Create Groups

Find Course Groups (Instructor View)

In a classic-style course site, the Instructor groups tool is located under Users & Groups, in the main course menu.

Add One or More Groups

On your course Groups page, point to CREATE in the upper left.

You will need to decide whether you are creating a single group, or a set of two or more groups with the same tool availability but different enrollment. 

After making your selection you will be forwarded to the Group Properties page.

Group Properties

Name and Description

Provide a name for your group or group set. If you are creating a group set, the individual group names will default to your group name with a number. This means, if we create a "Final Project" group set, the individual group names (which the students see) will default to "Final Project 1," "Final Project 2," and so on. This can be changed, if you would like to give the groups a more descriptive name later.

 

Providing a group description is optional.

Tools and Tool Availability

Under the TOOL AVAILABILITY heading, choose which tools you would like the group members to be able to use.

The following table, excerpted from Blackboard's Groups help page, outlines each of the tools and how it is used in the Group context.

Tool	Description
Collaborate Ultra	You and members of a group can share content and use the whiteboard, as well as create recordings.
File Exchange	You and group members can use this tool to upload documents to the group area, and delete files, regardless of who added them. This tool is only available to groups.
Group Blog	In the group area, all members of a group can create entries for the same blog and build on each entry. All course members can read and comment on a group blog (via the course Blogs tool), but they can't make posts unless they are members of the group. Instructors can choose to grade group blogs. All group members receive the same grade.
Group Discussion Board	Group members can create and manage their own forums and discuss topics with other group members only (e.g., group discussion is not visible to the rest of the class). Instructors can choose to grade group discussions, but each member is graded individually.
Group Journal	In the group area, all members of a group can view each other's entries. Only group members and instructors can view a group journal. Instructors can choose to grade group journals. All group members receive the same grade.
Group Task	Members of a group can define and separate the workload into tasks and distribute the list to the entire group. Each task has a status and a due date to help keep members on track. Group members can view the group assigned tasks in the group tasks tool or in the course tasks tool. Instructor(s) and other course members won't see tasks for groups they aren't enrolled in when viewing the course tasks tool.
Group Wiki	Group members can edit and view their group wiki. Instructors can view and edit group wikis and choose to grade group wikis. All group members receive the same grade.
Send Email	Group members can email individual members or the entire group.

 

Module Personalization

This option lets group members select a color and banner for the group. 

Group Sets Only -- Create Smart View

Smart views are a part of the Grade Center that let you narrow your view to a subset of rows (and sometimes columns).

When enabled, you will be able to click the FILTER button in the upper right of the Full Grade Center 

You can then select a group from the CURRENT VIEW list:

This will narrow the Grade Center view to show you all the columns for only the students in the group you've selected.