(Students) Accessing Canvas Groups

Updated on Feb 28, 2023

This article is for Students needing to access Groups in their Canvas Courses. Canvas allows you to access your Course Groups in three areas. This article will illustrate how to access Course Groups in all three ways.

Article Overview

1. Access Groups from Your Canvas Dashboard

2. Access the Course Groups Area from a Course's Homepage

3. Access Course Groups via the People Link

1. Access Groups from Your Canvas Dashboard

From your Canvas Dashboard, select the Groups link in the Global Navigation bar on the far left.

Select a Group from the pop-out menu. If you do not see your group name in the list - select All Groups at the bottom.

Inside the full Groups list search for the Group you would like to access and select the name of the Group to proceed. The Group names are listed in the left column, and the Course they are associated with are on the right.

Select a course group from hte All Groups menu

2. Access the Course Groups Area from a Course's Homepage

To view groups you've been assigned to in one of your courses, begin from your Canvas Dashboard. Select a course to view Groups you've been assigned to.

Select a course from your Canvas Dashboard

Access Course specific Groups you are assigned to by selecting a group from the Course Groups area on the far right hand side on a course's Homepage.

Access Course Groups on the botom right hand side of the course homepage.

Begin by accessing a course from your Canvas Dashboard.

choose a course from your canvas dashboard

Choose the People link in Course Navigation to continue.

If you do not see the People link in Course Navigation, your instructor has hidden it from your view and you will not be able to access Course Groups in this way.

Select People from the course navigation tab

You will see a list of all the students in your class. Select Groups from the top to continue.

After selecting People in course navigation, choose Groups

You may see a list of student groups. Selecting the (1) triangle to the left of a group name will expand it so you will see peers' names. The word Visit (2) will appear on the groups to which you have been assigned. Select the Visit link to access your group space in the course. A (3) lock icon appears on Groups you are not a part of and cannot join.

image of course groups in a canvas course.

Groups that have been set by your instructor for you to choose, called self- assign groups, will allow you to leave and switch to another group as long as the group is not already full - which a lock icon shows when hovered over with a mouse.