Staff Guide: Groups and Group types

Introduction

Groups and Group Types play an important role in module administration. They can be used to track attendance (required for UKVI compliance) and to ensure that tutors get access to the correct students and their information.

Students can belong to one group in a group type, and the default group type in MMS is the ‘Tutorial’ group type, but additional groups types can be created. Each group type can have multiple groups. Once groups have been set up students can sign up to groups using the ‘Sign up’ tool and attendance can be marked using the ‘Attendance tracking’ tool.

This guide covers:

Group Configuration

Importing groups from timetabling

For taught modules, after group data has been set up in the timetabling, the groups and group types can be imported into MMS.

To import the groups from Timetabling:

  1. Access the module by clicking the Module title on the Modules page in MMS, or in the My Modules portlet on the Academic Activities workspace in MySaint (see Figure 1).
  2. Select the Students tab (see Figure 2).
  3. Scroll down to the Group Types section (see Figure 3).
  4. Locate the group type in the New Group Types section under the group type table (see Figure 3).
  5. Select the Import type and groups button next to the group type to import. This will create a new row in the Group Types table.
  6. To import the individual groups, select the Import groups buttons (see Figure 3).

  • Figure 1: Module overview links in MySaint (left) and MMS (right)

  • Screenshot of a Module Overview with the Students tab indicated with an arrow.
    Figure 2: From the Module Overview select the ‘Students’ tab.

  • Screenshot of the Groups type section with arrows and text indicating how to import groups from timetabling
    Figure 3: Example Group Types section on the Students tab, indicating how to import groups from timetabling

Creating a new group type

Each taught module has the generic ‘Tutorial’ group type, but more group types can be created. MMS can import groups from the timetabling system, so it is recommended that any groups that are reflected in the timetabling system be imported from that system (see section Importing groups from timetabling). However for groups that are not in the timetabling system, such as coursework groups, the groups can be created in MMS independently from the timetabling system. To create a group type:

Note: New group types only need created if the module will have more than Tutorial groups.

  1. Access the module by clicking the Module title on the Modules page in MMS, or in the My Modules portlet on the Academic Activities workspace in MySaint (see Figure 1).
  2. Select the Students tab (see Figure 2).
  3. Scroll down to the Group Types section.
  4. In the New Group Type Name box enter the name of the new group type, and select Add New Type (see Figure 4).

The new group type will appear as a tab on the Module Overview.

Creating new groups

For groups that are not related to timetabled activities, groups can be created manually. To create a new group:

  1. Access the module by clicking the Module title on the Modules page in MMS, or in the My Modules portlet on the Academic Activities workspace in MySaint (see Figure 1).
  2. Select the new group tab.
  3. Scroll down below the group type, to the Add Group section (see Figure 5).
  4. Enter the name into the Group name field.
  5. Select the +Add Group button.

The new group will appear in the Group table. The group name can be edited in the Group Name column, and the meeting start day, time and location can be edited in the Meeting columns. To save the details, select the Update Group Settings button.

  • A screenshot of the Groups Types section of the Students tab. A arrow and caption indicates where to enter the name for a new group type
    Figure 4: To add a new group type, enter the name in the ‘New Group type Name’ box and click ‘Add New Type’.

  • Screenshot of an example Group type tab. Arrows and text indicate the different group type tabs, the difference between groups in timetabling, how to import groups from timetabling, and how to create new groups.
    Figure 5: Example Group type tab, with labels indicating groups that have a match in the timetable, where to import groups from the timetable and where to create new groups that are not in the timetable.

Viewing Groups

To view the groups, group details, staff and students on a group:

  1. Access the module by clicking the Module title on the Modules page in MMS, or in the My Modules portlet on the Academic Activities workspace in MySaint (see Figure 1).
  2. Select the group type tab (see Figure 5).

The Group name column displays the group name, and indicates if the group is matched with the timetabling system. The Send email link can be used to send an email to the students in the group.

The Students column lists the students who are currently assigned to the module. To view more information about a student, select their name.

The Tutors column displays the staff assigned to the group.

The Meeting columns list the start day/time and Location for the group. This data is imported from the timetabling system if the group was imported. For imported groups there will be a note indicating if the details match between MMS and Timetabling. For groups not linked with the Timetabling system, the Day and Location fields can be used to enter any text and are not limited to days.

