The choice between one group for the entire course or multiple groups for each lesson in Conoted depends on your priorities and course structure. Here is a detailed analysis of the pros and cons of each approach:

Option 1: One group with notes organized by topic (tags)

Advantages:

1. Centralized communication:

- All participants are in one place, making it easy to share general announcements or participate in group discussions without duplicating note messages.

2. Integrated knowledge base:

- By properly tagging and categorizing topics, all notes and discussions are consolidated in one place, making it easy to link related ideas and topics.

3. User friendliness:

- Users do not have to switch between multiple groups, reducing the risk of missing important information.

4. Better Networking:

- Since all participants are together, it is easier to communicate with colleagues and create a sense of community.

5. Easier Administration:

- Administrators and instructors only need to manage one group, which reduces administrative overhead.

Cons:

1. Risk of Overload:

- A single group can become overloaded if it has too many posts on one topic and they are not distributed in more detail.

2. Relies on Tagging Discipline:

- For this to work, participants must be consistent in tagging and properly organizing their posts, which may require training or moderation.


Option 2: Multiple Groups for Each Lesson

Advantages:

1. Focused Discussions:

- Each group is dedicated to a specific topic, reducing noise from unrelated discussions.

2. Natural Segmentation:

- Participants can join groups based on interest or relevance, which is especially useful for additional lessons or discussion topics.

3. Easier Retrospection:

- Finding information is easy since everything is already segmented by lesson.

4. Clarity for Latecomers:

- Latecomers can catch up more easily by focusing only on groups for missed lessons.

Disadvantages:

1. Fragmentation:

- Users can feel disconnected if they have to move between multiple groups, losing the sense of community in the course.

2. Duplicate Effort:

- Administrators and instructors may need to duplicate users across groups, which adds complexity.

3. Loss of Context:

- Discussions on different topics or connections between lessons become more difficult to follow when conversations are scattered.

4. User Overhead:

- Switching between groups can become tedious, especially if many lessons require engagement.


Additional Considerations

1. Course Length and Intensity:

- For shorter courses, a single group may be sufficient. For longer or more detailed courses, multiple groups can help avoid clutter.

2. Audience Behavior:

- If participants are disciplined and accustomed to using tags and organizational tools, a single group works well. If not, multiple groups can provide greater clarity.

3. Technology Tools:

- Apps like Conoted allow you to create a single group using tags to separate topics and lessons. This combines the best of both worlds - centralized user management and distributed topic organization.


Recommendation

A single group with tags is generally more effective for most courses. It allows for:

  • Deeper community engagement,
  • Easier user management, and
  • Dynamic topic linking, which follows the principles of interconnected knowledge.


However, Multiple groups may be better for very large courses or programs with independent modules where participants may not attend all lessons.