Groups: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 15:49, 5 October 2012

A teacher can organise users into groups within the course or within particular activities.

Why use groups?

You are a teacher in a course where you have several classes and you want to filter your activities and gradebook so you only see one class at a time.
You are a teacher sharing a course with other teachers and you want to filter your activities and gradebook so you don’t see the students from your colleagues’ classes.
You want to allocate a particular activity or resource to just one class or set of users and you don’t want others to see it. See Groupings.

Group levels

A group or grouping can be used on two levels:

Course level - The group mode defined at the course level is the default mode for all activities defined within that course. To use groups you need first to set a group mode in Settings>Course administration>Edit settings.

Activity level - Each activity that supports groups can also have its own group mode defined. If the course setting "Force group mode" is set to "Yes" then the option to define the group mode for individual activities is not available. If it is set to "No", then the teacher may change the group mode:

Group modes

There are three group modes

No groups - There are no sub groups, everyone is part of one big community
Separate groups - Each group can only see their own group, others are invisible.
Visible groups - Each group works in their own group, but can also see other groups. (The other groups' work is read-only.)

For example, enabling either separate or visible groups on an assignment drop-box enables staff to filter the student submissions to see only those from a particular tutor group. With visible groups, students can see which other groups are doing the same activities as they are; with separate groups, they do not know which other groups are doing the same activities.

Using groups with discussion forums allow teachers to restrict interaction between students. Separate groups mean only students in the same group can see and participate in discussions within a particular forum. Visible groups allow students to see other group's discussions, but only participate in their own group's discussions.

To create a group

Click the 'Create group' button in Settings > Course administration > Users > Groups
Add a group name and optional description (displayed above the list of group members on the participants page), enrolment key and picture (displayed on the participants page and next to forum posts)
Click the 'Save changes' button
Select the group to which you want to add participants, then click the 'Add/remove users button
In the "Potential members" list, select the users you want to add to the group. Multiple users may be selected using the Crtl key.
Click the Add button to add the users to the group

Auto-create groups

Groups may be created automatically via the 'Auto-create groups' button in Settings > Course administration > Users > Groups. To see all the settings, click the Show Advanced button.

Select members from ... allows you to choose from roles or available cohorts. Specify and Group/Member count work together.

You can specify if you would like to create

x number of Groups or
each group contain x number of students

When selecting Members per group the Prevent last small group will allocate additional members to an existing group rather then create a new group with fewer members than x.

A naming scheme can be created automatically. # is replaced by sequential numbers, and @ by letters. For example:

Group @ will create group with a naming scheme Group A, Group B, Group C . . .
Group # will create group with a naming scheme Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 . . .

Create in grouping and Grouping name allows you to create a new grouping and allocate the new autocreated groups to be created to it.

Prior to creating the groups, you can view the groups.

Groups overview

A overview of groups and groupings is available via the Overview tab in Settings > Course administration > Users > Groups.

