Cobra Learning - Managing Group Enrollments

Managing group enrollments

Group enrollment types

The following descriptions explain the enrollment type options available when creating a new category and provide conceptual information on when they should be used.

# of Groups – No Auto Enrollments Selecting this option creates a specified number of groups, which you can add any number of users to through the Enroll Users page.

Use this enrollment type when you know how many groups you want to create and which users you want in each group. Select this option when you have a teaching model that divides course participants into specific learning levels or when you want to divide users by skill or interests.

Groups of # Selecting this option creates the minimum number of groups needed to place users in groups of a specified maximum size. More groups are created when they are needed to accommodate users.

If users are enrolled before groups are set up and Can be auto enrolled into groups is enabled, users are added using a brick laying algorithm. For example, if a maximum group size of 5 users is chosen for a class of 23, than 5 groups are created. The first user is added to Group 1, the second to Group 2, etc. The sixth user returns the enrollment sequence to Group 1. Groups 1, 2 and 3 have 5 users and Groups 4 and 5 have 4 users. If a new user enrolls later, they are put in Group 4.
Note If you also enable Auto-enroll new users and all of the existing groups reach their maximum size, new users are added to a new group. Because there is no way to know how many new users will join, all new users are added to the same group until it is full. This is called a bucket-filling algorithm because the limits of one group must be met before creating another group.
If users are enrolled after groups are set up, users are added to groups using a bucket-filling algorithm because there is no way for the system to determine how many groups in total are needed. For example, if a maximum group size of 5 users is chosen for a class in which 23 users eventually enroll, the first five users are added to Group 1, the sixth through tenth user to Group 2, etc. After 23 users are enrolled, groups 1-4 have 5 users and Group 5 has 3 users.
If Can be auto enrolled into groups is not enabled, the minimum number of groups needed to create groups under the specified size are created with no users enrolled in them. If no users are enrolled in the course, one group is created. You can enroll users using the Enroll Users page.

Use this enrollment type when you know how many users you want in each group. Select this option when you have assignments that require work to be divided between a specific number of users, or when you can only accommodate a set number of users in a lab or work area at one time.

# of Groups Selecting this option creates a specified number of groups.

If Can be auto enrolled into groups is enabled, users are added using a brick laying algorithm, regardless of whether they enrolled before or after the groups were created. For example, if a class has 23 users and 5 groups, the first user is added to Group 1, the second to Group 2, etc. The sixth user returns the enrollment sequence to Group 1. Groups 1, 2, and 3 have 5 users and Groups 4 and 5 have 4 users. If a new user enrolls later, they are put in Group 4.
If Can be auto enrolled into groups is not enabled, the specified number of groups are created with no users enrolled in them. You can enroll users using the Enroll Users page.

Use this enrollment type when you know how many groups you want to create, but want the system to place users in groups for you. Select this option when you want group membership to be indiscriminate, or when classroom, resource, or teaching assistant availability restricts the number of groups you can have.

Groups of # – Self Enrollment Selecting this option creates the minimum number of groups needed to accommodate users in groups of a specified maximum size automatically. Users choose the group they want to enroll in from the Groups page.

Use this enrollment type when you know how many users you want in each group, but you want to allow users to choose their own groups. Select this option when you want users to choose their groups based on friendship, learning style, schedules, or geographic location.

Note If there are no users enrolled in your course at the time of creation, then only one group is initially created. You can use the Edit Category page to add additional groups. Add additional groups if you want to ensure all users have options when forming groups.

# of Groups – Self Enrollment Selecting this option creates a specified number of groups, which users enroll in from the Groups page.

Use this enrollment type when you want to make a specific number of groups available for users to join. Select this option when you want to organize groups on specific topics, which users can join based on interest, or for creating groups that are responsible for specific aspects of a larger project, which users can join based on knowledge or task preferences.

# of Groups of # – Self Enrollment Selecting this option creates a specified number of groups with a specified number of enrollments per group. Users choose the group they want to enroll in from the Groups page.

