Setting up org unit sharing groups

Org unit sharing groups allow course designers and administrators to set up sharing groups at the organization, department, or course level and share them with users. Org unit sharing groups may be optional (users may choose to apply them to specific items) or forced (users have to use them). Forced profiles may be visible (appear in the Sharing Groups area) or hidden (users don't see the group).

Course level org unit sharing groups are set up by a course designer and shared with users in a course.

Organization level sharing groups are set up by administration staff and shared with all users in an organization, or a specific set of org units from across the organization. Permissions are cascading; groups you create at the organization or department level are shared with all users enrolled in courses (and other child org units) under the organization or department. You can restrict which courses (or other child org units) the group is shared with using the Add Org Units filter options.

Table of contents

1. Access the org unit sharing groups area
2. Create a course sharing group
3. Set permissions for users in a sharing group

Use scenarios

• You are teaching a career development course in which you encourage course participants to share their resumes and career objectives with other members of the course and career advisors. You create a sharing group for sharing those items to make the process easier.
• You are teaching a fourth grade computer course that has a unit on using ePortfolio. You encourage your course participants to upload a new portfolio item each week that exemplifies their learning and to write a reflection on it. You tell the class that their work is shared and encourage them to exchange comments and ideas. You create a hidden, forced sharing group that shares your course participants' items to make the process easier.

Important  If you select the Force items to be shared with this sharing group option, ensure you let the affected users know they are automatically sharing items and only apply your org unit sharing group to appropriate roles.

Access the org unit sharing groups area

1. Open a course (or other org unit).
2. Do one of the following:
3. • Click Edit Course on the navbar and then click Sharing Groups .
   • Click Sharing Groups in the Course Administration widget.

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Create a course sharing group

1. From the main Sharing Groups page, click New Sharing Group in the top tool menu.
2. Give the profile a Name and Description.
3. Select the Force items to be shared with this sharing group check box if you want this group to automatically be applied to all items that meet the group’s filters.

   Important  This setting forces all users (regardless of role) in the course to use this sharing group. Use the Role Filter to specify which roles the group should apply to.

4. If you selected the Force items to be shared with this sharing group check box, complete the following steps:
5. 1. Select whether you want the sharing group to be visible to users or hidden.

      Important  If you hide the sharing group, users will not be able to determine which items they are automatically sharing or the permissions other users have.

   2. Use the Type Filter options to specify which item types to apply the sharing group to.
   3. Use the Tag Filter options to restrict the sharing group to items that use specific tags.
   4. Use the Role Filter to specify which roles the sharing group is shared with.
6. Click Save.

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• Click Save.

• Set permissions for users in a sharing group

  This procedure determines who has access to the items the profile is shared with and what their permissions are. It does not determine who can use or is forced to use the profile.

  1. Select the Users tab on a New Profile or Edit Profile page.
  2. Click the Add Users button.
  3. Select one of the following options for adding users:
  4. 1. All users in a course or group
     2. Individual users
  5. Select the appropriate users or courses.
  6. Select the permissions you want the users to have.
  7. Click Save.

  Notes
  
  You can adjust the permissions for individual users or groups of users by clicking the Edit Permissions icon beside their name in the permissions grid.
  
  You must ensure that your course participants enable comments and assessments for their items if you want to use permissions relating to comments and assessments.
  
  If you apply a sharing group to users’ portfolios and leave it visible, users can add it to additional items that are not covered by your filter settings.

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  See also

  • Sharing items
  • Setting up sharing groups