Setting restrictions using Moodle groups for assessment submission

This refers to Moodle 4.1 from September 2023 onwards.  

Introduction

Groups in Moodle enables the ability for staff to filter activities by groups, share certain content to a particular group set of students, make certain assignments, activities and materials available to a certain group or collection of groups.

For example, you may wish to

• Add students to different groups.
• Put all the relevant activities and resources into one or more sections in a module and make the section visible to only that group.

Setting up Groups in a module

Within the module select the ‘Settings’ tab under the module title.

Within the ‘Edit module settings’ page, scroll down to the ‘Groups’ section and within the ‘Group mode’ dropdown menu, select ‘Separate groups’. Once that is done, press the ‘Save and display’ button.

Back within the module homepage, select the ‘Participants’ tab.

Within the page, select ‘Groups’ from the drop-down menu next to the ‘Enrol users’ button.

Within the groups page, select the ‘Create group’ button.

Within the group settings page, enter a group name. Please choose your group name with care as it is visible to members of the group. You should make sure that the group name does not use terms that could identify or infer the group serves a purpose related to any protected characteristic. Careful selection of group names will reduce the likelihood of inadvertently disclosing personally identifiable information about a student to their peers.

Once a group name is entered, select the ‘Save changes’ button.

Please note, that if there are other groups in the module, e.g. groups for a group assignment, please check that each set of groups for a different purpose are added to a grouping, visit the guidance 'Why might you need Groupings in Moodle'.

Back within the group page, click on the group name to highlight the group you wish to added users to.

Select the ‘Add/remove users’ button.

From the ‘Potential members’ list, select the students that are to be added to a group. When they are selected, press the ‘Add’ button and the student will be moved to the ‘Group members’ list on the left.  

If there is a need to remove a student from a group, then select the student from the ‘Group members’ list and then press the ‘Remove’ button.  

Once all students have been added to the group, select the ‘Back to groups’ button, located toward the bottom left.  

The group has now been created and the next step will be to add the group restrictions. Select ‘Module’ from the top of the page to go back to the homepage of the module.  

Applying the group restrictions to a single activitiy of resource

In the home page of the module select the ‘Edit mode’ toggle to turn editing on.  

Locate the activity or resource that is to be restricted by groups, for example, a Turnitin assignment that only certain students need to submit to, press the 3 dots icon and from the dropdown menu, select ‘Edit settings’.  

Within the ‘Restrict access’ section, select the ‘Add restriction...’ button.  

From the pop-up window, select ‘Group’. 

A group option should now appear, and from the ‘Group’ dropdown menu, select the name of the group that will have access and then select the eye icon on the left-hand side so that a line appears over it. Doing this will hide the activity or resource from anyone not in the group.  

It is possible to add further restrictions, for example, a date from when the activity or resource will be available from by selecting the ‘Add restriction…’ button.  

Press the ‘Save and return to module’ button at the bottom of the page.  

It is also possible to add students to a group even though the restrictions may have already been set up. To do this click on the ‘Participants’ button at the top of the module and select the ‘Groups’ from the dropdown menu. Then follow the steps written previously on how to add a member to a group.  

Back on the module home page, the activity now displays information that it is only available to a certain group and is hidden otherwise.