How to Create Groups

Create Self-Enrollment Group

Self-Enrollment Groups allow students to join a Group by adding their names to a sign-up sheet. Sign-up sheets can be made available on the Groups page and can limit the number of people allowed to join the Group. Self-Enrollment Groups can be made one at a time or made in sets.

Group Information

  1. Type a Name for the Self-Enrollment Group. Be sure the name is descriptive so that users will understand the nature of the Group.
  2. Use the Text Box to type a Description of the Self-Enrollment Group and any instructions for participating in the Group. This information is optional, but can help users understand expectations and any associated goals and tasks.
  3. Make the Group Available by selecting Yes. To create a Sign-up Sheet for the Group that limits enrollment, select Sign-up Sheet Only and fill in the Sign-up Options below.

Sign-Up Options

  1. Type a Name for the Sign-up Sheet. Be sure the name is descriptive so that users will understand the nature of the Sign-up Sheet.
  2. Use the Text Box to type a Description of the Sign-up Sheet and any instructions for signing up. This information is optional, but can help users understand expectations and any limitations to signing up.
  3. Type the Maximum Number of Members. Once this number has been reached, other users will not be able to join the Group.
  4. Allow users to see the others who have already signed up by selecting Show Members.
  5. Allow users to access the Sign-up Sheet from the Groups listing page by selecting Allow Students to sign-up from the Groups listing page.

Tool Availability

Select which tools will be available to members of the Group. Tools that can be made available to a Group include:

  • Blogs: In the Group area, all members of a Group can create entries for the same Blog, building on one another. Any course member can read an comment on a Group Blog, but cannot make entries if they are not a member of the Group. Instructors can select the Grading option for Group Blogs.
  • Collaboration: Users within the Group can create and attend Chat sessions and Virtual Classroom sessions.
  • Discussion Board: Users within the Group can create and manage their own Forums.
  • Email: Users within the Group can email individual members or the entire Group. File Exchange: Group members and the Instructor can share files in this area. All members, as well as the Instructor, can add files. They can also delete files, regardless of who added them.
  • Journals: When used in the Group area, all members of a Group can view each other’s entries, but the Group Journal can only be viewed by the Group and the Instructor. Instructors can select the Grading option for Journals.
  • Tasks: Users within the Group can create Tasks that are distributed to all Group members.
  • Wikis: Users within the Group can edit their Group Wiki. All students within the course can view a Group Wiki. The Instructor can view and edit a Group Wiki and select the Grading option for Group Wikis.

Module Personalization Setting

Selecting Allow Personalization permits members of the Group to customize the Group Homepage by adding Personal Modules, such as What’s New, Alerts, or Dictionary.

Create Manual-Enrollment Group

Create a set of Groups and add users to a Group in the set.

Group Information

  1. Enter a Name for the Group Set. Be sure the name is descriptive so that users will understand the nature of the Group.
  2. Use the Text Box to enter a Description of the Group and any instructions for participating in the Group. This information is optional, but can help users understand expectations and any associated goals and tasks.
  3. Make the Group Available by selecting Yes.

Tool Availability

Select which Tools will be available to members of the Group. Tools that can be made available to a Group include:

  • Blogs: Users within the Group can post to the Blog and add comments.
  • Collaboration: Users within the Group can create and attend Chat sessions and Virtual Classroom sessions.
  • Discussion Board: Users within the Group can create and manager their own Forums.
  • Email: Users within the Group can email individual members or the entire Group.
  • File Exchange: Users within the Group and the Instructor can upload files to the Group space and organize them through the creation of folders.
  • Journals: Users within the Group can be assigned a private Journal that allows private communication between the Instructor and the User.
  • Tasks: Users within the Group can create Tasks that are distributed to all Group members.

Module Personalization Setting

Selecting Allow Personalization permits members of the Group to customize the Group Homepage by adding Personal Modules, such as What’s New, Alerts, or Dictionary.

Group Set Options

Enter the number of Groups to create.

Create Random Enrollment Group Set

Random Enrollment Groups distribute membership into Groups based on the desired number of students per group, or the desired number of Groups. For example, if there are 24 students enrolled in a Course, and the Instructor wanted four students per group, the system would create six Groups. If the Instructor wanted four groups, the system would randomly enroll six students per Group.

Random Enrollment Groups distribute membership into Groups based on the desired number of students per group, or the desired number of Groups. For example, if there are 24 students enrolled in a Course, and the Instructor wanted four students per group, the system would create six Groups. If the Instructor wanted four groups, the system would randomly enroll six students per Group.

Group Information

  1. Enter a Name for the Random Enrollment Group. Be sure the name is descriptive so that users will understand the nature of the Group.
  2. Use the Text Box to enter a Description of the Random Enrollment Group and any instructions for participating in the Group. This information is optional, but can help users understand expectations and any associated goals and tasks.
  3. Make the Group Available by selecting Yes.

Tool Availability

Select which tools will be available to members of the Group. Tools that can be made available to a Group include:

  • Blogs: In the Group area, all members of a Group can create entries for the same Blog, building on one another. Any course member can read an comment on a Group Blog, but cannot make entries if they are not a member of the Group. Instructors can select the Grading option for Group Blogs.
  • Collaboration: Users within the Group can create and attend Chat sessions and Virtual Classroom sessions.
  • Discussion Board: Users within the Group can create and manage their own Forums.
  • Email: Users within the Group can email individual members or the entire Group.
  • File Exchange: Group members and the Instructor can share files in this area. All members, as well as the Instructor, can add files. They can also delete files, regardless of who added them.
  • Journals: When used in the Group area, all members of a Group can view each other’s entries, but the Group Journal can only be viewed by the Group and the Instructor. Instructors can select the Gradingoption for Journals.
  • Tasks: Users within the Group can create Tasks that are distributed to all Group members.
  • Wikis: Users within the Group can edit their Group Wiki. All students within the course can view a Group Wiki. The Instructor can view and edit a Group Wiki and select the Grading option for Group Wikis.

Module Personalization Setting

Selecting Allow Personalization permits members of the Group to customize the Group Homepage by adding Personal Modules, such as What’s New, Alerts, or Dictionary.

Membership

Determine the number of Groups to create by typing the Number of Students per Group or the Number of Groups. Only students who are enrolled in the Organization at the time the Random Enrollment Group Set is created will be placed in a Group.

Determine how to distribute the enrollment of students into Groups when the number of students or the number of Groups do not divide evenly among the total number of students. For example, if there are 26 students enrolled in a Organization and the Number of Students per Group is set at 4, the system will create 6 Groups with 2 remaining students. Instructors have three options for distributing the remaining students.

  • Distribute the remaining members amongst the groups.
  • Put the remaining members in their own group.
  • Manually add the remaining members to groups.