Deleting Groups

To delete individual groups:

  1. Access the module by clicking the Module title on the Modules page in MMS, or in the My Modules portlet on the Academic Activities workspace in MySaint (see Figure 1).
  2. Select the group type tab (see Figure 5).
  3. Locate the group in the table.
  4. Select the group by checking the tickbox in the Delete? column.
  5. Select the Delete Selected Groups button.

To delete a group type:

  1. Access the module by clicking the Module title on the Modules page in MMS, or in the My Modules portlet on the Academic Activities workspace in MySaint (see Figure 1).
  2. Select the Students tab (see Figure 2).
  3. Scroll down to the Group Types section.
  4. Locate the group type in the table.
  5. Select the Delete button in the Actions column.

If a group type, or group is deleted in error, please contact [email protected]

Adding staff to a group

Adding staff to a group has the following benefits:

  • Staff will only have oversight of the students they are listed against, which is increasingly important from a GDPR standpoint
  • Staff will see smaller student lists so Tool overviews will be less cluttered.

To add a member of staff to a group:

  1. Access the module by clicking the Module title on the Modules page in MMS, or in the My Modules portlet on the Academic Activities workspace in MySaint (see Figure 1).
  2. Select the Staff tab.
  3. In the Add staff to module section enter the name or username of the member of staff. As you type MMS will provide a list of possible staff members.
  4. Select the member of staff by clicking on their name.
  5. From the Role dropdown list, select the required role.
  6. From the Group dropdown list, select the group.
  7. Select the Add button.

    The new role will appear on the table in the Staff tab. This table can be filtered by typing the name of the member of staff, group or role into the ‘Filter table’ field.

    Adding Students to groups

    There are three methods of adding students to groups:

    • Manually adding students to groups
    • CSV Import
    • Student Sign-up

    Manually adding students to groups

    To manually add students to a group:

    1. Access the module by clicking the Module title on the Modules page in MMS, or in the My Modules portlet on the Academic Activities workspace in MySaint (see Figure 1).
    2. Select the tab corresponding to the group type.
    3. Scroll down to the Assign Students section.
    4. Locate the student in the table.
    5. Select the checkbox in the column corresponding to the required group
    6. Click Save Students’ Groups to save

    CSV Import

    To bulk add students to groups via a CSV import:

    1. Prepare a CSV file with the student’s username or matriculation number in the first column and the name of the group in the second column. Leave the group name blank to remove a student from all groups.
    2. Access the module by clicking the Module title on the Modules page in MMS, or in the My Modules portlet on the Academic Activities workspace in MySaint (see Figure 1).
    3. Select the tab corresponding to the group type.
    4. Scroll down to the Import Students’ Groups from Spreadsheet (CSV) section.
    5. Select Browse to locate and select the file.
    6. Select Import Groups from CSV.
    7. On the next page review the proposed changes.
    8. Select Update Student Groups to save.

    Student Signup

    Once groups have been created then a student Sign-up tool can be created that allows students to sign up to the group most convenient for them. To create a Sign up tool:

    1. Access the module by clicking the Module title on the Modules page in MMS, or in the My Modules portlet on the Academic Activities workspace in MySaint (see Figure 1).
    2. Scroll down to the Tools section.
    3. In the Additional tools section, check the tick box in the Occasional section labelled Student group sign-up
    4. Select the Create Tools button.
    5. A new tool will appear in the Tools table entitled Group Signup.
    6. Change the tool name if required.
    7. Select the group type from the Group Type drop down if required.
    8. Select the Update Tools button to save any changes.
    9. Select the Overview link in the View column to access the tool.
    10. Select Configure from the navigation panel in the left.
    11. On the Configure Group Signup page:
      • set a maximum number of students for a group
      • a start date (if no start date is set students can sign up straight away)
      • freeze date (after which students can’t change groups)
      • any additional configuration options (see the Student Group Signup Tool guide for further details).
    1. Select the Save Configuration button to save.

    View changes in student group lists

    Users with administration rights on the Student Group Signup tool can view changes to the group student lists over time:

    1. Select the Group Signup tool
    2. Select Configure from the navigation panel on the left
    3. Scroll down to the Changes in student lists section
    4. The table will list any changes in student lists
    5. Use the Filter table field to filter by student username, group name or date (yyyy-mm-dd)

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