{"id":18890,"date":"2025-09-25T19:09:57","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:09:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/instruction.austincc.edu\/nexus\/?post_type=ht_kb&p=18890"},"modified":"2025-10-29T14:06:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T14:06:18","slug":"blackboard-ultra-creating-custom-groups","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/instruction.austincc.edu\/nexus\/article\/blackboard-ultra-creating-custom-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"Blackboard Ultra: Creating Custom Groups"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Creating Custom Groups<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Blackboard Ultra allows instructors to organize their students into Groups<\/a>. Groups are a helpful tool which allow instructors to target assignments, communications, and files for specified groups of students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students can either be placed into Groups per instructor support, or you can allow for students to self-assign themselves to groups you have pre-made in the course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Open the Groups <\/strong>tab in your Blackboard Ultra Course.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    \"A<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    2. Click New Group Set<\/strong> located on the right-hand side of the webpage. This will open a new window to create a Group Set<\/strong>. Label the Group Set with a title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    \"A<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Note: The Group Set <\/strong>should not <\/em>be confused with the actual group of students created in the Course – Groups<\/strong> tab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Next to the Group Students label, click the dropdown menu to select how you would like to assign students into groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Students can be assigned via Custom <\/strong>Groups, Randomly assigned <\/strong>Groups, or Self-enrollment <\/strong>Groups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    • Custom <\/strong>groups are instructor chosen groups. Instructors must pre-assign students to groups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Randomly assigned<\/strong> Groups will randomly generate a number of Groups and then pre-assign students to a Group.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Self-enrollment<\/strong> Groups allow for students to view the groups available and select which Group they would like to join. Instructors can always intervene and reassign students from these groups.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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      \"On<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      4. Within the Group Set<\/strong>, after you have selected how to Group Students<\/strong>, locate the purple addition field (+) line along the bottom of the webpage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Click this field to then build and label each Group<\/strong> you want within this Group Set<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      \"Screenshot
      Highlighting the purple addition field (+).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"A
      After clicking the purple addition field (+).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      After clicking the purple addition field (+)<\/strong> there is a prompt which appears with a box to label the new group in the field, New Group 1<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This is the first official Group <\/strong>of this student Group Set<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Label the Group <\/strong>and then add a Description <\/strong>as is appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      5. Click the three dots <\/strong>alongside a student’s name and text box to Edit<\/strong> Group Membership. Assign the student to the Group <\/strong>you have created within this set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Alternatively, instructors can create a new Group <\/strong>using the +Create a new group<\/strong> dropdown field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"This<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      6. Once a student has been assigned to a Group<\/strong>, their name and profile will now appear beneath that Group <\/strong>on the webpage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Complete this process for all students to assign all students to Groups<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"Screenshot<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Be sure to click Save<\/strong> in the lower-right-hand corner of the webpage screen to save and activate student groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      For a more in-depth explanation of Student Groups from the Student View<\/strong> Perspective, see the linked Blackboard Ultra Resource Video<\/strong> below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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