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Create empty groups with custom group names in a group set

Create empty groups with custom group names in a group set

Owned by KP
Last updated: 06 Mar 2025
2 min read

Overview

This method involves two groups .csv imports.

The first import creates all the groups. This will result in one student in each of the groups.

The second import gathers all the students in one temporary group. This group should be deleted, leaving all the students without a group, and all the groups created earlier, ready for sign up.

Steps

  1. Create your list of groups in a spreadsheet according to what you want.

  2. Create a new group set. Uncheck Allow self sign-up (for now). For Group Structure, choose Create groups later.

  3. Download the course roster .csv via +Import in the Group Set in People (described here).

  4. Paste the list of groups you created in step 1 on the group_name column of the downloaded course roster .csv, then save.

  5. Import this .csv to the group set. You will get one student in each of the created groups - this is expected.

If you do not have many groups, you can skip steps 6 to 8 by manually removing the lone students in each of the groups.

  1. Duplicate the course roster .csv. Under the group_name column, create one group e.g. 00deletethisgroup, or any other group name obviously different from your group naming convention. (The prepended 00 is to make sure that the group appears on the top of the group list - it will be easier to find it to delete it later.) Drag the the group down in the excel so that all the students in your course are in that group. Save the .csv.

  2. Import this .csv to the group set. All the students will be in this dummy group. The groups you intend to use will all be empty.

  3. Once the temporary group has been imported, delete this group. All the students now do not belong to any group.

  4. Prepare the groups for sign up.

    1. In the Group Set, edit the Group Set (click the three dots, then click Edit). Now check Allow group sign up and set the Maximum members per group.

    2. If your sections are mutually exclusive (i.e. the students are in only one section each), check Require group members to be in the same section.
      If your sections are not mutually exclusive, checking  Require group members to be in the same section is not much use as they are also part of a larger section.

    3. Click Save.

    4. Inform your students that they can sign up for groups.

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