Moodle’s Group Mode settings allow you to organize students so they can work, view, and interact only within their assigned groups. When you set Forced Group Mode: Separate Groups at the course level or activity level, Moodle restricts visibility so that each student only sees other students in their own group.
This guide explains how this mode works and how it impacts forums, assignments, quizzes, Panopto submissions, attendance, and other core tools.
What Does “Separate Groups” Mean?
When an activity or course is set to Separate Groups:
✔ Students only see members of their group
✔ Students cannot see posts, submissions, or data from other groups
✔ Faculty can switch between groups to view interactions
✔ All activity is separated by group, even in the gradebook reports
Visual Example:
Group A students see ONLY Group A
Group B students see ONLY Group B
Instructor sees All participants + each individual group
What Does “Forced Group Mode” Mean?
When you set Forced Group Mode = Yes at the course level:
✔ ALL activities in the course inherit the group mode you choose
✔ Activity-level group settings cannot be changed
✔ This ensures consistent grouping behavior across the course
This is helpful when:
Sections are combined
Instructors want to run multiple cohorts inside a single Moodle shell
Confidentiality or FERPA separation is required
Where to Set Forced Group Mode
A. Course-Level Setting (Controls Entire Course)
Go to Course Settings.
Scroll to Groups.
Set:
Group Mode → Separate groups
Force Group Mode → Yes
Save your changes.
Result: Every forum, assignment, quiz, and tool now uses separate groups.
B. Activity-Level Setting (Controls Only One Activity)
If Force Group Mode is OFF at the course level, you can set individual tools:
Open any activity (forum, assignment, quiz, etc.).
Click Edit settings.
Find Common Module Settings.
Set Group Mode → Separate groups.
How Separate Groups Affect Moodle Tools
Below is a detailed breakdown tool-by-tool.
Forums (Most Common Use)
What Students See:
Students ONLY see posts from their own group.
They cannot view or reply to other groups’ discussions.
They may not even see other groups' names.
What Faculty See:
A dropdown menu to switch groups
All participants
Group A
Group B
Ability to post a message visible to:
All participants (everyone)
Only one group
Key Points for Forums:
Each group essentially has its own private forum.
Students cannot know how many other groups exist.
Grading is done per student, even when working in groups.
If you want a single prompt but separate group conversations, this is the correct setting.
Assignments
Separate Groups in assignments means:
Students:
Only see and submit their own assignment (not affected by other groups).
Do not see other groups’ submissions.
Instructors:
Can filter the submissions by group.
Grade groups separately using the dropdown.
Important:
Separate Groups does NOT automatically create group submissions.
If you need group submission, you must also enable:
Group submission settings → Students submit in groups
Separate groups simply controls visibility, not group submission behavior.
Quizzes
Separate Groups affects quizzes mostly in reporting:
Students:
The quiz experience is identical regardless of group mode.
Faculty:
Can filter quiz results by group in:
Results → Grades
Statistics
Responses
Quizzes do not separate students’ view, but they separate teacher reporting.
Panopto Student Submissions
Separate Groups affects grading and list visibility.
Students:
Submit videos normally
Cannot see other students’ submissions
Faculty:
Filter the submission list by group
Panopto assignment folder permissions remain per-student—not group based
Attendance
When using the Attendance activity:
Students:
Only see their own attendance record
Faculty:
Can take attendance by group
Filter reports by group
This is useful for large classes or multi-section courses.
Gradebook
With separate groups:
Faculty:
Gradebook views include a Group filter
Reports can be downloaded by group
Grader report, user report, and activity reports all allow group filtering
Students:
Group mode does NOT change how students view their personal gradebook
(They only see their own grades regardless.)
Other Tools Affected
Glossary
Entries appear only within each group unless “Show all entries” is enabled.
Database
Students only see entries created by their group unless configured otherwise.
Wiki
Each group gets its own separate wiki.
Chat
Group chat rooms are separate
(Group A cannot enter Group B’s chat).
Scheduler / Appointments
Time slots can be restricted to specific groups.
Choice / Polls
Results can be displayed per group.
Instructor Tips for Using Separate Groups Effectively
✔ Clearly communicate that discussions are private
This helps avoid confusion for students who wonder where everyone is.
✔ Check group enrollment before the course starts
Misassigned students will end up in the wrong discussion.
✔ Use the “All participants” view for announcements in forums
Allows you to send one message visible to all groups.
✔ For combined sections, create groups like:
“Section 01”
“Section 02”
“Dual Enrollment Group”
✔ For teamwork, create smaller group sets
Use groupings if you want a specific activity to use specific groups.
Common Questions
Q: Can students tell they are in separate groups?
A: Usually no. They cannot see other groups at all.
Q: Can teachers participate differently in each group forum?
A: Yes. You can post separate replies in each group’s forum.
Q: Does Separate Groups apply to the whole course?
A: Only if Force Group Mode = Yes is enabled at the course level.
Q: What if I want one forum where everyone can interact together?
A: Change that one forum to:
Group Mode: Visible groups, or
Group Mode: No groups
(Only works if Force Mode is OFF.)
Summary
Separate Groups = students only see their own group
Forced Group Mode = all course activities use that mode
Faculty = can see all groups, filter work, grade separately
Students = cannot see or interact with other groups
This mode is most useful for:
Multi-section courses
Confidential discussion spaces
Group-based learning environments
Classes combining in-person and online cohorts