Using and Managing Groups
Covered within this guide is an overview of how groups operate within VU Collaborate. It includes instructions about how to enrol in a self-enrollment group, how to engage in group discussions and how groups submit assignments to assessment dropboxes.
This guide covers the following topics, use these links for easier navigation:
- Accessing Groups
- Self-Enrolling in a Group
- Utilising Group Discussion Boards
- Submitting to Dropbox as a Group
Accessing Groups
After logging into VU Collaborate and navigating to the desired unit space:
1. From the Communication menu in the navigation bar, click on Groups.
2. This will take you to a page that displays all of the groups you are currently enrolled in.
You may find that there is a specific group allocation within a unit space. This is so that you can receive information specific to your group. Sometimes content is restricted so that it can be group-specific. This means that space might look different to someone who is enrolled in the same unit but is in a different group.
3. Other groups might have been created by a teacher for the group work within tutorials. This is why it is possible to be enrolled in more than one group at a time.
Self-Enrolling in a Group
In some circumstances, you may need to manually enrol yourself into a group. This is usually the case when a class has been asked to break up into groups to complete group work.
To find out how to add yourself into a group in VU Collaborate, see the video below or read the instructions beneath it.
To self-enrol in one or more groups:
1. Click on View Available Groups on the Groups screen.
2. Find the appropriate group and then click on Join Group. This will enrol you in the relevant group.
If a teacher has asked you to break up into groups and self-enrol on VU Collaborate, check with your group members to make sure that you are all enrolling in the same group.
3. You will be taken back to the My Groups screen. Check that you have enrolled in the correct group by selecting the group's Member number.
4. You will see your name and student ID within the Member list of the group if you enrolled correctly, once observed select Close.
5. In an instance where you would like to change a self-enrolled group, you will be able to unenroll by clicking on Leave Group.
6. Select Yes to unenroll.
7. Then repeat steps 1 to 3 as shown above, with the group of your choice.
Utilising Group Discussion Boards
You may have access to a group-specific discussion if the teacher has decided this is appropriate.
To access discussions:
1. Leave Groups by selecting Discussions from the Communication tab on the navigation bar.
2. View the available discussion topics under each forum and select the appropriate discussion for a group.
3. Click on Start a New Thread to begin a discussion. You can respond to an existing thread by clicking on the name of the thread and clicking Reply to Thread.
See this guide for more information on discussion boards.
Submitting to Dropbox as a Group
As part of the group work, you may be required to submit an assignment to a Dropbox on behalf of a group.
It's important to make sure that you enrol into a group or that you are placed in a group by your academic, as you will not be able to access the group Dropbox or the rubric linked to that Dropbox.
See this guide for more information: Using and Managing Groups.
1. Select Assessment Dropbox from the Assessments tab on the navigation bar.
2. Locate the relevant Dropbox folder. A group folder will be accompanied by the group icon.
3. Click on the relevant folder.
4. Double check that you have selected the correct folder by reviewing the title and attached group category and group name at the top of the page.
5. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Add a File.
If you would like to add any comments to your academic, you can include them in the Text Comments Area. When finalised, click on Submit.
6. Choose one of the following to add file options:
My Computer is recommended unless stated otherwise.
7. Either Drag & Drop a file or click Upload and select a file. Once completed click Add.
8. Double check that all of the details are correct for your submission on the File Upload Results screen that appears.
9. Click on Submit.
10. The message below will indicate important details of the submission. Once you familiarise yourself with the details, click Done.
11. The submission folder can now be viewed next to the relevant group dropbox folder in the Assessment Dropbox.
