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 "My School" -> "Groups" in the sidebar.
Click "Create Group"
Enter the group details:
- Group Name: Descriptive and easy to identify (e.g., "Tuesday B1 Conversation Class", "A2 Morning Group")
- Description: Optional notes about the group's purpose or schedule
Add Members
Search for students by name or email. Add each student to the group. You can add students from different courses -- groups are independent of course enrollment.
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, biweekly, monthly, 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 "New Session" or click directly on the desired date and time in the calendar.
Set Session Details
- Title: "B1 Conversation Practice: Travel Vocabulary" (be specific)
- Date and Time: Choose the date and start time
- Duration: Select from preset options or enter custom duration
- Timezone: Verify timezone is correct (especially for international groups)
Select Participants
- Choose "Group" as the participant type
- Select your student group from the dropdown
- All group members are automatically added as participants
- Optionally add or remove individual students for this specific session
Link to Course Content
- Select the course this session relates to
- Optionally link a specific lesson to cover during the session
Set Notifications
- Enable email reminders (24 hours before, 1 hour before)
- Add calendar invite (.ics file) so students can add to their calendars
- Optionally include a preparation note: "Please review Lesson 5 before our session"
Create Session
Click "Schedule Session". All group members receive notifications.
Step 4: Set Up Recurring Sessions
For ongoing group classes, create a recurring schedule:
Open Recurring Session Setup
From the Schedule page, click "New Recurring Session" or toggle "Repeat" when creating a new session.
Configure Recurrence
- Frequency: Weekly (most common for group classes)
- Day(s): Select the day(s) of the week
- Time: Set the consistent start time
- Duration: Set the session length
- End date: Choose when the recurring series ends (end of semester, specific date, or after X sessions)
Apply Group and Content
- Select your student group
- Link to the course
- Each occurrence can later be customized with different lesson content
Create Series
Click "Create Recurring Sessions". The system generates all scheduled sessions at once. Each appears individually on the calendar and can be modified independently.
When you delete or modify a recurring session, the system asks whether to change just that occurrence or the entire series. Be careful with "entire series" changes -- they affect all future sessions.
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
- 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
One student dominates: "Thank you, Maria. Let's hear from someone who has not spoken yet. John, what is your take?"
Students are silent: Ask specific, easy questions. Use chat for those uncomfortable speaking. Start with pair work before whole-group discussion.
Technical issues for one student: Ask them to try rejoining. If persistent, suggest they follow along via chat and listen. Do not let one student's technical problems derail the session for everyone.
Mixed levels in the group: Pair stronger students with weaker ones for practice. Give differentiated tasks.
Late arrivals: Briefly acknowledge them and continue. Do not restart. 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.
Provide Session Scores
Score each student on relevant dimensions:
- Speaking (1-5)
- Listening (1-5)
- Grammar accuracy (1-5)
- Vocabulary use (1-5)
- Participation/Engagement (1-5)
Add Session Notes
Record observations:
- What worked well in this group dynamic
- Which students need extra attention
- Topics to revisit next session
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
- Conducting 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.