This guide details how to connect your Quercus course to Crowdmark, an online grading and assessment platform. With the Quercus - Crowdmark integration, you can create assessments, manage distribution (digital or paper-based), and grade them through Crowdmark. Grades will then automatically sync back to your Quercus course.
The Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering currently maintains a faculty-wide license for Crowdmark, so this tool is available to all FASE instructors.
Before you begin
- There are two kinds of Crowdmark assessments: Administered Assessments (paper-based) and Assigned Assessments (digital submission). You can use either or both as part of our FASE license.
- For the Assigned Assessment workflow, students will not require access to a printer, as Assigned Assessments differ from Administered Assessments which require printed QR codes.
- Instructors and departments remain responsible for printing and scanning paper-based Administered Assessments. If you are teaching or coordinating a first year course, you may contact the Registrar's Office for scanning support.
- If you are using Crowdmark for the first time, we highly recommend attending a Crowdmark training session prior to using the tool. You can also review all of Crowdmark's documentation on getting started as an Instructor.
- If you require any assistance within the Crowdmark platform, please contact the Crowdmark Support Team ([email protected]). You can also review Crowdmark's Getting Started Instructor Guide for more information.
Important Notes:
New integration method: As of September 3, 2025, Crowdmark is now integrated directly into Quercus using LTI 1.3, replacing the older API-based setup. This new method is simpler, requires no external logins, and allows both instructors and students to access Crowdmark entirely through Quercus.
Migrating from API: If your course was previously connected using the API method, see the migration instructions below.
Jump to
1. Add Crowdmark to a Quercus module
To use Crowdmark in Quercus, you’ll first need to add the Crowdmark LTI tool to a course module, either new or existing.
- From your Quercus course, select Modules.
- Optional: Select + Module to create a new module (e.g., you could name it Crowdmark) to keep your course organized. You can also skip this step and add Crowdmark to an existing module instead.
- In the desired module, select the + Add button to add a module item.
- From the drop-down menu, select External Tool.
- Select Add Item to proceed.
- Select Crowdmark LTI from the list (this will automatically populate the URL and Page name).
- Ensure the option Load in a new tab is checked.
- Select Add Item to finish.
- You'll now see a new a Crowdmark LTI link in your chosen module.
Note: When you first add the Crowdmark LTI item, a new Crowdmark course will automatically be created and linked to your Quercus course.
2. Access and set up your course in Crowdmark
Once you’ve added the Crowdmark LTI link to a module in your Quercus course, the next step is to open the link, complete the course setup (i.e., sync students and teaching team rosters), and start creating assessments in Crowdmark.
When you first launch the Crowdmark LTI link, you’ll see a welcome screen.
- To sync your students automatically with the Quercus course roster, select Enroll students from Quercus – LTI.
- You can also choose Enroll students to add them manually. You can upload a CSV file (with Names, Emails, Student IDs, and Sections) or enter student emails directly.
Students will access Crowdmark through the same module link you created in Quercus. They do not need to visit the Crowdmark website or sign in separately.
Be sure that both the module and the Crowdmark LTI item are published in Quercus so students can use the link to complete assessments and view their grades in Crowdmark.
- From the left-hand menu, select Course team.
- Select Sync with Quercus – LTI to import instructors and TAs who are enrolled in your Quercus course.
- You can also add additional team members who are not enrolled in your Quercus course (e.g., a printer or uploader) by selecting Add by email.
Teaching team members added by email will need to log in to Crowdmark using their email address and password, as described in the Log into Crowdmark with email and password section below.
Keep your roster updated: If students add or drop your course in Quercus, or if your teaching team changes, return to the above options and run the Sync with Quercus – LTI action again (or use one of the manual options) to refresh your roster and team.
From your new Crowdmark course, you can create new assessments or import existing ones. For setup instructions, see:
3. Manage API-connected courses: Migration and access
If your course was previously set up using the old API method, it may either migrate to LTI or remain in the API system.
- Fall 2025 and future courses will connect automatically once you add the Crowdmark LTI link in Quercus, while
- Summer 2025 and earlier courses will remain in the API system and can be accessed by logging in to Crowdmark with email and password.
Please review the instructions below to ensure your course is set up properly and that you can continue to access it without issues.
All courses created in Fall 2025 or later should now accessed through the Crowdmark LTI link in Quercus.
- Add the LTI module item in Quercus: Make sure you’ve added the Crowdmark LTI link to your Quercus course (see instructions above in Add Crowdmark to a Quercus module).
- Open the link once: Select the LTI link to launch Crowdmark. This step connects your existing Crowdmark course to Quercus through the new LTI integration.
After completing the above steps, no further action is required from you – Crowdmark will migrate your course in the background once the LTI link has been used.
Check your settings: If you see a blank page when launching the Crowdmark LTI link from Quercus, check that the module item is set to Load in a new tab.
Courses created before Fall 2025 will remain in the API system and not be migrated to LTI. These can still be accessed directly from https://app.crowdmark.com/sign-in/utoronto using an email login.
Why aren’t older courses migrated? To avoid syncing the same grades twice into Quercus (which could create duplicate gradebook columns), older API courses remain separate and are not migrated into LTI.
3.2.1. Log into Crowdmark with email and password
Navigate to https://app.crowdmark.com/sign-in/utoronto and follow the steps below.
- On the sign-in screen , select Sign in with email.
The blue Sign in with Quercus button does not log you directly into Crowdmark or provide access to older API courses. Instead, it redirects you back to your Quercus dashboard to use the Crowdmark LTI link in your course modules to access your LTI-connected Crowdmark courses.
- Enter your U of T email and Crowdmark password to Sign in.
- If you don't already have a password, choose Forgot your password?
- Enter your U of T email and select Send instructions.
You’ll receive an email from Crowdmark with a link to reset your password. Follow the instructions in the email to create a new password, then log in with your U of T email and new password.
3.2.2. View your API course in Crowdmark
After signing into Crowdmark with your email and password, you will need to select the correct course source to view older API courses (Summer 2025 or earlier).
- From the Courses page, open the drop-down menu next to Courses.
- Select Quercus – API @ University of Toronto to view your older courses.
Once logged in, you can also toggle between course sources. Select Quercus @ University of Toronto to access your courses created through the LTI integration, and Quercus – API @ University of Toronto to view older courses that remain in the API system.
To ensure a smooth experience for both you and your students, consider distributing a practice assessment before your first real assessment. This gives everyone a chance to get familiar with the Crowdmark workflow. If you are using Assigned (online) Assessments, you may wish to share the following resource with your students: Completing and submitting an assignment.