Groups

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Instructors/Leaders can create groups of students/participants within their courses/organization. Groups usually consist of a smaller number of students/participants in a course/organization, such as study groups or project groups. These course/organization groups have their own areas in the course/organization to collaborate.

Your instructor/leader must provide you access (enable) the communication tools that only group members can access, such as a private file exchange area, a group discussion board, and a group journal.

Your instructor /leader places you into a group or allows you to select the group you want to join.

You access groups within your course/organization in the following ways:

A. Groups page link: The Groups page link appears on the course/organization menu or in a content area. The Groups page lists all available groups and sign-up sheets for self-enroll groups.

B. My Groups panel: The My Groups panel appears under the course/organization menu. It provides direct links to the group area for each group you belong to. You can expand the panel to reveal all the tools that are available for your group to use. If you are enrolled in a group, the panel appears automatically.

C. Group link: A group link is a link to a single group, sign-up sheet, or the Groups page made available in a course/organization area.

Group Homepage

The group homepage is the center for group activity and contains a description of the group, a list of members, and tools the instructor/leader has given the group access to. If your instructor/leader permits, you can customize this page by adding a banner, selecting a color scheme, and adding personal modules. Personal modules are visible only to the member who added the modules. You can also access your group tools and assignments here.

Group Tools

When inside your group area, you can use the tools your instructor/leader has made available. Be sure to ask your instructor/leader about any tools you want to use but do not find on your group's page. Review any instructions provided by your instructor/leader on how to use these tools to complete group work. Tools that are available to a group include:

Collaboration: Group members can create and attend chat and virtual classroom sessions.
The group collaboration sessions have all of the same features as those used in a course. All group members are moderators in group collaboration sessions, can manage sessions, and access all of the available tools.
File Exchange: Group members and your instructor/leader can share files in this area. All members, as well as your instructor/leader, can add files. They can also delete files, regardless of who added them.
Group Blog: In the group area, all members of a group can create entries for the same blog, building on each post. All course/organization members can read and comment on a group blog, but they cannot make posts unless they are members of the group. Your instructor/leader can choose to grade group blogs. All group members receive the same grade.
Group Discussion Board: Users within the group can create and manage their own forums and discuss topics with just the group members. Your instructor/leader can choose to grade a group discussion, but each member is graded individually.
Group Journal: In the group area, all members of a group can view each other's entries. Only group members and your instructor/leader can view a group journal. Your instructor/leader can choose to grade group journals. All group members receive the same grade.
Group Task: Users within a group can create tasks for distribution to all group members.
Group Wiki: Users within a group can edit and view their group wiki. Your instructor/leader can view and edit a group wiki, and choose to grade group wikis. All group members receive the same grade.
Send Email: Users within a group can email individual members or the entire group.