Groups Tool
In Brightspace, instructors can use the Groups tool to set up collaborative spaces for students. These groups allow students to collaborate on assignments and projects, and participate in group-based discussions.
You can use groups to provide students with work areas to work on projects or assignments and to organize assignment submissions by group. Each group can have its own discussion forums and assignment folders to work in. You can grade group members as a group or individually.
Students can be part of multiple groups within a single course. For instance, a student might be in different groups for different assignments and in a discussion group focused on specific topic—all at the same time. Each group can have its own discussion boards, assignment folders, and shared storage (locker). Instructors have the flexibility to assess students either individually or as a group.
Note
It is best to set up groups after the majority of students are enrolled in your course. This gives you a better idea of how many students you are organizing and how many groups you need. Setting up groups after enrollment can also ensure better distribution of users between groups.
Managing Groups in Brightspace
The following short videos will introduce you to some of the basic features of the Groups tool. For more detailed information please visit the Brightspace Community.
Creating a Group
Groups – Create a Group
Enrolling Students in Groups
Groups – Understand Group Enrollment Options
Deleting a Group or Category
“Groups – Delete a Group or Category
Modifying Group Enrollment
Groups – Modify Group Enrollment
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create my groups first and go back later and create the workspaces?
Yes. You can edit your group category and add the required workspaces.
Can I restrict the discussion forums to groups only?
You can set restrictions on the discussion forum or on a specific discussion topic.
Why use assignment folders for groups?
When you setup your groups you can set up a assignment folder so that each group can submit their work to their own folder. In addition, each group member can view the feedback that you provide via they assignment, the grade on the assignment, and feedback that was submitted via attachments.
Can all group members access the group assignment folder?
Yes. All students who are enrolled in the group can access the group’s assignment folder. They can download and upload files and view feedback that you provide via the assignment folder.
What is a Locker?
Students can use the Locker tool to upload and store files or to create new HTML files. You can create a personal locker for each student or group locker areas that will allow asynchronous collaboration on files.