How do I create and use Groups in an Ultra course?

Groups can be used for assignments or tests. At this time you cannot use groups to filter the grade book or set up conditional availability.

• What can I do with Groups in Ultra?

Tell Me

You start the course groups creation process on the Course Content page. In the Details & Actions section under Course Groups, select Create and manage groups. 

All groups you've created appear on the Course Groups page. Group sets with no members also appear. At the top of the page, the numbers of groups sets and individual groups are listed.

You can also create a new group set.

1. Select a heading to sort your groups or the number of members in ascending or descending order.
2. Show or hide the groups in a group set.
3. Open a group set's menu to edit or delete the group.
4. View the number of members in each group out of the total number of students in the course.

If you've already set up course groups, select View sets & groups link. If you already have course groups, select New Group Set on the Course Groups page.

You can create as many course groups as you want, with any number of students in each group. You can also create new course groups or remove course groups.

Types of Groups in Ultra Courses

From the Group students menu, you can divide your students among groups in these ways:

• Custom
• Randomly assign
• Self-enrollment
• Reuse groups 

You can also select the plus sign below the graphic to create as many groups as you need and add students.

Creating Groups

With a group set, you can create multiple groups around a theme, such as a lesson, brainstorming, studying, or volunteering. With group sets, you can pair students based on certain attributes, situations, or tasks. You can create up to 99 groups in a group set.

When you create course groups for the first time or want to add a new group set, a partial list of your students appears on the New Group Set page in the Unassigned Students section. Select Show All to view the entire list. 

Create Custom Groups

You can create a single, custom group or as many groups as you want, with any number of students in each group.

You can also select the purple plus (+) below the student list to create a custom group and add students. If you already have course groups, select New Group Set on the Course Groups page.

1. In the Group students menu, select Custom and provide a name at the top of the page.
2. Select each student's name one after the other to select them as a group. Select a student's name again to remove the selection.
3. After you select the students, open the menu next to one of their names and select Create a new group. You can also move multiple students to a group listed in the menu.
4. Edit the group name if you want to change the default naming.
5. Optionally, provide a group description that also appears to members of that group. You have no limit on the number of characters.
   
   
   
   

6. Select the plus sign wherever you want to add another group. You can also repeat steps 2-5.

   NOTE:  At this time, if you save a Custom group set, return to the group set, and select Custom again, your groups are deleted.

Create Random Groups

Random assignment may work best if you teach courses that contain many students without the opportunity to know them individually. You can assign students to groups quickly and without preparation. Students are randomly assigned to the number of groups you choose. NOTE: You need at least four students so the system can randomly assign students to at least two groups.

1. In the Group students menu, select Randomly assign and provide a name at the top of the page.
2. In the Number of groups menu, select how many groups to create. You need to create at least two. Students are equally assigned to the number of groups you choose.

   To remove all students from the current group set, select Unassign All at the top of the page. The menu option changes to Custom if you move students to different groups after they're grouped and before you save.
   
   

3. Edit each group name if you want to change the default naming.
4. Optionally, provide group descriptions that are shown to group members. You have no limit on the number of characters.

Select the plus sign wherever you want to create a group in addition to the groups the system created. When you add or delete groups, the menu option changes to Custom and any affected students aren't redistributed.

Manage individual groups

After you create a group or a group set, you can add or delete individual groups and manage student membership. You can also edit group names and send messages to your groups to kick off collaboration! Reminder: At this time, if you save a Custom group set, return to the group set, and select Custom again, your groups are deleted.

Add and delete groups

Select the plus sign wherever you want to add a group.

If you no longer need a group, open the group's menu and select Delete group. The students in that group are unassigned automatically and appear at the top of the page. You can manually assign these students to new groups. Or, you can randomly assign all students—not only the students you unassigned—to the number of groups you choose.

Ramifications

• If you add or delete a group in a group set used to create a new group set, the new group set is unaffected.
• If you add or delete a group in a group set that you used to create a group assessment or discussion, that content item’s groups are updated. Edits to group titles and descriptions also affect the content items.
• If you add or delete a group in a group assessment or discussion that's based on a course group set, the course group set is updated. Edits to group titles and descriptions also affect the course group set.
• If you delete a group set used to create a new group set, the new group set is unaffected.
• If you delete an entire group set used to create a group assessment or discussion, the content item’s groups are removed.
• If you delete a group assessment or discussion based on a course group set, the group set is unaffected.

Manage student membership

Open the menu next to a student's name to access these options:

• Start a new group with the student as a member.
• Select Unassign to remove the student from the group. Unassigned students appear at the top of the page.
• Assign the student to a different group that already exists. Select the group's name in the menu. Groups with no members don't appear.

You can also move multiple students to a different group in one action, create a new group for them, or unassign them all from the group.

To remove all students from all groups, select Unassign All at the top of the page.

Ramifications

• Membership changes in a group set affect the content-level items where the groups are used, such as in group discussions and assessments.
• Membership changes in a content-level item based on a course group set affect the course group set.
• Membership changes in a group set do NOT affect other group sets that are based on the group set.