Support: FAQs for Instructors

Answers to many of the most common questions are below. If you don't find what you're looking for, our Support Team is ready to help.

• Can I get a student access code as well as my instructor code?

  Yes. Student access codes for instructors are available from
  your sales representative.

  When you register as a student:

  • You must create a different login name than the one you use for your instructor account.
  • You can use the same password.

  About instructor vs. student view: Instructors can see virtually everything that a student sees. In addition, instructors can try out assignments at any time, access their courses indefinitely, and set course management features.

• How do I add TAs and colleagues to a course?
  Both the instructor and each TA or colleague to whom you are giving access need to complete several steps.

  Instructor: If your TAs or colleagues don't already have instructor access: Have them request instructor access codes.

  TA/Colleague:

  1. Register online to get instructor access.
     Go to the applicable URL (www.masteringastronomy.com, www.masteringbio.com, www.masteringchemistry.com, or www.masteringphysics.com), click New Instructors, and follow the on-screen instructions.
  2. Log in once to activate your account.
     IMPORTANT: You can't be added to a course until your login has been activated.
  3. Give your professor your login name.

  Instructor (or an assistant with the "Assistants" update privilege):

  1. Click Course List to view your list of courses.
  2. Select View Assistants from the Actions menu for the appropriate course, and then click Go.
  3. Add the assistants one by one:
     Enter each Login Name in the Add Assistant box and click Submit.
  4. Edit each assistant's course update privileges.
     If you are adding a colleague to a course: Giving the colleague all privileges will make him/her equivalent to the course creator.
  5. Click Save.
• How do I create a course?

  When you log in for the very first time:
  You will be prompted to create a course. Simply follow the on-screen instructions.

  To create additional courses:

  1. Click Course List on the left.
  2. Accept or edit the New Course Title, and then click Create at the top of the page.
  3. Accept or edit the supplied Course ID.
     • Use alphanumeric characters (no underbars or spaces).
     • Once you save this page, you cannot return to edit the Course ID.
     • Your students will need the Course ID to enroll in this particular course.
     • Each Course ID can apply to only one course.
       To use a similar ID from year to year, consider appending the year to it.
  4. Select a textbook and complete the rest of the course property information.
  5. Click Save.
• Why can't students enroll in my course?

  If NO students can enroll in a particular course:
  If you're sure that all students have received the correct Course ID (required for enrollment), it's likely that the course hasn't been opened for student enrollment yet. This is quick and easy to do.

  To open a course for student enrollment:

  1. Click Course List to view your list of courses.
  2. Select Edit Course Properties from the Actions menu for the appropriate course, and then click Go.
  3. Change Allow Students to Enroll from No to Yes.
  4. Click Save.
• I can't add questions to assignments.

  It's possible that Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Here's how to enable Javascript for several common browsers:

  Firefox 2.0

  1. Open Firefox.
  2. Go to Tools > Options.
  3. Select Web Features.
  4. Click Enable Javascript. (This is the default setting.)
  5. Click OK.

  Internet Explorer 6.0 and 7.0

  1. Open Internet Explorer.
  2. Go to Tools > Internet Options.
  3. Select the Security tab.
  4. Click the Custom Level button at bottom.
  5. The Security Settings dialog box will pop up.
  6. Under the Scripting category, enable Active Scripting, Allow paste options via script, and Scripting of Java applets.
  7. Click OK twice to close out.
  8. Click Refresh.

  Safari:

  1. Open Safari.
  2. Go to Safari > Preferences.
  3. Click the Security tab.
  4. Click Enable Java and Enable Javascript.
  5. Close the Preferences window.

  If you enable Javascript and still can't add questions to assignments: you must also allow session cookies to be set for your Mastering product.

• Why can't students see my assignments, even when I have extended the due date?

  If NO students can enroll in a particular course:
  If you're sure that all students have received the correct Course ID (required for enrollment), it's likely that the course hasn't been opened for student enrollment yet. This is quick and easy to do.

  To open a course for student enrollment:

  1. Click Course List to view your list of courses.
  2. Select Edit Course Properties from the Actions menu for the appropriate course, and then click Go.
  3. Change Allow Students to Enroll from No to Yes.
  4. Click Save.

  If only SOME students can't enroll in your course:

  1. Check whether students may be mistyping the Course ID.
     Most frequently they mistype capital O for zero, or they type the course title instead of the Course ID.
  2. Check whether students have enrolled in another Mastering course. (Students are allowed access to only one course at a time with a single student account.)
     • If students have finished the other course: It's possible that the course end date for the other course hasn't passed yet (i.e., the course has not expired). Please contact a department member responsible for the other course* to change its course expiration date to a past date.
     • If a student enrolled in different course and then either dropped the class or changed class sections: The student needs to be disenrolled from the other Mastering course to be free to enroll in the current one. Please contact a department member responsible for the previous course.*
     • If students need to participate in two Mastering courses being taught with the same textbook at the same time.

     * This may be another professor or an assistant with appropriate privilege. If you can't locate anyone responsible for the course: Contact Mastering Customer Technical Support by using our online form.

