Overview

Groups are There are several different types of groups that can exist within Experiential Learning Cloud. Learn about the different group types available and when you might use each one

Group Types

Class Template

• Save time spent on setup and create a consistent student experience by refining and reusing class templates term after term. Class Templates function similarly to a "master" or "shell" course, something you may be familiar with in your Learning Management System. Class Templates in ELC allow you to build out the shell of a class from which you can copy assignments to new class sections each semester.
• If your program is using an LTI integration, your Class Templates help your LMS know what details and assignments to include when it creates the ELC section of the class you've linked.

Class

• Classes provide a framework in which students complete assignments and instructors have oversight over an entire class and keep an eye on student progress.

Cohort

• Cohorts are used to group students together by like characteristics. Cohorts could be populated on the basis of matriculation date, program delivery method, or campus, for example. Assignments can be assigned to entire cohorts, if necessary. By adding students to cohorts, you can report on their outcomes as a group separate from the classes they are members of.

Reviewer Group

• A Reviewer Group allows a group of individuals to share the responsibility to review a given task. Once the task is reviewed by one member of the group, it is taken care of. Reviewer groups also allow individual faculty members who are not the instructor of a course to review students' work as needed. Reviewer Groups are often used in the Site Placement Process.

Staff Group

• Staff Groups allow you to group university staff members or external site staff members for the purposes of easily sending mass communications within Experiential Learning Cloud.

Specialization

• Specializations are used to group students together based on a common specialization, concentration, focus area, or content area. Organizing students by these features allow you to report on student outcomes at a specialization level. 

For more information on setup check out Creating New Groups.

A Class for Each Course

Many times you will want a corresponding class in Experiential Learning Cloud for courses taught in your program. Most often these will be field courses, but you may also want to include non-field courses.

Field Courses

• A fieldwork, practicum, or internship class should contain all of the assignments that need to be completed by students once they are in their field placements. Common assignments included in field classes are:
  • a track assignment to allow students to begin tracking their time
  • report assignments to report on the time they've tracked in their timesheet
  • and form assignments, which typically consist of evaluations.
    • You may also choose to include offline or upload assignments depending on the structure of your fieldwork course. Here is more information on Building Assignments.
• NOTE: Tasks associated with the field placement process typically will not occur as assignments within their fieldwork class but instead will occur as tasks in the site placement process where students work toward being placed at a site/agency.
  • To see which tasks are included in your site placement process, you can visit the Site Processes workspace in your Admin environment. Click here to learn more.

Non-Field Courses

• A non-field class commonly includes assessment rubrics. Programs can utilize rubrics in non-field classes to assist in program-wide assessments and collecting data on students. These rubrics can tie to accreditation standards, program standards, KPIs, or any set of standards you would like. Schools will generally put a rubric or two in each class that is created in Experiential Learning Cloud for students and/or faculty to complete. This practice can allow you to have greater reporting abilities across student development and across your program.
• Click here to learn more about using rubrics in Experiential Learning Cloud for program-wide assessment.

Cohorts

• As mentioned earlier, cohorts are one way you can group students within Experiential Learning Cloud. A few examples of cohorts include cohorts created to coincide with the program start date, a cohort for students working toward a separate graduate certificate, or cohorts for access groups related to the site placement process. Ultimately cohorts assist you in grouping your students in other meaningful ways separate from the program they are associated within Experiential Learning Cloud.
• Click here to learn how you can use cohorts and specializations to disaggregate student outcomes.