Groups are a small version of a course and used as a collaborative tool where students can work together on group projects and assignments.

Instructor View - Click on People link, then + Group Set

Instructors can create groups under the 'People' link. Groups are used for students to collaborate on group assignments, view group resources, and more. Instructors can also allow students to create their own groups.

Learn more about Groups: Group Creation and Management Canvas Video

Within Groups, instructors can:

View all activity within all the groups within their course, including groups created by students as noted in the instructor's Student Groups tab (by default students will be allowed to create their own groups as noted in the Course Details tab)
View all created groups within the course
Manually or automatically create groups within a group set
Manually or automatically assign students to groups within a group set
Assign group leaders to each group
Allow students to sign up for their own groups
Expand and collapse subgroups
Move students into different subgroups
Create group collaborations

When Should I Use Groups as an Instructor?

As an instructor, create groups to:

Set up student group configurations at the course level for assignments and in-class work, both graded and ungraded.
Facilitate semester-long projects so that students can communicate and iterate on documents together.
Facilitate faculty professional development and institutional committees or activities.
Facilitate student-run study groups within courses or at the account level.

How does a student sign up for a group?

Student View

Students can use groups as a collaborative tool to work with classmates on group projects and assignments.

Learn more about Groups: Group Creation and Interaction for Students (Video)

Within groups, students can:

View the groups list
View the groups they are enrolled in
Join a student group
Create a student group
Store and share Files
Start a Discussion
Send a message
Create group collaborations

When Would a Student Create a Group?

As a student, create groups to:

Create study groups
Collaborate on projects and assignments