Groups
On This Page:
Create Group Discussions from the Groups Tool
Change a Group Name or Description
Add a Group to an Existing Category
The Groups tool allows instructors to create groups of students. Groups can then be attached to specific tasks or activities, such as Discussions or Assignments, to create group activities.
Access the Groups Tool
Step 1
Select Course Admin in the Course Navbar.
Step 2
Select the Groups link in the Learner Management section.
Create Groups of Participants
Step 1
On the Manage Groups page, select the New Category button.
Step 2
On the New Category page, enter a Category Name that describes the purpose of these Groups (e.g., Weekly Discussions Groups or Group Project Teams).
Step 3
Optional: Enter a Description. This can be made visible to group participants.
Note
This description will be visible for Self-Enrollment groups so students can view the description before selecting a group to enroll in.
Step 4
Select the drop-down menu in the Enrollment Type field to choose how you will configure the Groups.
- # of Groups - No Auto Enrollments: You choose how many groups and manually enroll participants.
- Groups of #: You choose how many participants to enroll in each group. D2L will create the appropriate number of groups and auto-enroll participants.
- # of Groups: You choose the number of groups to create. D2L will auto-enroll participants based on that number.
- Groups of # - Self Enrollment: You choose how many participants to enroll in each group. D2L will create the appropriate number of groups. Participants select which group to enroll in.
- # of Groups - Self Enrollment: You choose the number of groups to create. Participants select which group to enroll in. Please note that there is no way to cap enrollments if you choose this option.
- # of Groups, Capacity of # - Self Enrollment: You choose the number of groups with a maximum number of students in each group. Participants can enroll in a group until capacity is reached.
- Single user, member-specific groups: You can create a group for each individual student in the course. This option allows each student to have a private area in the Discussion tool for activities such as one-to-one discussion with the instructor or individual journaling that only the instructor can read and respond to. This choice is also useful for restricting Content to one user via Release Conditions.
Step 5
Enter the Number of Groups and/or the Number of Users, depending on the Enrollment Type you have chosen.
Step 6
Leave the Restrict Enrollments To field set to No Restrictions, unless you only want to use this group category in a specific section or within an existing group (see Step 6a).
Step 6a
Optional: If you only want to use this group in a specific section or existing group, select the appropriate section or group in the Restrict Enrollments To drop-down menu.
Step 7
Optional: Select options in Groups Options.
Step 7a
If you have chosen an enrollment type that auto-enrolls participants, you can:
- Auto-enroll new users: This option ensures that students who join the course after the Groups were created are automatically enrolled in a group.
- Randomize users in groups: Selecting this option randomly assign users in Groups (default is alphabetical order by last name).
- Make category and group descriptions visible to group members: This option displays the group category name and description you’ve entered to students.
Step 7b
If you have chosen one of the Self-Enrollment enrollment types, you can:
- Set a Start Date on which self-enrollment can begin.
- Set an Expiry Date on which students can no longer self-enroll.
- Allocate unenrolled students to groups automatically after the Expiry Date.
Step 8
Select Save.
Note
The Create Workspace option to Set up lockers is not recommended.
However, the Create Workspace option Set up discussion areas can be used to Create Group Discussions from the Groups Tool.
Modify Group Categories
Note
Only certain aspects of a Group Category can be changed or modified. Note that the fields for Enrollment Type or Restrict Enrollments cannot be edited once Groups have been created.
Also, be aware that an Existing Workspace cannot be edited. The system will, however, add or delete items to the Workspace depending on what is current in the Discussions and Assignments tools.
Step 1
On the Manage Groups page, select the name of the Group Category you wish to modify in the View Categories drop-down menu.
Step 2
Select the Action Menu icon next to the name of the Group Category and select Edit Category.
Step 3
You can modify the following elements:
- Category Name field.
- the Description field.
- the Groups Options in Advanced Properties.
Step 4
Select Save.
Create Group Discussions from the Groups Tool
Step 1
While Creating Groups of Participants or Modifying Group Categories, scroll down to the Additional Options area. It may be necessary to select Expand the additional options in order to access the additional options.
Note
If the Category already lists discussions in the Existing Workspace area (group-restricted discussions), the option to add to or modify the list will not be editable. Courses copied from previous terms, for example, retain group-restricted discussions in the Existing Workspace area. In such cases, Create a Group Topic using the Discussions Tool.
Step 2
Select Set up discussion areas.
Step 3
Use the dropdown menu to select a preexisting Forum or select New Forum to create a new one.
Step 4
Choose to Create new topic or Attach to existing topic.
Step 5
Select Save.
Step 6
Choose whether to Create one topic per group (NOT recommended) or to Create one topic with threads separated by group (Recommended). If you choose to Create one topic with threads separated by group (Recommended), the topic will be restricted by groups. Students will be able to read and respond to only peers assigned to their same group.
Note
The most common Group Discussion setup is Create one topic with threads separated by group (Recommended). Choosing this setting will create one topic and allow you to link that topic to a Grade Item in the Gradebook.
Step 7
Select Create and Next. If placing Group Restrictions on additional Forums and Topics, choose Add Another and repeat Steps 5 -7 as many times and needed.
Step 8
Select Done.
Change a Group Name or Description
Step 1
On the Manage Groups page, select the View Categories drop-down menu and select the Group Category.
Step 2
Select the name of the Group you want to modify.
Step 2a
You can modify the following elements:
- the Group Name.
- the Description field.
Step 3
Select Save.
Add a Group to an Existing Category
Step 1
On the Manage Groups page, select the View Categories drop-down menu and select the Group Category.
Step 2
Select the Actions Menu icon next to the Group Category name on the select Add Group.
Step 3
Optional: Change the Group Name that D2L provides.
Step 4
Select Save.
Delete a Group from an Existing Category
Note
Deleting groups is a permanent action which also deletes any associated assignments and discussion topics and any submissions and posts that were made to them. Do not delete Groups if you intend to use the associated Assignments and/or Discussions. Instead, create a new Group Category first, then edit the Assignment and/or Discussion topic and assign the new Group Category to the Assignment and/or Discussions.
Step 1
On the Manage Groups page, select the View Categories drop-down menu and select the Group Category.
Step 2
Mark the box next to one or more group names and select the Delete button. You will see a dialog box alerting you to how many activities are linked to any group you choose to delete.
Step 3
Select Delete Groups.
View Group Enrollments
Step 1
On the Manage Groups page, select the View Categories drop-down menu and select the Group Category.
Step 2
Select the number in the Members column for the desired Group.
Step 3
A new window will open, displaying participants enrolled in that Group. Select the Close button to return to the Manage Groups screen.
Modify Group Enrollments
Step 1
On the Manage Groups page, select the View Categories drop-down menu and select the Group Category.
Step 2
Select the Action Menu icon next to the Category name and select Enroll Users.
Step 3
Optional: If you want to view only one group at a time, use the Display drop-down menu to select the Group you want to modify.
Step 4
To add a participant to a Group, mark the box in the desired Group column.
Step 5
To remove a participant from a Group, unmark the box in the desired Group.
Step 6
Select Save.