Canvas Sections and Groups Comparison
Sections
In a Canvas class, a section is simply a segment of the class roster used for administrative purposes. Sections in Canvas are created automatically and students are added to sections when courses are crosslisted in PAWS. Note that instructors cannot manually add students to sections in Canvas.
Instructors can limit an assignment to a specific section of students, set different assignment due dates for different sections, and can take attendance by section. Additionally, instructors can assign Canvas modules to specific class sections. Modules that are assigned to a specific section can only be seen by students in that section, and assignments in the module are available only to the students in the assigned section.
Groups
Groups function like a smaller version of your Canvas class and are typically used for collaboration, group discussions, and group assignments. For group assignments, instructors can assign a single grade to each group or can assign individual grades to each group member. Instructors can create multiple groups in a Canvas class and can add students to the groups.
Comparison of Groups and Sections
The following table provides an overview and comparison of the features and functions available for Canvas groups and sections.
Tasks |
Group |
Section |
Associated Procedures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limit assignments to specific sets of students (e.g., only grad students should complete this assignment) | Yes | Yes | |
| Assign different due dates for the same assignment to different sets of students (e.g., undergrads have different due dates than grads) | Yes | Yes | |
| Send announcements or messages to different sets of students | Yes | Yes | |
| Provide a team space where specific sets of students can post discussions and collaborate on pages and files. | Yes | No | |
| Create group assignments, where students can turn in a single submission as a group. Instructors determine whether to assign a single grade for all group members or to assign individual grades for each member. | Yes | No | |
| Allow students to select their own membership in a group (e.g., self-enroll in a group for group presentations) | Yes | No | Create Self Sign Up Groups |
| Take attendance for a specific set of students. | No | Yes | Take Attendance by Section |
| Choose to filter Gradebook by a specific set of students. | Yes | Yes | Filter Gradebook by Group or Section |
| Choose to filter SpeedGrader by a specific set of students. | Yes | Yes | |
| Require instructors and TAs to select a specific set of students when opening SpeedGrader. | No | Yes |
Launch SpeedGrader Filtered by Student Group (i.e., Enabling the Large Course Setting) |
| Create a Module whose contents (files, pages, assignments, etc.) are only available to a specific set of students. | No | Yes | |
| Create Canvas Calendar events for a specific set of students | Yes | Yes | View a Group Calendar |