Groups

What is the Groups Tool?

Create group work areas for users with the Groups tool. You can use Groups to organize users’ work on projects and assignments.

Users can belong to multiple groups within the same course. For example, each user can simultaneously belong to a group for class projects, a group for special interest discussions, and a group for advanced users. Each group can have its own Discussion forums, Dropbox folders, and Locker area to work in. You can grade members of groups individually or as a team.

Accessing the Groups Tool

The Groups tool is one of the links found on the default navigation bar of your CourseLink course site and can be accessed directly from that link.

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For Distance Education (DE) courses, the Groups link appears under the drop-down menu of the Tools link on the navigation bar (provided that the course is using Groups).

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Using the Groups Tool

For the most up-to-date information on how to use the Groups tool, please follow the links below to the Brightspace Help documentation site.

Working with Groups

• Create a group category

• What happens when you delete a group or group category?

• Set up self-enrollment in groups

• Delete a user from a group

• Create sub-groups from sections and groups

Groups and Discussions

• Create a group thread in an existing discussion topic

• Restrict a forum or topic to specific groups or sections

groups vs. Sections

If you want users to see all users and content for a course but be a part of a group for a specific project or activity, use the Groups tool. However, if you want users to only see learning materials and users from their own section, use can use the pre-populated sections included in your course site. Those sections reflect the section enrolments sent to CourseLink from the Registrar’s Office and are updated daily.

To organize users' work on projects and assignments or to create special work areas for users with different learning needs, use the Groups tool.

Additional Groups Tool Tips

• Users can belong to multiple groups within the same course

• For each group, you can create separate discussion forums, Dropbox folders, and Locker areas to work in

• Note that the grade assigned via a group Dropbox folder will cascade to all group members, but that grade can be adjusted individually via the Enter Grades page after it is transferred

• Before setting up groups, consider how you want to organize them. The following factors can affect how users enroll in groups:

  • Setting groups up before or after you've enrolled users

  • Enabling auto-enrollment in groups

  • Enabling randomization of users in groups

  • Enabling self-enrollment in groups

  • The Enrollment Type you choose

• When possible, try to set up groups after the majority of users enrol in your course. This gives you a better idea of how many users you are organizing and how many groups you need. Setting up groups after enrollment can also ensure better distribution of users between groups.

• For users to enroll in groups automatically, the can be auto enrolled into groups permission must be enabled. Contact your site administrator if you experience difficulties.

• When using self-enrolment groups, please note that students will not be able to remove themselves from a group once they have selected it, but the instructor or TA can remove them from the group allowing them to re-enrol in a new group

When and why should you consider using the Groups tool? 

Tutorial Videos

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Groups Tool FAQs

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Related Resources and Programming:

Coming Soon!

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Related Tools

• Grades

• Dropbox

• Discussions

• Classlist

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Need More Help?

If you're still having trouble, please contact the CourseLink Support team for assistance.

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