Group tools

Last modified by Markus Enke on 17.05.2024

Each group can be provided with a range of group tools via the group management to support communication and collaboration between the group members or tutors of the respective group. These tools are similar in function to the corresponding course elements. Your own posts can be collected in a group internal ePortfolio.

 

Tool types

The following tools are available for groups:

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Information

In this area, content created by the tutor is displayed.

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The calendar can be used to jointly schedule appointments. If the Visible to everyone in the course option is activated, group appointments can also be displayed in the course calendar.

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Depending on the settings configured by the tutor, learners can download, upload, and create files in this group tool.

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Via the email form, group participants can communicate with other participants as well as with their tutors.

Selectable recipients ...

Regardless of whether you wish to send an email to tutors or participants, you can generally choose between the All and Select individually option to select the recipients of the email. However, the display of these two options is linked to the group settings for displaying member names.

For example, if the Members can see members option is disabled in the group configuration, group participants will only be able to see and select the Email to participants entry in the group mailing section of the course view. In other words, they will only be able to send emails to all members of the group but not to individual recipients. The latter will only be possible if the Members can see members option is enabled in the group configuration.

These settings do not apply to course supervisors and group tutors, as these user roles can always select individual participants as recipients.

When communicating with several recipients, you can use the placeholders $firstname and $lastname in the subject or message to address an individual user.

The possible total size of the attachment and the remaining storage space are also displayed in the form.

In contrast to course supervisors and group tutors, group participants cannot use this tool to send emails to users who are still on the waiting list.

Independently of the email group tool, group tutors can also use a group email address to contact participants or tutors collectively by email. For more information, see the Use group email addresses help page.

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In the forum, participants can exchange information, discuss important matters, and address questions to the tutors.

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With a wiki, articles and content can be easily created and collaboratively edited with other users.

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A blog is an electronic diary whose individual entries are displayed in chronological order, starting with the most current one. Entries may contain information, images and videos. Using the blog group tool, you can integrate a shared blog into a group. Depending on the tutor's settings, learners will have the right to read, write or moderate in the group blog.

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You can add your own posts (artefacts) to the collaborative folder.

Add or remove group tools

 

To add tools to your group or to remove them, proceed as follows:

1

Open the group in the editing mode.

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2

In the section Group-Tools, you can see all available tool types.

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3

To add a new tool, select the checkbox in front of the desired tool. Configure additional settings for individual tools.

4

To remove an existing tool, click on an already selected checkbox. The checkmark will then be removed.

5

Confirm your settings with Save at the bottom of the page.

In the case of some group tools, you can assign individual rights to the group members. 

Each tool can be assigned only once per group.