Group Manager

Topics in this Article

Overview
Create Groups
Edit Groups
Selective Release
Small Group Discussion

Overview

Group Manager allows the instructor to organize the class into smaller groups. This is useful for private group discussions between small groups of students or for releasing course content selectively to specific groups.

Create Groups

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There are three options when adding students to groups:

Option 1: Manually Create Groups generates a group and allows you to selectively choose which students to add to it
Option 2: Automatically Create Groups generates a specific number of groups for you
Option 3: Groups Offering Sign-up Sheets creates multiple groups with sign-up sheets to allow your students to choose which group they wish to be in

For all three options, use the Group Manager to create the groups.

Under the Teach Tab, go to the Group Manager tool
Click Create Groups

Select one of the three methods of creating groups:

Option 1: Manually Create Groups

Custom Groups generates a group and allows you to selectively choose which students to add to it. (Use this option to build a group for Disability Quiz Accommodation)

Select the Create Custom Groups option and complete the following:
Fill out the group name
Click on Add Members to build the group
Save your groups membership

Option 2: Automatically Create Groups

Multiple Groups generates a specific number of groups for you and offers you two options during the creation:

Select the Create Multiple Groups option and answer the following:
The group name (it will automatically append a number after the name for each group)
Optional group description
Create full or empty groups

Empty = Instructor Determined Memberships creates empty groups which you may populate with students at your convenience.

Full = Randomly Distributed Memberships creates multiple groups and randomly assigns students to them. If you choose this option, make sure that your students have been added to the Blackboard course. This option uses your course roster list to populate the groups with student members. NOTE: If you wish to choose full groups, wait until your students have been added
Number of Groups or students per group

Press Continue when finished

Customize each group to your specifications
Press Save when finished

Option 3: Create Groups Offering Sign-Up Sheets

Groups Offering Sign-Up Sheets allows your students to sign up for the group they wish to be in

First, create a folder on the Course Content (Homepage). Name the folder Sign-Up Here, for example
Select the Create Groups with Sign-Up Sheet option and answer the following:
- Number of Groups
- The title of the groups (it will automatically append a number after the title for each group)
- Optional group description
- Set the number of people in each group
- Optional views for the students
- The Sign-Up Sheet title
- Sign-Up instructions
- Location where the sign-up sheet will be placed (select the folder you just created)
Press Continue when finished

Customize each group to your specifications
Press Save when finished

How Sign-Up Sheets Work for Students:

The Student View tab demonstrates how the Group Sign-Up works

As your demo student, you may sign-up for a group

Your students see a confirmation

Your students cannot remove themselves from their group once they have made their choice, but the steps below show you how to manage these groups.

Edit Groups (Optional)

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Under the Teach tab, click on Group Manager.
Click on the ActionLinks icon next to the group you wish to edit, and select Edit Group

Click on Add Members to add members to the group
If you wish to remove a member from the group, click the check box next to their name, and click on Remove Selected
When you are done making changes, click Save

Selective Release

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For instructions on how to selectively release assessments, discussion topics, or assignments to specific groups, see the Selective Release Tutorial.

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