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Create groups in Blackboard Learn.

Select group members based on your course outcomes.

Select the right group tools based on the group deliverables.

Prepare students for group work and encourage

participation.

Address student concerns about group work and ensure

success.

OBJECTIVES

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CONTACT INFO

BENEFITS OF GROUP WORK

Students retain information longer than with other teaching methods.

Perspectives from group members offer another opportunity to learn new

material.

Students have a positive feeling about the course material.

Students who establish good relationships with their peers have a more

positive learning experience.

Successful group work leads to students feeling better about themselves.

Students increase their social and communication skills.

Students increase their critical thinking skills.

PRESENTING GROUPS

TOUR THE GROUPS PAGE

TOUR THE ALL USERS PAGE

In Olivia’s teacher education course, online students create

lesson plans that incorporate a unifying theme across

different subject areas.

Olivia divides her students into groups, each with a

designated country as the theme.

IN ACTION

Blogs

Collaboration, in chat or the virtual classroom

Discussion board

Email

File exchange

Journals

Tasks

Wikis

GROUP COMMUNICATION TOOLS

ACCESS THE GROUPS TOOL

BEST PRACTICE

Selecting Group Members

Size: Try creating groups with at least four members.

Manually assign members: Assign members to groups to ensure

heterogeneity or diversity.

Randomly assign members: May work best for instructors who

teach courses containing many students—without the opportunity to

know them individually.

Self-enrollment: Allows students to add themselves to a group

using a sign-up sheet.

TRY IT

Use your Practice Course to explore the groups tool.

How can I encourage ALL members to participate?

How do I let my presence be known?

How do I provide access to resources?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

TRY IT

Use your Practice Course to edit and manage

groups.

BEST PRACTICE

You can use technology to faciltate group work.

To learn more, visit help.blackboard.com and access the

Course Groups folder.

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