The table may be filtered to display particular groupings or groups.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Groups}}
 {{Grouping users}}
-<p class="note">'''Please refer to [[Page_notes#Grouping users|these notes]] before editing this page.'''</p>
+A teacher can organise users into groups within the course or within particular activities.
-The '''Groups''' feature allows a teacher to assign teachers and students to one or more groups.  This can be on the course or on the activity level.
+==Why use groups?==
+*You are a teacher in a course where you have several classes and you want to filter your activities and gradebook so you only see one class at a time.
+*You are a teacher sharing a course with other teachers and you want to filter your activities and gradebook so you don’t see the students from your colleagues’ classes.
+*You want to  allocate a particular activity or resource to just one class or set of users and you don’t want others to see it. See [[Groupings]].
-Using groups on the course or activity level will allow the teacher to:
+==Group levels==
+A group or grouping can be used on two levels:
-*Completely isolate groups of students by sight and activity from each other.
-*Partially separate groups, where one group can see other groups and each groups' activity, but not interact with the other group(s).
-*Identify each group with an icon.
-The groups feature can allow different cohorts of students (and their teachers) to take the same course asynchronously without creating a "new" course. Or it allows 1 course with a large student enrolment  to place students into sections, each section having their own teacher.  Or it allows 1 course that is used by different departments.
-{{Moodle 1.9}}
-Groups must be enabled in the [[Course_settings]].  After it is enabled a group icon will appear in the [[Course administration block]].
-The [[Image:Group.gif]] icon links to the Groups screen. There are 3 tabs on this screen:
-*Groups - create/edit a group, add/subtract members,
-*Groupings - create groups of individual groups
-*Overview
-==Groups tab==
-This screen changes depending upon the edit button which is selected below the "Groups" and "Members of" lists.  You will find buttons for: Show members of group, Edit group settings, Delete selected group, Create group, and  Auto create group.
-===Create a group===
-Select the Create a group button.  Give the group a name and a description. The [[enrolment key]] field will allow a user to enter the course and  will automatically make them a member of this group. Uploading a group icon, will place the icon on the participants listing, forum posts by those group members and other places.  The Save button takes you back to the Group tab screen.
-:''TIP:'' For the enrolment key to work you will need to define a separate course enrolment key in your 'course settings').
-:''TIP:'' To assign a group icon, you will need to have permission to add a picture to your profile.
-===Add or remove group members ===
-After creating a group, highlight a group and click the "Add members" button below the "Members of" list.  The screen will change. Next you will see the add and remove buttons between 2 lists.
-Highlight members you wish to add or remove. Remember you can use the Crtl key to select more than one person.
-===Auto-create groups===
+*Course level - The group mode defined at the course level is the default mode for all activities defined within that course.  To use groups you need first to set a group mode in ''Settings>Course administration>Edit settings.''
-From the groups tab, it is possible to automate the creation of groups.  Auto creation is a powerful tool which can allocate members to groups by several methods (alpha or randomly), set maximum number of members, create a unique group name and even assign the new group to a grouping.
-See [[Auto-create groups]] for more information.
+*Activity level - Each activity that supports groups can also have its own group mode defined. If the course  setting "Force group mode" is set to "Yes" then the option to define the group mode for individual activities is not available. If it is set to "No", then the teacher may change the group mode:
-===Adding/subtracting people in a group===
+[[File:groupmodecourse.png]]
-To [[Assign users to group|add a member]](s) to a group you need to select the group name in the left column, then select the participants (use shift or ctrl for multiple selections), from the right column. Click the "Add" button to move them to the selected group..
-To remove participants from a group, select the appropriate group to view members, select the participants to remove and click the "Remove selected members" button.
+===Group modes===
-==Groupings tab==
+There are three group modes
-Groupings allow you combine individual groups, which then become a group itself.
-See [[Groupings]] for more information.
+*No groups - There are no sub groups, everyone is part of one big community
+*Separate groups - Each group can only see their own group, others are invisible.
+*Visible groups - Each group works in their own group, but can also see other groups. (The other groups' work is read-only.)
-==Overview tab==
