[Groups] Allow Groups to set Homepage

[hpalmersheim]

We have more schools using the admin- and course-level groups feature to communicate with staff in the building and differentiate by type of staff, grade level teams, departments and others.  It would be extremely beneficial if the group function allowed them to set a custom homepage.  If you go to the pages it does allow you to set a homepage but then the group home only shows the recent activity stream.

[jhamblet]

I agree! I was just talking about this with my colleagues yesterday. We would really like to be able to better utilize these group spaces, but to do so, we need to be able to customize them with a homepage that lets students know how they can use the space, where they can find resources, etc.

Jen Holguin

Career and Academic Advisor, Director of Fellowships, Exchanges and Study Abroad

831.647.6676 I Email<mailto:jhamblet@miis.edu> I Web<http://www.miis.edu/careers> I LinkedIn<http://www.linkedin.com/in/jenholguin> I Zócalo<https://miis-csm.symplicity.com/> I Skype<http://www.skype.com/>: jen_holguin

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

Center for Advising and Career Services

[dtsnake]

I was assigned assessment task as a student, having to set up my group space for other students to come in and participate in the activities and discussion we design for the week.

I'd add my voice as a very frustrated student with the group space features.

Currently we have some options within the student group space to create pages, to post announcements, discussions etc.

As we are assigned to a group space and running it as a mini class, as students, as part of our assessment. I am finding the group space really lacking support for my fellow students. I'm the "teacher" for a week, on a specific topic that we select, so each of us gets assigned a group space to add our materials and instructions etc.

I have to provide them with instructions and activities for my research topic, I can do that in Canvas pages fine. But there's no way (other than post an announcement) to tell my classmates, here's the place to look at.

A simple option to allow us to set a homepage, like the teachers can for a real course, would have been really useful!

A module feature would be great, too but I suspect not many would use it?

This is what my group area looks like:

Further to the point, I've noticed that when I peek into my classmate's group space, even though there was a discussion and an announcement created, the activity stream was blank. This made me worry that when others come to my space, they might not see these and think to click on them! Or they go straight to the discussion and lost the context!!

I gave up on Canvas and went to google site to create all the content, but now I feel that I need to add the link to every place I could think of, to ensure my classmates know how to orientate themselves. Not ideal!

A simple ability to set a homepage would have really helped here. They come here, there's a page that tells them what to do, no need to guess where to click! The feature is already available for staff... could it be a quick win?

As a learning technologist, I then realised why our students aren't using Canvas' group spaces, now that I've experienced trying to organise it as a student myself.

[Renee_Carney]

The Radar idea stage has been removed from the Feature Idea Process.  You can read more about why in the blog post Adaptation: Feature Idea Process Changes.

This change will only impact the stage sort of this idea and will not change how it is voted on or how it is considered during prioritization activities.  This change will streamline the list of ideas 'open for voting', making it easier for you to see the true top voted ideas in one sort, here.

[bmondragon]

Some students are part of several groups, and a home page would help students differentiate between classes and the groups they belong to. Professors could also use this area to elaborate on the groups' specific projects if needed. Currently, group sites are lackluster and maybe a deterrent for students and professors. Several programs are also using the group feature as a way to communicate to students.

Please, consider reopening. 

[Stef_retired]

 @bmondragon ‌, the idea is already open for voting.

[ibagdasa]

Just this morning, the instructor came and told that she  assigns each group a different topic, and wants to create Home Page with details and resources for each group. That is when I realized that it is not possible: although I was able setup the page for each group as Front Page, I couldn't find the way to assign it as a group home page. That was really confusing; then I found this blog. 

[rodger-ling]

We are experiencing mass confusion in the groups area, which seems to be an entirely different world tacked on top of the regular LMS.  Students are wasting time creating new discussions (no ability to stop that in groups) that faculty will never see because their new discussion is not linked to the grading area.  

Honestly, if I were asked what is the single worst thing about Canvas, I would probably say it's the design of the group area.  In general, Canvas needs to give faculty more power to control what their students see.  The "Bizarro Group Area" (where absolutely no control is given) is a prime example.

[scottdennis]

Hi Rodger,

As a teacher you absolutely have control over course groups and can decide whether or not students even see them.  You can also use student preview to see your course the way your students do.  If you search here in the community you will find guide articles on how to do both of these things.

[rodger-ling]

So I can disable groups and still have group discussions? How? Send me a link to that document and I’ll buy your lunch, seriously.

Student view doesn’t work in groups, in my experience.

Sent from my iPhone

[scottdennis]

Oh, sorry Rodger.  I misunderstood.  I thought you wanted to get away from groups altogether.  Just to be sure, I created a new course, added students, created a new discussion and set it to be a group assignment.  In order to add students to a group and I had to create a group set with groups, like you say.  When the students log into the course, they can see and enter the groups, like you said.  I can DM the student login into if you want to see it from their perspective as well?