Use Case: Scheduling Group Sessions
How to set up, schedule, and manage group live sessions with multiple students.
Prerequisites
- Active course with enrolled students
- Student group created (or students identified for grouping)
- Video conferencing equipment tested
Phase 1: Setting Up Your Group
Step 1: Create a Student Group
If you do not already have a group set up, create one first.
Navigate to Groups
Go to "Groups" in the sidebar or navigate to /platform/groups.
Click "Create Group"
Enter the group details:
- Group Name: Descriptive and easy to identify (e.g., "Tuesday B1 Conversation Class", "A2 Morning Group")
- Notes: Optional notes about the group's purpose or schedule
Add Members
Search for students by name or email. Add each student to the group. All group members must be enrolled in the same course -- each group is tied to one course.
Save
Click "Create". Your group appears in the groups list with the member count displayed.
See Student Groups for detailed group management features.
Step 2: Plan Your Group Session Format
| Parameter | Options |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Weekly (via schedule rules), one-time |
| Duration | 30 min, 45 min, 60 min, 90 min |
| Group Size | 2-4 (small), 5-8 (medium), 9-15 (large) |
| Session Type | Conversation practice, grammar review, mixed |
| Interaction | Teacher-led, student presentations, pair work |
Group size significantly affects session dynamics. Small groups (2-4) allow more speaking time per student. Large groups (9+) require more structure and moderation. For language practice, 4-6 students is often the sweet spot.
Phase 2: Scheduling
Step 3: Schedule a One-Time Group Session
Open the Schedule
Navigate to "Schedule" in the sidebar. Click "Create Group Session" to open the group session form.
Select Course and Students
- Select the course from the dropdown
- Pick the students who should participate — you can select multiple students from the course enrollment list
Set Session Details
- Date and Time: Choose the date and start time
- Duration: Set the session length (default comes from the group's default lesson length)
Create Session
Click "Create". All selected students receive email notifications with a calendar invite (.ics file) attached, so they can add the session to their calendar app.
Each generated session is independent — there is no "series" concept. To modify or cancel a session, edit it individually on the calendar. To change the recurring pattern, update the group's schedule rules and generate a new batch.
Group Homework and Exercises
When assigning homework or exercises to a group, the platform works differently from live class sessions. Instead of a single shared session, each student receives their own individual lesson and session. This means every student completes the assignment independently — their answers and progress are separate.
On the calendar, all individual sessions are aggregated into a single item showing the group name and per-student status badges. Click "Manage" on the calendar item to see each participant's progress and open their individual lesson.
Group homework and exercises are designed for individual work. Each student completes their assignment independently, and you track progress per student from the calendar. See Group Homework on the Calendar for details on the calendar view.
Phase 3: Conducting the Group Session
Step 5: Manage the Live Group Session
Joining and Setup:
- Join 10 minutes early
- Test your audio, video, and screen sharing
- Greet students by name as they join
- Click "Start Group Lesson" when all expected students have joined — the session does not start automatically when you enter the page
- Wait 2-3 minutes past start time for latecomers, then begin
In-Session Controls:
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| See who joined | Participant list in the session sidebar |
| Mute a student | Click the mic icon next to their name |
| Remove a student | Click the remove button (they can rejoin) |
| Add a late joiner | Share the session link or invite code |
Step 6: Handle Common Group Challenges
Technical issues for one student: Ask them to try rejoining. If persistent, suggest they follow along via chat and listen.
Late arrivals: Briefly acknowledge them and continue. Catch them up via chat message or after the session.
Phase 4: After the Session
Step 7: Post-Session Tasks
Record Attendance
Go to "Schedule", find the completed session, and mark attendance for each student. Note who was present, absent, or joined late.
Add Session Notes
Record observations:
- What worked well in this group dynamic
- Which students need extra attention
- Topics to revisit next session
Continue Unfinished Material
If you did not cover everything, the session document is saved automatically when you finish the lesson. When scheduling the next group session, enable the "Show continuable" toggle in the assignment dialog to pick up where you left off. See Continuing from a previous session for details.
Send Follow-Up
Share a summary with the group including key vocabulary or phrases covered, homework assignment, and the next session date.
Next Steps
- Student Groups - Full group management reference
- Live Sessions - Detailed session features
- Running Live Sessions - General session guide
Q&A
What is the ideal group size for language learning sessions?
For conversation-focused sessions, 4-6 students is ideal. Each student gets enough speaking time, and the group is large enough for varied discussion. For presentation or lecture-style sessions, you can go up to 15, but interaction decreases with larger groups.
Do group sessions cost more tokens than individual sessions?
Group sessions use the same token cost as individual live sessions. The cost is per session, not per participant, making them an efficient use of your teaching time and token budget.