ISU Canvas: Options for Groups and Group Projects for Faculty

1. In Course Navigation, click the Settings link.
2. Click the Course Details tab.
3. To allow students to create their own student groups, select the Let students organize their own groups checkbox.
4. Click the Update Course Details button to save the settings.
5. In Course Navigation, click the People link.
6. Click the Add Group Set button.
7. Create a name for the group set in the Group Set Name text field. Click the Allow self sign-up checkbox. Note: Groups will be automatically named based on the group set name.
8. Next to the Group Structure heading, enter the number of groups you would like to create. You can create more groups at a later time if necessary. You can also use the arrows in the number field to increase or decrease the number.
9. Click the Save button.

Note: If you have created a self sign-up group within your course, you can message students who have not yet signed up for a group and remind them to do so.

For more information on creating, viewing and managing groups, see How do I create self sign-up groups in a group set?

• Once you create groups in a group set, you can randomly assign students to those groups. Alternatively, you can choose to manually assign students to groups or create and assign students to groups by importing a CSV file.

• Within a group set, students can initiate and participate in the following activities:
  • Start a collaboration using web-based tools such as Google docs. The Google doc created within the course can be viewed by each student in a group and by the instructor. For more information, see How do I start a collaboration in a group as a student?
  • Create a group discussion. For more information, see How do I create a discussion in a group as a student?
  • If there are any assignments assigned to a group, one member can submit assignments on behalf of the group.
  • Make group announcements
  • Create a group page within Canvas
  • View and upload group files
  • Access group conferences, and
  • Access group collaborations

For more information, see How do I use groups as a student? and How do I view content and student activity within a group as an instructor?

• As in instructor, you can do the following within groups:
  • View what is happening in groups within the shared documents, discussions and more
  • Access student groups to create group collaborations
  • Add group-specific content

• You can create a group assignment by using the Group Assignment checkbox. Canvas uses group sets to assign group assignments, and each group within the group set that is assigned to the assignment is required to complete the assignment.
• In group assignments, one submission will count for the entire group. 
• You can set different due dates and availability dates for a group within an assignment.
• Note: Students can only view the assignment if they are a member of an assigned group, an assigned user, or if you assign to Everyone or to Everyone Else. Otherwise, the assignment does not appear in the Student's Assignments page. You cannot grade students who have not been include in the assignment, and assignments that are not assigned to a student are not factored into overall grades.