Create Groups

About course groups

Create groups based on the real-life practicalities of teamwork.

Collaborative learning offers many benefits over traditional instruction. Studies show that when students work as a team, they develop positive attitudes, solve problems more effectively, and experience a greater sense of accomplishment.

You can organize students into groups so they can interact with each other and demonstrate their knowledge while they learn to appreciate the perspective of others.

You can create group sets to use for graded assignments, tests, and discussions. You can also create groups for activities other than graded work, such as volunteering or field trips.

You can also create breakout groups in Collaborate so students can hold virtual meetings with their group members.

At this time, though students can access course groups on the Course Content page in the Details & Actions panel, they can’t view the membership on the Groups page. If you want to use course groups for activities other than graded work, you can send out a starter message to each group. The members can then view their groups’ membership and send messages. You’re included in the group messages.

Create course groups

You start the course groups creation process on the Course Content page. In the Details & Actions section under Course Groups, select Create and manage groups. If you've already set up course groups, select View sets & groups link.

New Group Set page

If you already have course groups, select New Group Set on the Course Groups page.

You can create as many course groups as you want, with any number of students in each group. You can also create new course groups or remove course groups.

From the Group students menu, you can divide your students among groups in these ways:

• Custom
• Randomly assign
• Self-enrollment
• Reuse groups 

You can also select the plus sign below the graphic to create as many groups as you need and add students.

Create custom groups

You can create a single, custom group or as many groups as you want, with any number of students in each group.

1. In the Group students menu, select Custom and provide a name at the top of the page.
2. Select each student's name one after the other to select them as a group. Select a student's name again to remove the selection.
3. After you select the students, open the menu next to one of their names and select Create a new group. You can also move multiple students to a group listed in the menu.
4. Edit the group name if you want to change the default naming.
5. Optionally, provide a group description that also appears to members of that group. You have no limit on the number of characters.
   
6. Select the plus sign wherever you want to add another group. You can also repeat steps 2-5.

At this time, if you save a Custom group set, return to the group set, and select Custom again, your groups are deleted.

Create randomly assigned groups

Students are randomly assigned to the number of groups you choose. You need at least four students so the system can randomly assign students to at least two groups.

Random assignment may work best if you teach courses that contain many students without the opportunity to know them individually. You can assign students to groups quickly and without preparation.

1. In the Group students menu, select Randomly assign and provide a name at the top of the page.
2. In the Number of groups menu, select how many groups to create. You need to create at least two. Students are equally assigned to the number of groups you choose.

   To remove all students from the current group set, select Unassign All at the top of the page. The menu option changes to Custom if you move students to different groups after they're grouped and before you save.

3. Edit each group name if you want to change the default naming.
4. Optionally, provide group descriptions that are shown to group members. You have no limit on the number of characters.

Select the plus sign wherever you want to create a group in addition to the groups the system created. When you add or delete groups, the menu option changes to Custom and any affected students aren't redistributed.

Create self-enrollment groups

You can ask students to self-enroll in course groups. Only students may join. Students receive a course announcement and an activity stream notification about groups they need to join.

Students see Join a group and New in the Details & Actions panel on the Course Content page. You can also add an enrollment period. Students are notified when the enrollment deadline approaches. When the enrollment period ends, students can no longer join groups, and they’re enrolled automatically.

If you added a preview user, that user is also enrolled automatically in a group. You can remove the preview user before or after you create self-enrollment groups.

1. In the Group students menu, select Self-enrollment.
2. Your students are evenly divided among the groups listed next to Number of groups. You need to create at least two self-enrollment course groups.
3. Select the plus sign wherever you want to add another group. The Number of groups updates automatically. You can add and delete groups even after students have started to join. If you delete a group that students have already joined, they’re moved to the unassigned list. You'll need to notify them to join one of the remaining groups or add them to a group. Reminder: If you add an enrollment period, unassigned students are enrolled automatically when the period ends.
4. Optionally, add an enrollment start and end date. Select the arrow next to Advanced options to collapse the enrollment section.
5. Optionally, change or clear the Maximum number of members per group that appears by default. The optional maximum must be 2 or greater. If you added or deleted groups, the maximum number doesn’t update.

   Pay attention to the maximum members per group and the number of groups. For example, if you lower the maximum number, some students won’t be allowed to enroll in a group at the end of the enrollment period. You’ll need to create new groups and enroll the students.

   To allow unlimited members per group, leave blank. Students see the maximum number allowed when they make their group selections. If you allow an unlimited number per group, students see the total number of students in their class.

   You can override the maximum membership for a group. For example, you can add a newly enrolled student to a group.

6. Select the Hide enrolled members check box if you don't want students to see who's already joined.
7. Edit each group name if you want to change the default naming.
8. Add optional group descriptions. You can add information to help students choose a group. You have no limit on the number of characters.
9. Open the menu next to a group to access the management options.

Reuse groups

You can reuse an existing course group or group set.

If you make changes to a group set you've reused, those changes affect any group assignments and discussions based on that group set. 

1. In the Group students menu, select a title from the Reuse groups section. Groups with no members also appear in the list.
2. Provide a name at the top of the page, edit the individual group names, and add optional group descriptions that are shown to group members. You have no limit on the number of characters.

The same students are added to your new group or group set. You may need to add new students added to your course to your new groups.