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1.1     ! raeburn     1: \label{Groups}
        !             2: 
        !             3: Groups within LON-CAPA courses support two main modes of use, described
        !             4: below. When a group is first created, members can be assigned, or
        !             5: they can be added later. It is also possible to configure a group
        !             6: so that when a specified \emph{change} in a user's role and/or section
        !             7: occurs, membership of the group is initiated or terminated for that
        !             8: user. 
        !             9: 
        !            10: 
        !            11: \paragraph{Modes of use: \emph{(a)} Section-like}
        !            12: 
        !            13: Groups can be collections of different users, e.g., for whom common
        !            14: parameters are to be set, or data for display are to be filtered (e.g.,
        !            15: CHRT). An example might be the case where a class has multiple sections,
        !            16: some of which meet on Monday, some on Tuesday etc.. Students from
        !            17: all Monday sections could be assigned to a group (e.g., named {}``monday'')
        !            18: and then open date, due date and answer date parameters could be assigned
        !            19: for the group. In the cascading parameter scheme employed in LON-CAPA,
        !            20: group settings take precedence over section settings. An individual
        !            21: student may be a member of more than one group (unlike a section -
        !            22: where students are restricted to a single section, or no section).
        !            23: If a particular parameter has been set for an individual student in
        !            24: a number of groups, the parameter which takes precedence is the one
        !            25: which is most specific (e.g., a resource-based group setting takes
        !            26: precedence over a folder-based group setting, which in turn takes
        !            27: precedence over a general group setting). For this mode of use, there
        !            28: is no need to select any group tools when creating a group, as described
        !            29: in (b).
        !            30: 
        !            31: 
        !            32: \paragraph{Modes of use: \emph{(b)} Collaborative teams}
        !            33: 
        !            34: Groups can also be teams of users requiring access to collaborative
        !            35: tools, e.g., to facilitate group project work. To support this mode
        !            36: of use, a selection of collaborative tools are available for selection
        !            37: when creating a group. Some or all of the tools selected for the group
        !            38: can be assigned to group members. Each tool has one or more core privileges.
        !            39: Most tools also have optional privileges. Tools currently available
        !            40: are: Group chat, Group discussion boards, Group portfolio, Group mail,
        !            41: Group roster and a Group homepage. 
        !            42: 
        !            43: When creating a group ... 
        !            44: 
        !            45: The creator defines the set of tools which are to be available in
        !            46: the group. The group can be configured so all members have access
        !            47: to this complete set of available tools. Alternatively, different
        !            48: members can be assigned access to subsets of this complete toolset.
        !            49: 
        !            50: The group can be configured so all members receive identical privileges
        !            51: for any tools they are assigned. This set of privileges comprises
        !            52: the core privileges plus the default set of optional privileges. The
        !            53: default set is specified when the course is created.
        !            54: 
        !            55: Alternatively, individual members can be assigned different privileges
        !            56: for the particular tools assigned to them. In this case the privileges
        !            57: will be the core privileges plus any specific optional privileges
        !            58: granted for the tools assigned to them.
        !            59: 
        !            60: When group members are added automatically as a result of membership
        !            61: triggered by specified role/section changes, those members receive
        !            62: access to the complete set of tools available in the group, with the
        !            63: corresponding core privileges plus default optional privileges. The
        !            64: group access start and end dates members receive are the defaults
        !            65: set for the group. If these defaults are changed in a group which
        !            66: already has members then the start and end times for existing members
        !            67: remain unchanged. However, existing members can be expired from the
        !            68: group (if access is active), activated (if access starts in the future),
        !            69: re-enabled (if access has already ended), and deleted from the group. 
        !            70: 
        !            71: If access to certain tools needs to be added or removed for specific
        !            72: members, then the group settings for assignment of tools must be set
        !            73: to \char`\"{}different members have different tools\char`\"{} before
        !            74: attempting to modify user settings. This may require modifying the
        !            75: group settings first from the \char`\"{}Modify default group setting\char`\"{}
        !            76: menu.
        !            77: 
        !            78: The same is true if different privileges are to be assigned to different
        !            79: members. In this case the \char`\"{}different members have different
        !            80: privileges\char`\"{} setting must be modified if not already set,
        !            81: before modifying user settings.
        !            82: 
        !            83: Course Coordinators receive the \char`\"{}Modify/Edit groups\char`\"{}
        !            84: course-level privilege. This allows them to create and modify groups
        !            85: in the course, and also to access all group tools available in any
        !            86: group in the course. 
        !            87: 
        !            88: Instructors receive the \char`\"{}View course groups\char`\"{} course-level
        !            89: privilege. This allows then to access all group tools available in
        !            90: any group in the course. This type of access is not currently limited
        !            91: by section affiliation, although this could be implemented in the
        !            92: future.