+For example, enabling either separate or visible groups on an assignment drop-box enables staff to filter the student submissions to see only those from a particular tutor group. With visible groups, students can see which other groups are doing the same activities as they are; with separate groups, they do not know which other groups are doing the same activities.
-The overview tab shows course groupings, and membership of each group.
-See [[Groups overview]] for more information
+Using groups with discussion forums allow teachers to restrict interaction between students. Separate groups mean only students in the same group can see and participate in discussions within a particular forum. Visible groups allow students to see other group's discussions, but only participate in their own group's discussions.
-==Using groups in course or activity==
+===To create a group===
+#Click the 'Create group' button in ''Settings > Course administration > Users > Groups''
+#Add a group name and optional description (displayed above the list of group members on the participants page), enrolment key and picture (displayed on the participants page and next to forum posts)
+#Click the 'Save changes' button
+#Select the group to which you want to add participants, then click the 'Add/remove users button
+# In the "Potential members" list, select the users you want to add to the group. Multiple users may be selected using the Crtl key.
+# Click the Add button to add the users to the group
+[[File:groups.png]]
-A group or grouping can be used on two levels:
+==Auto-create groups==
-* '''Course level''' - the group mode defined at the course level is the default mode for all activities defined within that course. This is determined in the course [[Course_settings|settings]].
+Groups may be created automatically via the 'Auto-create groups' button in ''Settings > Course administration > Users > Groups''. To see all the settings, click the Show Advanced button.
-* '''Activity level''' - each activity that supports groups can also have its own group mode defined. If the course  setting "Force group mode" is set to "Yes" then the option to define the group mode for individual activities is not available.
+[[File:autocreategroupsmoodle2.png]]
-[[Image:forceNo.png]]
+''Select members from ...'' allows you to choose from roles or available cohorts.
+'''Specify''' and '''Group/Member count''' work together.
-'''AND'''
+You can specify if you would like to  create
+*x number of Groups or
+*each group contain x number of students
-[[Image:forceYes.png]]
+:When selecting '''Members per group''' the '''Prevent last small group''' will allocate additional members to an existing group rather then create a new group with fewer members than x.
+A '''naming scheme''' can be created automatically.  # is replaced by sequential numbers, and @ by letters.  For example:
+*''Group @'' will create group with a naming scheme Group A, Group B, Group C . . .
+*''Group #'' will create group with a naming scheme Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 . . .
+'''Create in grouping''' and '''Grouping name''' allows you to create a new grouping and allocate the new autocreated groups to be created to it.
-'''There are three group modes:'''
+Prior to creating the groups, you can view the groups.
-===No groups===
+==Groups overview==
-:There are no sub groups, everyone is part of one big community.
-===Separate groups===
+A overview of groups and groupings is available via the Overview tab in ''Settings > Course administration > Users > Groups''.
-:Each group can only see their own group, others are invisible.
-===Visible groups===
+The table may be filtered to display particular [[Groupings|groupings]] or groups.
-:Each group works in their own group, but can also see other groups. (The other groups' work is read-only.)
-==Groups in older Moodle versions==
-===Groups in 1.8===
-[[Image:Groups 1.8.png|thumb|center|Edit groups screen in Moodle 1.8]]
-Please note, in Moodle 1.8 onwards, [[Create group|groups are created]] and [[Assign users to group|users are assigned]] on separate pages.
+==Groups capabilities==
-===Groups pre -1.8===
+*[[Capabilities/moodle/course:managegroups|Manage groups]]
-[[Image:000.jpg|left|thumb|Groups in Moodle 1.7]]In Moodle 1.6 and 1.7, the Groups edit page has three columns:
+*[[Capabilities/moodle/site:accessallgroups|Access all groups]]
+*[[Capabilities/moodle/calendar:managegroupentries|Manage group calendar entries]]
-* ''People in the course'' - both assigned and unassigned participants.
-* ''Groups'' - A list of groups available for this course.
-* ''Members of selected group'' - When you select a group this column will display the members of that group
-Underneath each column are the options for that column.
 ==See also==
-*[[Groups FAQ]]
-*[[Create group]] in Moodle 1.8 onwards, including information on setting group enrolment keys
-*[[Assign users to group]] in Moodle 1.8 onwards
-*[[What is the difference between groups and groupings?]]
 *[[Upload users]] - for importing users into groups
-*[https://docs.moodle.org/en/Groups_FAQ#Is_it_possible_to_create_site-wide_groups.3F Is it possible to create site-wide groups?]
-*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=1490 Groups forum]
-[[Category:Groups]]
 [[de:Gruppen]]
 [[fr:Groupes]]
 [[ja:グループ]]
-[[pl:Grupy]]

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