CTools Help Document

Group Management

Includes:

Description
Creating groups
Removing a group
Using groups with the Assignments and Announcements tools
Using groups with the Forums tool
Using groups with the Resources tool
Using groups with the Messages tool
Using groups with the Message Center tool

In CTools, it is possible to designate separate groups of participants or students in a project or course website. At present, groups can only be used with the Announcements, Assignment, Forums, Resources, Message Center, and messages tools.

Creating groups

1. Open the site you would like to create groups in.

2. Click the Site Info link in the left-hand menubar.

3. Click the Manage Groups link near the top of the main window.

4. Click the New link above the words "Group List."

5. Type a title for your first group.

6. You can optionally type a description.

7. Choose a name in the Site Member List in the left-hand box by clicking it.

8. Click the Add to group > button.

9. When you have added all the members you would like in the group, click the Update button.

10. If you would like to create another group, repeat the process described above.

Removing a group

1. Open the site that has the group you'd like to remove.

2. Click the Site Info link in the left-hand menubar.

3. Click the Manage Groups link near the top of the main window.

You will see a list of the existing groups for that site.

4. To remove a group, click the checkbox next to the group.

5. Click the Remove Checked button.

6. You will be asked to confirm this. Click Remove or Cancel.

Using groups with the Assignments and Announcements tools

When you create new announcements and assignments, you fill out a form. If you have created groups in your site as described above, you will see a new checkbox ("Display to selected groups") automatically added to the new annoucement form and the new assignment form. This checkbox is near the bottom of the form. If you check it, information will appear allowing you to choose groups for your announcement or assignment.

If you have not already created groups in your site, you will need to do this first. If you have not already created groups, the "Display to selected groups" option will not appear near the bottom of the new announcement form and the new assignment form.

This is described in greater detail in the "Assignments" and "Announcements" sections (under "Using the Tools" in the table of contents) of this online help.

Are you finding what you're looking for? Please send feedback about this online help guide to ctools-doc-comments@umich.edu Thanks! (For questions about using CTools, send email to ctools-support@umich.edu)

Using Groups with the Forums Tool

You can make forums and topics within forums group specific, and allow only a particular group editing and posting privileges to a particular forum.  You can also make topics under particular forums group aware.  To make forums and/or topics group aware, select the group you would want access to a particular forum/topic in the "role" box.  Next, select what level of permission you want this group to have under the “Permission Level” box.  The privileges of a particular permission level can be seen under the "Permission Level” box.  You can also set a customized permission setting by selecting the "custom" role. 

Note: To make a forum/topic group aware, you must set all other groups/users to “none” in the "permission level" box.  This will lock out any members of the site from a forum/topic that has been designated for a particular group. 

Using Groups With the Resources Tool

When adding a resource (folder, file, URL, etc), click on the "edit" details link.  This will give you the option to display a particular resource only to selected groups.  Please be aware that you need to first create groups on your site to be able to make resources available to particular groups. 

Using Groups with the Messages Tool

The Messages tool allows you to send a message to either all participants of a site or selected members of the site.  You can use messages to also send messages to particular groups you have created on the site.  To do so, just select the group you want to send messages to in the "To” box.  You can also select more than one group by holding down the “CTRL” button while selecting groups. 

Using Groups with The Message Center Tool

Message Center works much in the same way that Messages does.  Please refer to the above directions to send group specific messages through the Message Center Tool.