Course Groups Tab

Create and manage small groups for group assignments, gradebook purposes, and more

Article Content

This article covers the following topics. Click on the topic to go to that section of the article.

• Course Groups Dashboard
• Creating Groups via the User Interface
• Creating Groups via CSV Import
• Copying Groups
• Manage Course Groups

Once there are students enrolled in a course, you can create groups of students within a course. Course groups are useful for:

• Assigning small groups of students to specific learning events (e.g., repeating clinical skills sessions where small groups of learners all do the same thing)
• Tailor gradebook assessments to a specific audience (e.g., Groups 3 and 6 did this asseingssment, Groups 1 and 5 did this assessment).
• Course groups are required to assign a grader to exams in the Exams module.
• Course groups can also be used to link tutors to assigned learners.
  • Linking tutors and groups of learners allows faculty to review specific students’ logged encounters, or act as academic advisors (especially relevant if you are using the competency-based medical education module of Elentra).
  • Tutors linked to groups will also be able to access any community shared resources restricted to that group.

Course Groups Dashboard

Create and manage course groups from within a course's Groups tab. Course groups are specific to each curriculum period associated with the enrolment on the Setup tab of the course.  Before making any changes check that you are working in the correct curriculum period, adjusting it as needed with the dropdown menu on the upper right-hand side of the page.

From the Course Groups dashboard you can 

• View course groups for a specific curriculum period
• Add New Groups through the user interface
• Import & Export course groups via CSV
• Copy course groups to another curriculum period or course
• Manage, edit, and delete course groups
• Search for a course group

Create Groups via the User Interface

One way to create course groups is to use the wizard in the user interface.  Using the wizard you can create multiple empty groups and then manually fill the groups with students or create multiple groups and have them automatically populated based on different rules detailed below.  

Step 3: Click Add. You will see a green success message on the screen and will then be shown the newly created groups.

Create Groups via CSV Import

Step 1: To begin, check that you are working in the correct Curriculum Period, and adjust it as needed with the dropdown menu.

Step 2: Then click the Import/Export button and select Import. You’ll be prompted to download a sample CSV file to use to import groups and group members. You can use the sample CSV file as an import template.  You may have gotten this CSV import template from your Elentra account manager or implementation team and do not need to download the sample CSV file.

 

 

Follow the column headings to create your CSV file.

Group Name: Provide the appropriate group name (either based on groups that already exist or the groups you want Elentra to create).

Tutors: List the tutor(s) for the group. Use the format 'Last name, First name; Last name, First name' to assign multiple tutors to the group. For example: Smith, John; Doe, Jane.  

Tutors Numbers: List tutor number(s). This is the institutional number assigned to each user on their user profile. Separate entries with a semi-colon if necessary.

Learner Name: Use this format: 'Last name, First name'. For example: Smith, John. Only enter information for one student per line.

Learner Number: Enter the student's institutional number from their user profile in Manage users (e.g., student number).

 

**Save your file as a CSV when completed.**

Step 3: From the Groups tab in your course, click on Import/Export button again then click on Import from CSV, to open the Import Groups from csv popup (where you download the sample CSV file).  

 

Step 4: Click on Choose File to find your populated CSV file, then click Import CSV. You will get a green success message. Close the import window and you should see your newly created groups on the screen.

Copying Groups

Note that groups you create in a course apply only to that course by default. If you want to use the same groups (populated with the same students) across multiple courses, you can copy groups from one course to another through the user interface, or download groups from one course, make updates, and import them to another course.  You can also copy groups across curriculum periods for the same course.

Copy Course Groups from the User Interface

Step 1: You will start out in the course that you want to copy from, search for that course and navigate to the Groups tab.

Step 2: Check the checkbox next to the name(s) of the group(s) you want to copy then click the Copy Groups button.

 

Step 3: In the pop up window, select the course and the curriculum period for that course to copy into, then click Copy. You will get a green success message saying you have successfully copied the groups. You can copy to the same course and different curriculum period or to a different course.

Download and Re-Import Course Groups

To copy groups you can also export group(s) from one course & curriculum period and import the group(s) to a different place. 

Step 1: Search for the course that has the groups you want to recreate and navigate to the Groups tab. Check that you are working in the correct Curriculum Period, adjusting it as needed with the dropdown menu.

Step 2: Click the Import/Export button and select Export to CSV file. A file will download to your computer. Depending on how you are setting up your groups, you may want to change the group names in the CSV file (e.g., Anatomy Group 1 becomes Microsystems Group 1). You can also change tutor information if necessary. Complete any required changes and save your file with a recognizable name.

Step 3: Navigate to the course where you want to create new groups and follow the instructions above in Create Groups via CSV Import section of this article.

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Manage Course Groups (Editing & Deleting)

Editing Course Groups

To make changes to existing course groups, click on the Group Name from within the Groups tab in the course and curriculum period you are working on.  

From this screen, you can

• add or remove tutors.
  • To add a tutor start by typing the tutor's name into the tutor search box, then click on the person's name.  Select the type of tutor for the associated faculty (tutor, teacher, teacher's assistant, or auditor). Currently, this does not have any impact on the content that the user can or cannot access for their associated learners.
  • To delete an existing Tutor, click on the x to the right of the tutor name.
• delete existing group members by selecting the checkbox next to their name under the View Members section, then clicking Delete Members.  
• To add members, use the search selector under Add Members. 

After you have made your changes click the Proceed button.

Deleting Course Groups

Step 1: From the Course Groups tab select the course group(s) you would like to delete by checking the check box next to the course group's name.

Step 2: Click the Delete Groups button.