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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
Canvas Groups create dedicated “mini-course” workspaces within your class, giving each group its own files, pages, discussions, and announcements for collaboration. Instructors can set up multiple groups and can add students manually, via self-sign-up, or through automatic assignment. When it’s time to grade, instructors can choose between a single shared grade for the entire group or individual grades for each group member.
Refer to the Functionality Comparison Table for a list of Group Features and how they compare to Sections, Differentiation Tags, and the Assign To feature.
Differentiation Tags
Differentiation Tags are labels that instructors can create and apply to one or more students in a Canvas class. The tags allow instructors to assign pages, assignments, quizzes, modules, discussions, and calendar events to students associated with a tag. Instructors can also use differentiation tags to assign different due dates to tagged students.
Once an instructor has created a differentiation tag in a Canvas class, the tag will appear in the Assign To dropdown list for pages, assignments, quizzes, modules, discussions and calendar events.
- Tags can be seen by instructors and TAs but are invisible to students.
- When you copy your class to a new semester, Differentiation Tags do not copy with your course material. You will need to re-create Differentiation Tags each semester.
Grading and Differentiation Tags
If an instructor assigns a graded assignment to a tag group rather than the whole class, only the students in the tag group will see the assignment and will be responsible for the assignment. In SpeedGrader, the assignment is filtered so that the instructor only sees students associated with the tag.
Think of Differentiation Tags as named student shortcuts for the Assign To menu. You create a differentiation tag once (e.g., Extra Time - Quizzes) and apply the tag to the relevant students on the People page. From that point on, whenever you open Assign To on an assignment, quiz, page, module, discussion, or calendar event, your tag shows up alongside individual names and sections. Selecting the tag in Assign To applies your settings (due dates, availability, content) to everyone associated with the tag in one click; there is no need to re-type or re-select each student every time.
Note: When you copy your class to a new semester, Differentiation Tags do not copy with your course material. You will need to re-create Differentiation Tags each semester.
Differentiation Tags Example
Differentiation Tags are an effective way to personalize course material for students. The following is an example of how an instructor might use Differentiation Tags. Let's say that four of your students have formal accommodations through ARC for extra 30 minutes on quizzes.
- On the People page, click Tag As > New Tag to create a new tag you call "Extra Time - Quizzes."
- Then on the People page, simply check the box to the left of each student who needs extra time on quizzes.
- You click Tag As and then select the "Extra Time - Quizzes" tag to apply the tag to the students you selected. (Remember that students cannot see this tag.)
- When you make a quiz, open the Assign To menu.
- Instead of picking individual names or sections, you can simply choose your Extra Time - Quizzes tag and set the quiz time limit to 90 minutes (instead of the 60-minute time limit the rest of the class has).
- Now, the four tagged students will have 90 minutes to take the quiz, while everyone else has 60 minutes to take the quiz.
Refer to the Functionality Comparison Table for a list of Differentiation Features and how they compare to Sections, Groups, and the Assign To feature.
Assign To
Assignments, quizzes, pages, modules, discussions, and calendar events are available to everyone in Canvas by default. To make content available to specific students or to set different due dates for some students, use the Assign To feature.
In Assign To, you can select individual or multiple students, class sections, and Differentiation Tags you’ve created.
Key points:
- Differentiation Tags function as a preset cohort of students that you can use in Assign To fields
- Groups do not appear as an option in the Assign To dropdown.
Key points:
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No prep required: You can assign content to individuals or sections on the fly, without any setup.
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Works everywhere: The menu appears on assignments, quizzes, pages, modules, discussions, and calendar events.
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Flexible dates: For each audience you choose, set unique due dates, availability windows, and even point values if needed.
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Complementary to Tags: Use Assign To to deliver the item; use Differentiation Tags to save a cohort for future assignments without re-selecting every name.
By understanding that Assign To is the execution point for all your visibility and timing decisions—and that Differentiation Tags simply feed into it—you can streamline your workflow and avoid duplicating items whenever you need to tailor content.
Refer to the Functionality Comparison Table for a list of Assign To Features and how they compare to Sections, Groups, and Differentiation Tags.
Functionality Comparison
The following table provides an overview and comparison of the features and functions available for Canvas groups, sections, differentiation tags, and the Assign To feature.
Tasks |
Group |
Section |
Differentiation Tag |
Assign To |
Associated Procedures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limit assignments to specific sets of students (e.g., Only grad students should complete this assignment.) | Yes | Yes | 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 | Yes | Yes | |
| Send Canvas announcements or messages to different sets of students | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Provide a team space where specific sets of students can post discussions and collaborate on pages and files. | Yes | No | No | 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 | No | No | |
| Allow students to select their own membership in a group (e.g., self-enroll in a group for group presentations) | Yes | No | No | No | Create Self Sign Up Groups |
| Take attendance for a specific set of students. | No | Yes | No | No | Take Attendance by Section |
| Filter Gradebook by a specific set of students. | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Filter Gradebook by Group or Section |
| Filter SpeedGrader by a specific set of students. | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Require instructors and TAs to select a specific set of students when opening SpeedGrader. | No | Yes | No | No |
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 | Yes | Yes | |
| Create Canvas Calendar events for a specific set of students | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | View a Group Calendar |
| Included in Canvas Analytics? | No | Yes | No | No | |
| Visible to students? | Yes | Yes | No | No |