Organizing groups in Canvas is done by creating Group Sets, which act as containers for individual student groups, typically for assignments or projects. Canvas provides tools to automatically create and populate these groups for you.
Here's a straightforward method to organize groups using Canvas's automatic features, based on common practice:
Steps to Create and Organize Groups in Canvas
To effectively organize students into groups within your Canvas course, you'll first create a Group Set and then define how you want groups to be formed within it. This process is essential for facilitating collaborative activities.
- Navigate to your course in Canvas.
- Click on the People link in the course navigation menu.
- On the People page, click the Groups tab.
- Click the + Group Set button.
- In the Group Set Name box, type a descriptive name for your group set, such as the assignment or project name it's associated with (e.g., "Capstone Project 1").
- To have Canvas automatically create the groups, ensure the option for automatic creation is selected.
- Determine how you would like Canvas to divide the students. You can specify:
- The number of groups you want to create. Canvas will distribute students evenly among this many groups.
- The number of students you want in each group. Canvas will create as many groups as needed to accommodate all students with this maximum size.
- (Optional) You can set options like allowing students to sign themselves up or requiring group members to be in the same section.
- Scroll down and click Save.
Canvas will then create the specified number of groups within the Group Set and automatically assign students based on your criteria. You can then view the individual groups you created. For example, if your group set was named "Capstone Project 1", you would then be able to click on the "Capstone Project 1" group set name to see the groups created within it.
Canvas Group Set Options
Here's a summary of key decisions when setting up a group set for automatic creation:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Group Set Name | Name identifying the purpose (e.g., Assignment, Project) |
| Automatic Creation | Allows Canvas to form groups for you |
| Group Size Criteria | Choose either "Number of Groups" or "Number of Students per Group" |
| Optional Settings | Student signup, Section limitations, etc. |
By following these steps, you can efficiently organize your students into groups within Canvas, streamlining the management of collaborative work.
