Groups Overview
As a Social LMS, Linkr provides multiple paths to learning and organizational growth. “Groups” enable participants to engage in collaborative, informal, meaningful learning experiences by:
- hosting communities of practice around specific themes,
- keeping alumni together post-training
- creating spaces for relationship-building to increase productivity and impact.
Groups can be powerful tools for your linkr.
In this article, you will learn about:
How to remove Members from a Group
How to add Co-Managers to a Group
The Four types of Groups
When you create a Group, you will have to select one of the four existing Group Types depending on the outcome you would like to reach:
Automatic Groups:
All members of your linkr will automatically be part of any Automatic Group, which makes them ideal for the onboarding of newcomers to share starting material and best practices.
Public Groups:
Any member of your linkr can see, look into and join any existing Public Group, without any approval required. These groups are best suited to foster interaction on general topics.
Private Groups:
Any member of your linkr can see all the existing Private Groups but will have to request access to join. These groups are best suited for specific collaborations or for groups whose members may be required to be identified as having particular roles, titles or affiliations before being approved.
Hidden Groups:
These groups are only visible by the Administrators of your linkr, the Group Managers and the Group Members. As they’re invisible, joining will only be possible via invitation and approval. Hidden Groups are meant to provide confidential spaces for Administrators or for groups that host any particularly sensitive materials or themes.
Note: It’s possible for Group Managers to change the type of a Group at any point in time.
The Privileges in Groups
When the Administrators of a linkr create a Group, they will be able to adjust the Privileges which will determine who can do what in that Group:
There are currently two features rules by Privileges:
- Post new Conversation threads
- Add and Manage Resources
For each of them, you will be able to choose whether only the Group Managers or All Group Members should be able to do them.
Note: It’s possible for Group Managers to adjust the Privileges of a Group at any point in time.
The features of a Group
Groups currently have four tabs, each of them serving a specific purpose:
Conversations:
The Conversations Tab provides a space for free and open conversation in threads with scaffolded replies between Group Members. (Learn more about Conversations)
Publications:
Publications associated with the Group are organized on the Publications tab. When an author publishes a piece, they can associate the piece with a Group. (Learn more about Publications)
Resources:
In the Resources tab, Group Managers (and possibly Members depending on the Privileges) can share documents and files, videos. (Learn more about Resources)
Members:
The Members tab is where Group Managers can manage who can access their Group (if they’re Private and Hidden). It’s also from that tab that it’s possible to add Co-Managers to the Group.
How to create a Group
A linkr is the homebase for a network of classes and groups overseen by an institution, an association, an organization or a learning community such as virtual exchange, mobility or experiential learning network.
If you’re an Administrator of a linkr, you can create groups in that space from the Groups tab. Simply click on the + Add Groups button and fill the corresponding creation form:
For each new Group, you will have to select a Group Type and relevant Group Privileges, which you will be able to modify at any time.
How to edit or delete a Group
If you are an Administrator or a Group Manager, it’s possible for you to edit and delete a group from any list of Groups, by clicking on the three-dot menu at the top right of any Group card and selecting the right option:
How to add Members to a Group
Please note that if the Group is “Automatic”, all members of your link will automatically be added to it as soon as they join, there will be no additional step required for them to join.
For Public, Private and Hidden groups, adding new Members is very easy! Group Managers can go to the Members tab of that group and click on the + Add Member button:
A window will appear with the option to copy the direct invitation link to that Group that you will be able to share with these potential members (there is also a handy QR code in case you would be in a live session).
Next step for Public Groups
Once users have clicked on this link, they will be invited to create a Linkr account and then will be able to freely join the group, without any confirmation required by a Group Manager:
Next step for Private and Hidden Groups
Once users have clicked on this link, they will be invited to create a Linkr account and to ask for access to this Group.
Once they have requested access, you will get an email notification asking them to accept or refuse the members and the Members tab will show a bubble with the number of members that requested access:
To grant them access, simply go to the Members tab, click on the three-dots menu at the top right of the User card, and Accept or Refuse them:
Once you made your choice, the users will receive an email notification to inform them that they have been granted or refused access to the Group.
How to remove Members from a Group
Removing Members from a Group is very easy! Group Managers can go to the Members tab of that group and click on the three-dots menu at the top right of the User card they would like to remove, then select “Delete”:
How to add Co-Managers to a Group
Adding new Co-Managers to a Group is very easy! First, invite them to the group!
Then, as a Group Manager, simply go to the Members tab of that class and click on the three-dots menu at the top right of the User card you would like to remove, then select “LOREM”: