some students create separate direct MyMathLab accounts for practice or review outside of class, which can create confusion. If you have both an LMS-linked account and a separate Pearson account, be extremely careful about which one you’re logged into when completing graded work. This same caution applies to other Pearson platforms like MyStatLab, which uses identical LMS integration technology and can create similar account confusion if you’re taking multiple Pearson-based courses.

Use Supported Browsers and Devices

Complete assignments on a computer rather than a mobile device whenever possible. While mobile access works for some activities, the full functionality of MyMathLab—particularly math input tools, graphing capabilities, and multimedia content—works best on desktop or laptop computers.

Use updated versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. Outdated browsers may work sporadically but often create intermittent problems that are difficult to troubleshoot. Enable automatic browser updates to avoid browser-related issues.

Keep your operating system updated as well. Security patches and system updates often include improvements to web technologies that online learning platforms depend on.

Monitor Both Gradebooks Regularly

Check both your MyMathLab gradebook and your LMS gradebook regularly, particularly after completing major assignments. Early detection of grade sync issues allows for timely resolution rather than discovering problems when it’s too late to correct them.

Understand which grades matter for your final course grade. Some instructors use MyMathLab for practice and track only exam grades in the LMS. Others sync everything. Knowing your instructor’s grading approach helps you monitor the right gradebook for your official grades.

Take screenshots of completed assignments showing your score and submission timestamp. If grade disputes arise later, having documentation from when you completed the work provides clear evidence. This is particularly important for major exams or assignments worth significant grade percentages.

Plan Ahead for Technical Issues

Don’t wait until the due date to start assignments. Technical issues are more stressful and harder to resolve when you’re racing against a deadline. Starting early gives you time to troubleshoot problems and seek help if needed.

Be aware of high-traffic times. The hour before an assignment deadline often sees the highest server load, increasing the likelihood of performance issues. Completing work earlier in the due date window avoids this congestion.

Have a backup plan for internet connectivity. If your home internet is unreliable, know where you can access stable internet (campus computer labs, library, etc.) and plan to complete important assignments there if necessary. According to research from the EDUCAUSE Review on online learning, reliable internet access remains a significant barrier for many students.

Communicate Proactively with Your Instructor

When you encounter problems, contact your instructor promptly with specific details. Vague reports like “MyMathLab isn’t working” are difficult to act on. Instead, provide specifics: what you were trying to do, what happened instead, any error messages you saw, which browser you’re using, and what troubleshooting steps you’ve already attempted.

Ask your instructor about their expectations for grade sync timing. Knowing that grades typically sync overnight or that your instructor manually syncs grades weekly helps you set appropriate expectations and reduces anxiety about delays.

Clarify which gradebook represents your official course grade. Some instructors consider the MyMathLab gradebook authoritative; others use the LMS gradebook as the official record. Understanding this from the beginning prevents confusion later.

When You Need Additional Support

Despite your best efforts at troubleshooting and following best practices, sometimes the technical complexity of LMS integration creates problems that require professional assistance. Understanding your support options and how to access them effectively can make a significant difference in resolving issues quickly.

Available Support Channels

Pearson provides technical support for MyMathLab through multiple channels. Their support website includes searchable articles, video tutorials, and troubleshooting guides. For direct assistance, you can contact Pearson Student Support via phone or chat during extended hours (often 24/7 during peak academic periods).

Your institution’s technical support team handles LMS-specific issues. Most colleges and universities provide IT help desks, educational technology support, or online learning support services. These teams can address LMS access issues, help with browser configuration, and coordinate with Pearson support when problems span both systems.

Your instructor serves as an important intermediary. They have access to configuration settings and administrative tools in both systems that you don’t. They can verify that assignments are set up correctly, manually trigger grade syncs, and escalate persistent technical problems to the appropriate support teams.

Preparing to Contact Support

Before contacting any support channel, gather relevant information. Having details ready accelerates the support process significantly. You should know: your exact course name and section number, your student ID or login username, the specific assignment or area where you’re experiencing problems, the exact error message you see (screenshot it if possible), what browser and version you’re using, what troubleshooting steps you’ve already attempted, and whether the problem is consistent or intermittent.

This preparation demonstrates that you’ve made genuine troubleshooting efforts and helps support staff bypass basic questions to focus on diagnosis and resolution. For additional resources on navigating MyMathLab assignments and common question types, you can find detailed guides that complement this technical troubleshooting information.

When Standard Support Isn’t Enough

Sometimes the standard technical support process doesn’t resolve your issue, particularly when problems are complex, involve multiple systems, or occur during high-volume periods. In these situations, you may need additional advocacy.

If you’re facing a deadline and technical issues prevent you from completing work, document everything meticulously and communicate with your instructor immediately. Most instructors will work with you on deadline extensions when technical problems are legitimate and well-documented. The key is communication before the deadline passes, not after.

For serious, course-affecting technical problems that remain unresolved despite your efforts to work with support channels, your institution may have student advocacy services, an ombudsperson, or academic affairs office that can help coordinate resolution and ensure you’re not academically penalized for technical issues beyond your control.