When I teach this course in a classroom, I ask my students to get together in small groups to answer questions, discuss concepts, complete in-class activities, and to work on group projects outside of class. This enables my students to get to know a few of their classmates (some of whom create small study groups) and to engage in the course material. After having time for discussions or time to work on the in-class activities, each group reports their thoughts/answers to the class. This enables me to see whether I need to review concepts and/or provide clarifications.

In this online class, I will be assigning each of you to a small group. In these small groups, you will be asked to engage in group discussions, complete class activities, and complete group assignments. Specific information about the assignment and deadline(s) will be provided in the module.

Your TA and I will monitor and grade all group discussions, activities, and assignments. This will enable me to see whether I need to review concepts and/or provide clarifications. My main goal for these discussions/activities/assignments is to provide you with a way to better understand and apply what you are learning. I am also hoping that these group activities will help you know whether you understand the material. If you feel lost during the discussion/assignment/activity and/or you feel that you do not understand the material that we are covering, please email me to schedule an appointment.

Groups will be assigned after the last day to add a class.

How to Find Your Group

1. Click on the People link in the course menu (on the left of your computer screen).

2. Select the Groups tab. Here you will see the list of groups for this course. You will see a picture of a lock for all of the groups except for your group.

3. The word "Visit" will appear for your group. Click on the Visit tab to visit your group's home page.

4. Once you are on your group's home page it will appear that the rest of the course has disappeared. It has not disappeared. Rather, Canvas provides each group home page with a set of tools (e.g., announcements, discussions, files, collaborate) that you can use with your group members. You can click on the Home tab to get back to our course.

You can also use the Groups link in the far-left navigation box to click on groups. This will provide you with a list of your groups for all of your active courses.

Navigation Menu Group Link

For more information about Groups, please watch the following video.

216 - Groups: Creation and Interaction (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from Canvas LMS (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. on Vimeo (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..