Create ELMS-Canvas Groups for Large Enrollment Courses


The Group Import feature of the Groups tool enables instructors to import group associations to a group set via CSV import. This feature is particularly useful to instructors who wish to create and manage group identities for large numbers of students. This feature serves as an alternative to enrolling participants manually or automatically via the Group Set tool.  

  1. Click People in the course menu.
  2. Click Add Group Set. Provide a name for the group set (usually the topic of the group work that will be performed by the various groups you create with the tool).
  3. Select I’ll create groups later. Click Save.
  4. Once a Group Set is created, the Add Import groups button becomes visible. Click Add Import. This will then display the Import Groups screen.
  5. Click on the Download Course Roster CVS link to download a template for assigning students to groups whose names you will identify in the group_name column.
    download course roster screen example
  6. The CSV template downloads with student names, Canvas userids, student ids, directory ids and the names of the sections in the course with which they are associated (for example, 0101, 0201).
    spread sheet of data columns
  7. Type in a group name in the group_name column to which you wish to assign students. (Do not enter any information in the canvas_group or group_id fields.) Save the CSV file locally.
  8. Return to the Upload CSV File screen. If you have closed out of this, click the Import button again in the Group Set.
  9. Click on the Upload CVS File image to locate and upload the CSV file into your course space. You will see a progress bar as your group is created.
  10. Once the group set information has been uploaded, groups and their members will be listed under the Group Set tab.

    finalized list of groups and memberships

For more information, visit the following pages.