TABLE OF CONTENTS

• About Groups
• Create Course Groups
  • Custom Groups
  • Randomly Assigned Groups
  • Self-Enrollment Groups
• Assign Group Work
  • Group Discussions
  • Group Assignments

About Groups

Group work can be very beneficial for students, teaching them skills such as time management, sharing diverse perspectives, developing approaches to resolving differences, and more. For more information on the benefits of group work, refer to The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning: Group Work.

You may create Course Groups or you may create groups for individual Discussions or Assignments. 

For more information, refer to the Create and Manage Groups support page or watch the Create Groups video tutorial.

Create Course Groups

To create a Course Group, click on the Groups link at the top of the page. This will bring you to the Groups page. Click New Group Set to create a new group.

Give your group a name. In the Group Students area, select whether you want to create a custom group, randomly assign students to groups, or allow students to self-enroll in groups.

Custom Groups

Create Custom Groups when you want to manually create groups and assign students. 

In the Group Students menu, select Custom. 

Next, scroll down to the + menu to create a new group. Give your group a name and (optional) description. To enroll students in the group, select the students and click the menu (three dots) icon next to one of their names. Select the group you wish to move the students into.

Repeat these steps for each custom group you wish to create. Then click Save to save your changes.

Randomly Assigned Groups

Create Randomly Assigned Groups when you want to quickly and easily create groups and randomly assign students. 

In the Group Students menu, select Randomly Assign. Next, in the Number of Groups menu, select the number of groups you wish to create. Students will be randomly assigned to their groups.

You may edit your group names and add an (optional) description.

Once assigned, you can move students from one group to another. Select a student that you want to move and click the menu (three dots) icon next to their name. Select a different group to move the student to that group. 

Click Save to save your changes.

Self-Enrollment Groups

Create Self-Enrollment Groups when you want students to choose their own group. 

In order to create self-enrollment groups, you will first need to make the groups visible to students by selecting Visible to students at the top of the page. Then, in the Group Students menu, select Self-Enrollment. 

In the Advanced Options area you may add enrollment start and end dates, select the maximum number of group members, hide enrolled members, and add a group description.

• Enrollment Start and End Date: Students will be able to enroll in the groups during the time period you specify.
• Auto-enroll members at the end of the enrollment period: Select this option to automatically assign students to a group if they have not enrolled during the enrollment period.
• Maximum Members per Group: Students will see the maximum number allowed per group when they make their group selections. Leave this space blank to allow unlimited members per group.
• Hide Enrolled Members: Select this option to prevent students from seeing who has already joined a group. Students will be able to see their group members once the enrollment period has ended.
• Description: Enter a description to help guide students as they choose a group.

To help students choose a group, edit the default group names and add an (optional) description. Click the + sign to create additional groups.

Click Save to save your changes.

When you create self-enrollment groups, an Announcement is created automatically. If you scheduled your self-enrollment period in the future, you may edit the Announcement to add additional information or details before the scheduled posting date and time.

Assign Group Work

When you create Discussions and Assignments, you have the option to assign them to course groups or create a new group.

Group Discussions

You can assign your Discussion to groups, allowing students to work together in a more private setting. You may use Group Discussions for smaller conversations, assign different discussion topics to each group, or simply provide a place for student collaboration on a larger group project. If you are grading the Group Discussion, you assign grades and  provide feedback to each of the students individually.

You may create a Group Discussion when creating your Discussion or you may edit an existing Discussion and assign it to groups. From your Discussion, click on your Discussion Settings.

In the Additional Tools section, select Assign to groups.

This will open the Groups page. In the Group Students menu, you may create a new group set specific to this discussion or you may select an existing course group.

Once you have created or selected your groups, click Save to return to your Discussion and then click Save to save your changes.

To view your students' contributions to the group discussion, locate the discussion either from the Course Content page or the Discussions page and click on the title to open.

Select a group from the menu to view group members' posts and replies.

If your group discussion is graded, click on the discussion's Grades & Participation tab. Select a group and click on a group member's name to begin grading.

Refer to the Grade Group Discussions support page for more information.

Group Assignments

You may assign an assessment to a group when you are creating or editing an Assignment. Click on the Assignment Settings (gear icon) to open the Assignment Settings Panel. 

Scroll down to the Additional Tools section and select Assign to groups.

This will open the Groups page. In the Group Students menu, you may create a new group set specific to this Assignment or you may select an existing course group.

Once you have assigned your assessment to a group, click Save. You will be brought back to the Assignment Settings. Modify any additional settings and click Save to save your changes.

Once groups submit their assignments, you can access their work from the Gradebook or by opening the Assignment in the Course Content. You may assign the same grade to the whole group or grade each team member's contribution separately. You cannot change grade settings or group membership once you have started grading.

Refer to the Grade Group Assignments support page for more information and detailed instructions.