Student Guide: Courseware Access & Access Codes

Summary

Many UHCL courses utilize courseware—online resources from publishers like Cengage (MindTap), zyBooks, BryteWave (RedShelf), or Pearson (MyLab/Mastering)—to deliver assignments, readings, and interactive activities.

Courseware access often requires students to redeem an access code, which may be purchased separately or bundled with textbooks. This article outlines how to redeem your access code and gain entry to your required courseware through Canvas or directly on the publisher's platform.

How-To

Task: Acquire and/or redeem your courseware access code

Instructions

Note: If you already have your required access code(s), you can skip to Step 3 for the instructions to redeem it and access your courseware.

Step 1: Confirm Courseware Requirements

  • Review your course syllabus or check your Canvas course announcements to confirm which courseware platform your instructor requires.
  • Purchase required course access codes and eBooks through the UHCL Bookstore. Utilize the search feature to ensure you are purchasing the exact materials required for your enrolled courses. You can also use your Financial Aid as your payment method when checking out. Contact the Financial Aid Office if you have any questions/issues with using your Financial Aid on the UHCL Bookstore website.

Step 2: Access via Canvas (Recommended)

  • Log into UHCL Canvas.
  • Navigate to your course and click the courseware link (e.g., "Cengage MindTap," "zyBooks," or "RedShelf eTextbook") within the Modules or Course Menu.
  • Clicking the link should automatically redirect you to the publisher’s platform.

Step 3: Redeeming Your Access Code

  • If prompted, you’ll need to enter your access code.
  • Access codes are usually provided:
    • On a physical access card bundled with your textbook.
    • Via email receipt if purchased digitally from the bookstore or publisher.
  • Enter your code exactly as provided, including hyphens or capital letters.

Step 4: Direct Access via Publisher’s Website (Alternative)

  • If you cannot access courseware via Canvas, log directly into the publisher's site and follow their prompts:
    • Cengage MindTap: login.cengage.com
    • zyBooks: learn.zybooks.com
    • BryteWave RedShelf eBooks: BryteWave (RedShelf)
  • Use your UHCL email to log in or create an account if required.

Common Student Self-Service Tips:

  • Make sure you’re logged into the correct Canvas account (your UHCL student email).
  • Check that you haven’t already redeemed your access code previously—access codes typically only work once.
  • If you encounter issues loading courseware, clear your browser cache or try an alternate browser.

Outcome

You should now have access to your courseware by redeeming the course access code.

Additional Resources

Here you can access specific instructions for the most common courseware used in UHCL courses:

Need Additional Help?

On behalf of OIT’s Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) team, we hope this article was useful. If you encounter any difficulties or have questions related to this procedure, please contact our colleagues in OIT’s Support Center to have a help ticket created and assigned to the IDT team. You may contact the Support Center via email (supportcenter@uhcl.edu) or by telephone (281.283.2828).

Once we receive your inquiry, a member of the IDT team will contact you as quickly as resources permit.

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