To use student groups in Canvas, you need to create group sets, which will then allow students to be placed into groups. Here's how:
Creating Group Sets
The primary method of utilizing student groups in Canvas involves creating Group Sets. This feature allows instructors to organize students for various activities, such as projects or discussions. Here are the steps:
- Access the People Page: First, navigate to your course in Canvas, and click on the People link in the Course Navigation Menu. This is where you'll manage all users in your course, including setting up groups.
- Initiate a New Group Set: Look at the top-right of the page. There, you'll find and need to click the +Group Set button. This action will open a pop-up window, allowing you to configure your group set.
- Name Your Group Set: The first task within the pop-up is to provide a descriptive name for your group set. For instance, you might call it “Project Groups,” “Discussion Groups,” or something more specific to your course. This name will help you organize and identify the group sets.
- Configure Group Settings: Once a name has been provided, the pop-up will show options that change based on how you want your groups set up. For example, you can specify if groups should be formed automatically (e.g. by randomly assigning) or manually, how many groups you want and how many students per group, etc.
- Save Your Settings: After setting up your group, hit Save to finalize group set creation.
Here's a brief summary in a table:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Click People in the Course Navigation Menu. |
| 2 | Click the +Group Set button. |
| 3 | Enter a name for the group set. |
| 4 | Configure your group settings. |
| 5 | Click Save. |
Practical Applications
- Collaborative Projects: Use group sets to assign students to teams for projects, allowing them to work together on documents, discussions, and submissions.
- Discussion Forums: Create specific discussion groups within the main course to foster a more focused dialogue amongst smaller groups of students.
- Peer Review: Students can be grouped to critique each other's work, offering feedback and enhancing their learning through peer interaction.
By following these steps, you can effectively utilize student groups in Canvas to enhance collaboration and engagement in your courses.