• My student needs to change his/her student ID or account information.

  Students can easily update this information online themselves at any time. Here's how:

  • To change your Student ID: Log in and Click the Edit Student ID link at the bottom of the welcome screen.
  • To change your student account information (login name, password, email address or other):
    Log in and Click the Edit Account Info link at the bottom of the welcome screen.

  Note: You cannot change your first or last name yourself. You must make this request by contacting Registration Customer Support.

  IMPORTANT: Students cannot transfer a subscription to Mastering with another student by changing the name on a student account or in any other way. All scores and personal information (including financial, if applicable) are associated with each individual student account. If any work is done by another student using the account, this is still associated with the original student and is not credited to the new student.

• My student needs to change into or out of my course.

  If a student enrolls in the wrong course, or decides to change class sections being taught with different online courses, the student needs to be disenrolled from the incorrect course.

  • You can do this if you are the professor (or are an assistant with “Enrollment” update privilege) for the original course.
  • Or, you may need to contact a department member responsible for the online course from which the student needs to be disenrolled.*

  Note: If the student has done any work in the course: The student's grades should be exported before disenrolling the student. (Course List > View Gradebook > Go > Manage > Export Scores.) The exported file will be in CSV format (Microsoft Excel compatible).

  To disenroll a student from an online course:

  1. Click Course List to view your list of courses.
  2. Select View Enrollment from the Actions menu for the course, and then click Go.
  3. Find the student you want to disenroll, and select Disenrolled from the Status menu in that row.
  4. Click Save at the bottom of the page.

  The next time the student logs in, they should enter the correct Course ID to enroll in that course.

  * If you can't locate anyone responsible for this course: Contact Mastering Customer Technical Support using our online form. Please provide the student's name, email address, and login name as well as the Course ID from which the student should be disenrolled.

• One of my students is taking two courses at once with the same textbook. Does s/he need two student access codes?

  Students can get FREE ACCESS to a second, simultaneous course under the following conditions by requesting an additional access code.

  Conditions:

  • The same textbook and the same edition must be used for both Mastering courses.
  • You must have made a purchase which allows you to access the first course.
    This could be a new textbook or Student Access Kit (both of these options provide you with an access code) or you can buy access online from the Mastering site (instead of registering with a code).
  • IMPORTANT: When you register for the second course using the supplied code, you must use a different Login Name for the second account. All other information can be the same.

  To request an additional code:
  Please contact: twocourses@pearson.com. They will need to know the following information before sending the second code:

  • The name of your school and its URL address
  • The names of the professors for both courses
  • The names or numbers of both school courses
  • The email addresses of the professors for both courses
  • The textbook and edition you are using
  • If both Mastering courses will continue more than 6 months, please mention this. (Otherwise, the second code is good for 6 months.)
• What do I do when a course has finished? When a semester finishes?

  As you BEGIN a new course:

  1. Make sure that the expiration date of any prerequisite courses has passed by checking the course properties. Make sure to check your own courses! (Course List > Edit Course Properties > Course Expiration)
  2. If you are continuing with the same TAs but have a new course ID, remember that you must add your TAs to the new course and edit their privileges.
  3. Remember to set Allow Students to Enroll to Yes. (Course List > Edit Course Properties)

  At the END of each course:

  1. Export a copy of the grades from your Gradebook, for your records. (Gradebook > Manage > Export Scores)
  2. Make sure that the course expiration date has passed, if necessary by editing the course expiration date. (Course List > Edit Course Properties > Course Expiration)

  If your course is CONTINUING from one semester to the next with no change in Course ID, you need only do the following:

  1. Export a copy of the grades from your Gradebook, for your records. (Gradebook > Manage > Export Scores)
  2. Disenroll any students who have dropped the course. (If you are not sure they have dropped, but they do not appear to be handing in assignments, you should suspend them temporarily.)
  3. Remove any teaching assistants who are not continuing; add new teaching assistants and give them privileges.

  If more than a very few students are dropping/joining, it's usually best to create a new course with a new gradebook.

  To use the same or similar course content for teaching a subsequent class term or for teaching multiple class sections: Consider copying a course that you have taught with before. (Course List > Copy) Copying a course lets you create a new course (with a new Course ID) that contains all of the assignments and most customizations of the original course, yet is free of its student gradebook data and any teaching assistants. Note, however, that the copied assignments still apply to the original textbook edition selected when the original course was created – not the latest textbook edition, if one is available.

• My instructor access has run out. How do I re-register for Mastering without losing my courses or data?

  When your access runs out, your courses and any data they contain are unaffected.

  To retain access to your courses and their data (even if they have expired):
  You need to register again. When you do, be sure to identify yourself as having a Pearson Education account by clicking Yes and supplying the SAME login name and password you used before. (Click here if you need help remembering your login/password information.)

  Follow the links below to request a new access code for your product:

  • Request a new access code for MasteringAstronomy
  • Request a new access code for MasteringBiology
  • Request a new access code for MasteringChemistry
  • Request a new access code for MasteringPhysics

  Once your identity as an instructor is confirmed, you will receive a new code through the email address on record for your account.