Use this enrollment type when you know how many users you want in each group, you want to allow users to choose their own groups, and you want each group to have a maximum number of users. Select this option when you want users to choose their groups based on areas of interest or responsibility in larger projects, but you want to limit membership in each group to a certain number of users.

Setting up self-enrollment in groups

Self-enrollment allows users to enroll in groups on their own. Use this option when you want users to have the freedom to choose their own group members or to be a part of a group on a topic that interests them.

Users can self enroll in groups by clicking the View Available Groups button on the Groups page. The button displays at the top of the user’s Groups page when self-enrollment is available.

Note If a group is full, the Members column will display the total number of group members in red with "(Full)" beside it.

Tip Clicking on the total listed in the Members column opens the Group Members pop-up, which contains a list of current group members. You cannot click on full groups.

Set up self enrollment groups

On the Manage Groups page, click New Category.
Enter a Category Name and Description.
Select one of the following options from the Enrollment Type drop-down list:
- Groups of # - Self Enrollment
- # of Groups - Self Enrollment
- # of Groups of # - Self Enrollment
Depending on the chosen Enrollment Type, enter the Number of Groups to create, the Number of Users per group, or both.
(Optional) Select Set up discussion areas to associate discussion areas with the groups in the category.
(Optional) Select Set up dropbox folders to associate dropbox folders with the groups in the category.
Click Save.

Editing group enrollment in restricted discussion areas

You can edit group enrollment in restricted discussion forums and topics in the Groups tool. You can add, edit, or delete forums or topics restricted by group in the Discussions tool. See Setting group and section restrictions for a discussion forum or topic for more information.

Edit group enrollment in restricted discussion areas

On the Manage Groups page, select the category that contains the discussion forum you want to edit from the View Categories drop-down list.
Select Edit Category from the context menu of the category.
On the Edit Category page, click the Edit Discussion Restrictions link.
Select the forum you want to make changes to in the Forum drop-down list or select "All Forums" to edit multiple forums at once.
Select and clear the check boxes in the Edit Restrictions grid to modify group enrollment in discussion forums and topics.
Select Automatically create restricted topics if you want to add topics to the forums.
Click Save.

Enrolling course leaders in groups

How a user that can lead courses is enrolled in groups depends on whether they have access to all groups or only select groups. Users should have access to all groups if they are responsible for mediating, grading, and working on material for the entire class. They should have access to select groups if they are only responsible for mediating, grading, or working on material for a particular group.

Best practice Add staff that are working with select groups the same way you add users.

Add or modify enrollment for course leaders

On the Manage Groups page, click Enroll Users from the context menu of the category that contains the group (or groups) you want to enroll a user in.
Search for the user you want to add in the Search For field.
Select the check boxes beside each user's name to add them to groups. Clear check boxes to unenroll users from groups.
Click Save.

Tip Use the Not Enrolled search option to see a list of users that need to be enrolled.

Modifying or adding group enrollment

On the Manage Groups page, select the category that contains the group or groups you want to modify or add enrollments to from the View Categories drop-down list.
Click Enroll Users from the context menu of the category.
Select the group you want from the Display drop-down list or select "All Groups" to see all groups.
Enter information in the Search For field to find a specific user, or click the Search icon to find all users.
Tip Select the Not Enrolled search option to find users that that do not belong to a group.
Select the check boxes beside each user's name to add them to groups. Clear check boxes to unenroll users from groups.
Click Save.

Tip Manually enrolling users allow you to exceed the enrollment limit for a group.

Deleting a user from a group

When you delete a user from a group, all of their files remain in the system, including discussion posts and dropbox submissions.

Delete a user from a group

On the Manage Groups page, select the category containing the groups with users you want to delete from the View Categories drop-down list.
Click Enroll Users from the context menu of the category.
On the Enroll Users page, beside the user's name, clear the check box for each group you want to remove the user from.
Click Save.