1.5.1. Project Groups

Project groups are meant for collaborative work outside a course context, e.g. when writing a term paper in groups, when preparing a presentation, when working jointly on some academic publication, or when planning to communicate with other group members via forum or chat. All OLAT users can create project groups and invite another OLAT user to join. Only group members will have access to that group; it is not public.

Creating Project Groups

The tab «Groups» on top in the main navigation is your starting point for creating a project group. In the tool box «Create» on your right you have to click on «Project group» before giving your group a name. Save your settings. Your project group will then appear on the list containing all groups in the tab «Groups» as well in your Home, section «My groups».

Configuring Tools of Project Groups

Having created a project group you can now provide it with collaborative tools in the tab «Tools». If you want to modify your configurations later on (e.g. deactivate some tools) you have to do this via the tab «Groups.» Click on that project group's title and open the menu item «Administration.» In the tab «Tools» you can now activate or deactivate collaborative tools.

In the tab «Tools» of the context-sensitive Help you will get more detailed information on available OLAT tools.

If the tool «Information» is activated and saved you will be able to edit the information meant for your group members right beneath the list containing all tools. If you have activated and saved the calendar setting you can configure the write permission regarding the group calendar.

Each tool can only be used once in a project group. It is therefore not possible to e.g. provide your members with more than one folder.

Managing Project Groups

In the tab «Members» you determine if members should see each other or not. Additionally you can add more group owners that will hold the same rights as you do. This comprises the right to configure tools, to manage members, or even to delete the whole group. Each group must have at least one owner.

How to add participants is explained in the section below. Participants can use collaborative tools and see each other in the OLAT chat.

By clicking on the icon «Download table» (underneath the button «Add user») an Excel file will be created, indicating owners and participants of your project group.

Using Tools of Project Groups

As soon as the owner has provided the project group with tools group members will see the following items in the group menu:

	Information	Group owners can edit this text.
	Calendar	Group events should be managed via the group calendar. According to the configuration you will hold the write permission or the permission to read only.
	Members	Here you will see a list containing all group participants and/or its owners.
	E-Mail	Send all group owners or participants an e-mail.
	Folder	Exchange documents with other group members.
	Forum	Here you can discuss with other group members.
	Chat	You will see who else is present in the group chat. Enter the chat room to communicate with others in real time.
	Wiki	Use a Wiki to jointly create learning content.
	Portfolio	Use a portfolio to jointly create an accumulative folder or add artefacts.

A Wiki is especially useful for recording group work and other projects, or for creating link collections.

Leaving or Deleting Project Groups

In the tab «Groups» on top in the main navigation you will see all groups you have enrolled in. There you can leave a project group and delete all those groups you have created or have been nominated as co-owner.