Groups | How to create a Brightspace Group

Using the Groups in Brightspace you are able to create different groups for your course. These are organized into categories, which serve as containers for topic-related groups. There is no limit on the number of group categories in a course.

This article will explain:

  • how to create groups in Brightspace

Creating Groups

In your course navigate to the green navigation bar, then

  1. ClickĀ Communication
  2. ClickĀ Groups
Click Communication, then click Groups

The homepage Manage Groups now opens.

First, a group category is needed.Ā 

A group category can hold multiple groups. Several categories can exist simultaneously.

For example, there is a Group Category for tutorials and a Group Category for practicals. For tutorials, students are divided into 4 groups of 20 persons; for the practicals, students are divided into 8 groups of 10 persons.

  1. Click the blue buttonĀ New Category to add a Group Category
Click blue button New Category

In the first section Category Information do the following:

  1. Enter a [Category Name]
  2. (Optional) Add a Description of the Group Category
  3. Select [Enrolment Type] - how you want the users to be enrolled in the Groups
    • There are seven possibilities for Enrolment Types in a Group Category.
    • You can assign students yourself (manually or automatically) to a group, or allow them to assign themselves (Self Enrolment).
  4. Fill in [Number of Groups] and/or [Number of Users] (linked to the enrolment type you choose in Step 6)
    • Decide how many groups there should be (# of Groups) and/or the amount of students per group (Groups of #).
  5. (Optional) Give name to the [Group Prefix]
    • this option lets you customize the general name of the groups in the Group Category (e.g. using prefix Study group will create the number of groups specified in Step 7 with the name Study group + by system added number - Study group 1, Study group 2, etc).
fill in Category Name, Description, choose Enrolment Type, set number of groups or users, give Group Prefix

In this example, Ā Groups of # Ā is chosen.

  1. Consequently, in section Advance Properties you can check the Selectbox of the following options:
    • Auto-Enrol New Users
    • Randomise users in Groups (checked by default)
    • Make category and group descriptions visible to group members
Advanced properties of the group category settings
  1. (Optional) In the section Additional Options click the Selectbox(es) if you want to:
    • Set up discussion areas
    • Set up lockers
    • Set up assignment

The discussion areas, the locker, and the group assignment(s) can always be set up later, and not right away when setting up the group.

  1. Click the blue button Save to finish the setting up of the group
Group creation - Additional options - select if you wish to set up discussion areas, lockers, and assigmnents for your groups

You have created a Brightspace group now and it will appear in the homepage of Manage Groups.

Additionally, if you have a self enrolment type of group you can add a self-enrollment link to Content.

You now know how to create groups in Brightspace!

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