Manual: Group

Groups can be created in courses as well as in the «iTools» section of ILIAS (www.itools.unibe.ch).

1. Create a Group

	Click on «Add New Item».
	Select «Group».
	Give the group a «Title».
	Select a group type. «Default»: The group is visible to others, but the registration procedure determines the access possibilities (see 2.1 Manage access to the group). «Closed Group»: The group is visible only to group members. Group members must be added manually by the group administrator (see 3.2 Add group members manually). The group type can be adjusted retrospectively in the group settings.
	Click on «Add Group».

2. Adjust settings & availability

Manage access to the group

	Go to the «Settings» tab.
	Choose a «Registration Procedure».  «Direct Registration»: Open registration without any conditions for everyone with access to the parent container (e.g., the course). «Join With Group Password»: Registration for everyone who knows the password. This option allows you to provide students with a password-protected area. You specify a password for each group and share it with the corresponding group members. «Request Membership»: Registration has to be requested by the student and confirmed by the group administrator (see 3.1 Self-registration). «No Self-enrolment»: All members have to be added manually (see 3.2 Add group members manually).
	If needed, activate the «Admission per Link» option. You will be presented with a link that you can email to people. With the link, people logged in to ILIAS can join the group directly, regardless of the «Registration procedure» (see above) or registration period (see below).
	You can limit the registration period by specifying a start and an endpoint.  If this option is used, people can only join the group within the set time period. Afterwards, the group is only accessible to members who have already joined.
	If necessary, check the «Limited Number of Members» and specify the «Minimum Number of Members». You can also enable a waiting list, which can be used to enroll users in case of cancellations. This option allows you to use the group as a registration tool - e.g., for courses, excursions, unit groups, or similar (see also iLUB-blog post (in German)).
	«Save» your settings.

Choose presentation

	Go to the «Settings» tab.
	Choose whether the group's title and icon should be displayed at the top.
	Select whether the actions menu should be displayed within the group. Via the actions menu the group can be added to favorites multiple items can be downloaded comments, notes and tags can be created
	You can upload your own icon for the group.
	Under «Tile Image» you can upload a tile image for the group (see also Manual: Tile design). When inserting images, please follow the recommended image sizes (see Notes on image sizes on ILIAS).
	Choose the «Tile», item presentation if you want the group's content displayed as tiles instead of a list  (see also Manual: Tile design). For many items, you can upload your own tile image (see point 5).
	Choose how the contents of the group should be organized.
	Choose how the contents of the group should be sorted.
	«Save» your settings.

Restrict Availability

	Go to the location on ILIAS where you have stored the group.
	Open the group's actions menu.
	Select «Availability».
	Activate the «Temporarily available» option and enter the period during which you want the group to be accessible.
	If checked, the group is visible outside the designated availability but cannot be accessed.
	«Save» your settings.

3. Manage group members

Self-registration

	Go to the «Members» tab.
	Under «Join Requests» select the students whose request you want to accept or reject.
	Select «Assign» (to accept) or. «Reject».
	Click «Execute».

Add group members manually

	Go to the «Members» tab.
	Search for the person you want to add to the group. In the search field, enter the email address (firstname.lastname@...) or the ILIAS username of the person until the person is displayed. Click on «Search Users», enter the search criteria, and click on «Search». You will get a list of search results.
	Select the desired role for this person in the dropdown menu.
	Click «Execute» or «Add».

Added members must always have access to the parent object (e.g. the parent course or group). Otherwise, the member will receive the error message «No access to a superordinated object!» when trying to access the group.

Send email to group members

Go to the «Members» tab. To send an email to the whole group, click the «Mail to Members» button. This option is available to both group administrators and group members. You can decide whether only group members or also tutors and group administrators should receive the email. To send an email to individual group members, select the members in the table, choose «Send Mail» from the drop-down menu and click «Execute». Please do not delete the text and link predefined in the email. Otherwise it will be difficult for the recipients to identify which group the email refers to.

4. Create appointments in the group calendar

	Open the group calendar's actions menu.
	Select the «Add Appointment» option.
	Fill in the mask. With the «Course/Group Notification» option you can inform group members and administrators about changes to an appointment or about a new appointment by email.
	Click «Create Appointment».

Scheduled appointments are displayed in the group calendar as well as in your personal ILIAS calendar.

5. Adjust group permissions

Permission: Create new Objects

Both group administrators and group members have the permission to create new items within a group. Administrators also have the possibility to edit and delete each item. Group members can only delete items they have created themselves. By default, group members can add all items shown in the image on the right.

	Go to the «Permissions» tab.
	Scroll to the «Create new Objects» section.
	Activate the objects that group members (right column) are allowed to create within the group.
	«Save» your settings.

Permission: Edit Calendar

	Go to the «Permissions» tab.
	Scroll to the «Special Operations» section.
	Deactivate the «Edit Calendar» option for group members (right column).
	«Save» your settings.

6. Delete a group

	Open the actions menu of the group you want to delete.
	Select «Delete».
	Confirm that you want to delete the group.

7. Application scenarios