Groups: Import Enrollment

Overview

Instructors can use the Group import feature to efficiently manage student group enrollments. Rather than manually adding students one by one, instructors can use a CSV or TXT file to bulk-enroll or un-enroll students. This feature is particularly useful for courses with a large number of students. The process involves downloading the student list and a group export file, adding group, category, and student Brightspace numbers, and then re-uploading the file to automatically create groups and enroll students. The feature is also flexible, as it supports updating existing group enrollments throughout a course.

Instructions

This is a three-part process.

Export Student Information

  1. In the desired course, download the list of all students from Grades.
    • Export Options:
      • Key Field: Both
      • Grade Values: none are needed
      • User Details: Last Name; First Name
    • Download in Excel file format.

Create the Group Category

  1. Create the Group Category.
    • Enrollment Type: # of Groups - No Auto Enrollments

Create Import File

  1.  Open the file created in Step 1.
    1. Insert one column to the left of the OrgDefinedID and name it ACTION.
    2. Type: ENROLL for each student listed in file.
    3. Insert two columns to the right of Username; name Group Name and Group Code, respectively.
      File format: Column A = Action; Columns B & C = OrgDefinedID & Username; Column D = Group Name; Column E = Group Code; Columns F & G = Last Name & First Name
  2. On Manage Groups page, select the appropriate Category.
    1. Click the first group's name.
      Groups table display with Reading Group 1 highlighted
      1. Copy/Paste the Group Name to the Group Name column in the opened file for each student assigned to this group.
      2. Click Cancel
        Group details screen displaying Group Name, Group Code, and the Cancel button highlighted
    2. Repeat the above until all groups have been assigned the appropriate student.
    3. Delete the Last Name and First Name columns from the file.
    4. Delete Row 1 - the header row.
    5. Save the file in CSV format.
      Completed formatted file image
  3. Click Import.
    Manage Groups screen with Import button highlighted
    1. Select Category: select the category used above.
    2. Click Choose File: browser and upload the file created above.
    3. Click Import File.
      Completed import screen with Select Category, Choose File, and Import File options highlighted
    4. Fix any file errors; then repeat the above steps.
    5. After successful import, either
      • See Import Results: view results then click Done.
        Import Results screen
      • Click Exit.

 

Need Help?

Need additional information or assistance? Contact CTS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. State University of New York at Oswego Division of Extended Learning and Campus Technology Services

 

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Groups tool is a feature that allows instructors to organize students into smaller teams or groups. This tool facilitates collaborative activities that can provide each group with a dedicated workspace for discussions, file sharing, and project submissions. Before you create a new set of groups, you must set up a category and create restricted work areas for the groups.
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