Groups

[LyndaElaine]

I want to group students into different groups. They will all have the same overall assignment, but each group is using different reference material. I teach a course on Insect Biology that is part of the Achievement Centered Education requirements for my university. ACE4 is teaching students how to find, and analyze scientific writings with the end goal of writing a scientific paper. In the past this course has been taught using the same subject matter  and it is now becoming an issue with plagiarism and i also hate the way it is being taught as I don’t think it is effective. So I am breaking it down into baby steps. 

I know how to create a group but is this the way to actually assign different materials? 

Example. 

Group 1s focus is Lepidoptera

Group 2 is Coleoptera

Group 3 is Odonata etc

The assignment is the same (ex.  find 3 examples of primary literature on their topic and three examples of non primary and non allowable information sites). What is different is they have to find it based on the order they have been assigned to. 

This is not team work nor will it be weighted. Just graded per a rubric. Every two weeks they will have another writing assignment (the next step of the process) which builds on the first one. 

Is there an effective way to actually do this? 

Thanks, Lynda

[james_whalley · Accepted solution]

Hello @LyndaElaine,

In Canvas there is not a way to differentiate assignments by groups. Depending on the settings in your instance, you can go to Settings --> Sections and group the students into different sections. When in the Assign To area of an assignment, you will then be able to select specific sections. You will need a different assignment per section to differentiate the material.

Alternatively, you could have all of the material for each group all in the same assignment and then just clearly communicate to them which material they should be using based on their groups.

Would either of those work for you?

--James

[LyndaElaine]

Hi James, 

This is an asynchronous online course and in Fall I will probably have about 140 students. "Clearly" isn't a concept freshman uni students understand. lol. 

Just trying to prevent the issues with this course previously using the same two writing assignment topics for a very long time. 

Thanks for responding. 

Lynda