--- title: "Creating and Assigning Groups" type: "article" space: "Blackboard Ultra" author: "Anh Lam" created: 2022-10-25T14:39:51Z updated: 2023-09-26T21:35:34Z tags: ["assigning-students-to-groups", "blackboard-ultra", "collaborating-online", "creating-groups", "custom-groups", "group-assignment", "randomly-assign-groups", "teaching-and-learning", "teaching-and-learning-centre", "ultra"] url: "https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/266/blackboard-ultra/articles/communicating-and-collaborating/15575/creating-and-assigning-groups" --- # Creating and Assigning Groups Groups are a great way to encourage students to collaborate in the course. When creating groups, you can choose to manually assign students to specific groups, create a sign-up sheet for students to choose their group, or randomly assign students to a group. * * * ### Creating and Assigning Group Members 1. Select **Groups**from the Navigation bar at the top.  ![](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=0AxEg%2FPwfCV%2FyJqQbARMjQ%3D%3D) 2. Select the **plus icon \(+\)**beside **New Group Set**. ![Screenshot of step 2 on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=wpI7mKm0yWAxlGjMzA9zEg%3D%3D) 3. Select the title to edit the group name.![Screenshot of step 3 on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=5FmHhQDUMnooiAX%2FLAjxWA%3D%3D) 4. Select the drop-down list beside **Group students**and select one of the following options. ![Screenshot of step 4 on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=638%2FZ%2FIiSHT%2Bjd4yvfqVJA%3D%3D) - Select **Custom** to manually assign students to specific groups. 1. Select the **plus icon \(+\)**to create a new group. ![Screenshot of step 3 Custom a) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=vGgxIQlCY6boqdRxkR6yVQ%3D%3D) 2. Select the **pencil icon** next to the title or description to edit the title and description. ![Screenshot of step 3 Custom b) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=eGhyplHlJ5P7SYVR9L9fWw%3D%3D) 3. Select the **ellipses** beside a student's name, and select the group you want to assign them to.![Screenshot of step 3 Custom c) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=c%2BZJjSKtntVayqq7bzR1WQ%3D%3D) 4. Select **Save**. ![Screenshot of step 3 Custom d) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=3Iy1LqKguxIK8kLQN0JjYA%3D%3D) - Select **Randomly assign**to randomly assign students to groups. ![](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=hvuhMKYTNVjPMP2RH3uNsw%3D%3D) 1. Select the drop-down menu beside **Number of groups**to change the number of groups created.![Screenshot of step 3 Randomly assign a) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=tnnFjf1S8W2U28cZLs59Jw%3D%3D) 2. Select the **pencil icon** next to the title or description to edit the tile and description. ![Screenshot of step 3 Randomly assign b) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=XfIzN%2B54ckM2TmDot4PDdg%3D%3D) 3. Select the **ellipses**next to a student's name to unassign the student or move them to another group. ![Screenshot of step 3 Randomly assign c) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=VJIGmk6ah2L4FSWC9PyL%2Fw%3D%3D) 4. Select **Save**.![Screenshot of step 3 Randomly assign d) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=gvxuMw3%2FzJReKbyyruFhUA%3D%3D) - Select **Self-enrollment**to create a sign-up sheet for students to choose their group. **Note**: If this option is greyed out, select **Hidden from students,**and then select **Visible to students.** 1. Select the **Description text box**to enter a description.![Screenshot of step 3 Self-enrollment a) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=x58sHdNFUWUNRrFCKFJpyg%3D%3D) 2. Select the **Enrollment start date**and **Enrollment end date**to enter the date and time in which students can enroll into the groups.![Screenshot of step 3 Self-enrollment b) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=ds9%2Fkj7EtMv9HiDEfHm3JA%3D%3D) 3. Select **Maximum members per group**and enter the maximum number of members that can be assigned to each group. ![Screenshot of step 3 Self-enrollment c) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=quZ7R6E7Wy5Kr4Mnm7qtwQ%3D%3D) 4. Select **Hide enrolled members** to prevent students from seeing enrolled members prior to joining a group. ![Screenshot of step 3 Self-enrollment d) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=8wLBjOPxhpqu5Esk0qPF4g%3D%3D) 5. Select **Save.** **Note:**Students are able to move from group to group until the group submits it's first piece of work. Students who haven't joined a group are assigned automatically at the end of the enrollment period. ![Screenshot of step 3 Self-enrollment e) on Creating and Assigning Group Members as explained on this page](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/attachment?file=jI%2BeAaeiFkvDC9tAtiW5xw%3D%3D) * * * ### Video This short video covers how to create groups and takes a quick look at custom, self-enrolled and randomly assigned groups. * * * **How did you find this article?** Use the like button below if you found this article helpful. ## Attachments - [blobid0.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=wpI7mKm0yWAxlGjMzA9zEg%253D%253D) - [blobid2.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=5FmHhQDUMnooiAX%252FLAjxWA%253D%253D) - [image_91900539981674765295176.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=638%252FZ%252FIiSHT%252Bjd4yvfqVJA%253D%253D) - [blobid3.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=vGgxIQlCY6boqdRxkR6yVQ%253D%253D) - [image_98392511391674765326236.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=eGhyplHlJ5P7SYVR9L9fWw%253D%253D) - [image_49974717101674765591075.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=c%252BZJjSKtntVayqq7bzR1WQ%253D%253D) - [image_450994891111674765695727.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=3Iy1LqKguxIK8kLQN0JjYA%253D%253D) - [blobid0.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=tnnFjf1S8W2U28cZLs59Jw%253D%253D) - [image_84067341061674766896899.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=XfIzN%252B54ckM2TmDot4PDdg%253D%253D) - [image_72982601071674766976214.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=VJIGmk6ah2L4FSWC9PyL%252Fw%253D%253D) - [image_42959821081674767033267.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=gvxuMw3%252FzJReKbyyruFhUA%253D%253D) - [image_39908828991674767318551.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=x58sHdNFUWUNRrFCKFJpyg%253D%253D) - [image_915863127101674767426404.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=ds9%252Fkj7EtMv9HiDEfHm3JA%253D%253D) - [image_271710093111674767537062.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=quZ7R6E7Wy5Kr4Mnm7qtwQ%253D%253D) - [image_190054252121674767652289.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=8wLBjOPxhpqu5Esk0qPF4g%253D%253D) - [image_807931952141674767721130.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=jI%252BeAaeiFkvDC9tAtiW5xw%253D%253D) - [image_82615153131680128965246.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=hvuhMKYTNVjPMP2RH3uNsw%253D%253D) - [image_10155961431695764126562.png](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=0AxEg%252FPwfCV%252FyJqQbARMjQ%253D%253D)