Groups

Group areas in UTSOnline are online spaces where student groups or teams can work together, communicating and collaborating on projects and assignments. This online group space can be used as a hub for students to work together when they cannot always meet face to face.

The Groups tool allows instructors to create group areas in UTSOnline and assign students to the groups. There are three ways to create group areas:

1. Batch creation of groups
   Recommended when you have a large number of groups (>5) and have a file containing a list of students enrolled in the groups. This uses an Excel spreadsheet (saved as .csv) to automatically create the groups and allocate students to the group. Subject coordinators often use this method to create online groups from tutorial lists downloaded from MSAplus.
    
2. Group sets
   Recommended when you have a large number of groups and want to randomly assign students to a group or allow students to add themselves to a group. The Group Sets option in UTSOnline creates a set number of groups and then appends the group number to the group title (eg. Project Group1, Project Group 2, Project Group 3 etc).  
    
3. Single groups 
   Here you add groups to your site one group at a time. This is recommended only when you have a small number (< 5 groups) of groups to create. With the single groups option, you can assign students to a group individually or allow students to add themselves to a group. There is no option in single groups to automatically randomly allocate students to a group. 
   
   
   Video 1: Single Groups and adding students manually (video 3 min : 09sec, Blackboard)
   Video 2: Single Groups and assigning students manually (video 4 min : 09sec, Melbourne University) 
    

Creating groups 

• Batch creation of groups
• Creating Sets of Groups - Random Enrolment
• Creating a Single Group - Self Enrolment
• Creating a Single Group - Manual Enrolment
• Editing a group

Batch creation of groups

Batch creation of groups is a feature available from the Control Panel of all UTSOnline subjects. 

The UTS Batch Group Enrolment tool allows you to use a single Excel CSV file (such as a list of tutorial groups from MSAplus) to automatically create the groups, populate them with the correct students and select the tools to add to the group areas.

1. To access the batch feature go to the Control Panel and expand Course Tools.
2. Select the Batch Group Enrolment option.
3. The Batch Group Enrolment page requires you to upload a file containing the group name and student ID. Follow the instructions on this Batch Group Enrolment page on how to prepare the file for uploading and allocating students to groups.

How to create Sets of Groups - Random enrolment

1. In the Control Panel expand the Users and Groups section, and select Groups. 
2. On the Groups page, click on Create Group Set on the Action Bar.
   
   You have three options for allocating students to the groups:
   • Self Enrolment - students use an online sign-up sheet to add themselves to a group.
   • Manual Enrolment - you manually assign students to the groups
   • Random Enrolment - students are automatically and randomly assigned into groups based on a designated number of students per group or the designated number of groups.
   
   In this example we will select Random Enrol.
   
   
    
3. On the Group page, type a name for the group. the description is optional, it can help clarify the purpose of the group for students.
   

   Note: When naming a Set of Groups, the name of each group has a number added to it when they are first created. For example, a Set of Groups named Research results in groups named Research 1, Research 2 and Research 3, depending upon the number of groups in the set. You can edit the group names after they are created.

   
    
4. Select the Yes option to make the group available.
5. Select the check boxes for the tools you would like to make available to students. For an explanation of the available tools and what a group might do with it - see Group tools.
6. Optional: Some tools allow you to grade student submissions. Select the Grade option and type a number in the Points possible for Blogs, Journals, and Wikis, if you want to grade student submissions.
7. Optional: You can allow students to add personal modules such as a to-do list and calendar to their own view of the group homepage. These personal modules will not be visible to you or any members of the group. Select the check box for Allow Personalisation to allow students to add Personal Modules.
   
   

8. In the Random Enrol Membership section, type the Number of Students per Group to create or the Number of Groups. Select an option to Determine How to Enrol any Remaining Members in the groups.
9. Click Submit. 
   
   
    
10. Students will be randomly allocated to the set number of groups. A link to their group will appear below the Course Menu. You may wish to add tutors to the relevant group, so they can quickly access the group from the Course Menu. Otherwise, you and your tutors can see all groups from the Groups link in the Control Panel.
     

Creating a Single Group - Self enrolment

1. In the Control Panel expand the Users and Groups section, and select Groups. 
2. On the Groups page, click on Create Single Group on the Action Bar.
   
   When creating a single group you have two options for allocating students to the groups: 
   
   
   • Self Enrolment - students use an online sign-up sheet to add themselves to a group.
   • Manual Enrolment - you manually assign students to the groups

In this example we will select Self-Enrol.



3.  On the Create Self-Enrolment Group page, type a Name. While the Description is optional, it can help students understand expectations and any limitations to signing up
4. Select the Yes option to make the group available.
   
   
    
5. Select the check boxes for the tools you would like to make available to students. For an explanation of the available tools and what a group might do with it - see Group tools.
6. Optional: Some tools allow you to grade student submissions. Select the Grade option and type a number in the Points possible for Blogs, Journals, and Wikis, if you want to grade student submissions.
7. Optional: You can allow students to add personal modules such as a to-do list and calendar to their own view of the group homepage. These personal modules will not be visible to you or any members of the group. Select the check box for Allow Personalisation to allow students to add Personal Modules.
   
   
    
8. To set up the Sign Up Sheet, fill in the Name of Sign-up Sheet to allow students to pick the group they want to participate in. Type the Maximum Number of Members. Select any other Sign-up options you want to include.

   

9. Click Submit.
10. The newly created group appears on the Groups listing page. 
    
    

Create a Single Group - Manual enrolment

To create a Single Group using Manual Enrol, the instructor assigns each student in the subject to a group.

1. In the Control Panel expand the Users and Groups section, and select Groups. 
2. On the Groups page, click on Create Single Group on the Action Bar and select Manual Enrol.
   
   
    
3. Follow the steps 3 to 7 above under Creating a Single Group - Self Enrolment.
4. In the Manual Enrol Membership section, select the students from the Items to Select box and click the right-pointing arrow to add the selected names to the Selected Items box.
   
   

   

   Click Submit.

Note: To select multiple users in a row, press the SHIFT key and click the first and last names. To select users out of sequence, press the CTRL key and click each name needed. You can also select all course members with the Select All function.

Editing a group

Editing an exiting group allows you to change the group membership, the title of the group, the availability of the group and the tools available within the group.

1. To edit a group, in the Control Panel expand the Users and Groups section, and select Groups. A list of all groups appears. Select the action link next to the name of the group you want to edit.

1. Select Edit to change the group membership, title and availability.
2. On the Edit Group page you can edit any of the initial options chosen when the Group was created, with the exception of changing the Grade option for graded Blogs, Journals, and Wikis.
3. To edit the group membership, navigate to the Membership section and select the students from the Items to Select box and click the right-pointing arrow to add the selected names to the Selected Items box.
   
   
    
4. To remove students from the Group select the students from the Selected Items box and click the left-pointing arrow to remove the selected names to the Items to Select box.
   
   
    
5. Click Submit.
6. Other menu options available:
   • The Open option opens the group homepage, where Course or Group Modules can be added.
   • The Email option allows you to select the entire Group or select members in the Group to send a message to.
   • Use the Delete option when a group is no longer needed.