A Random Group Maker is a digital tool designed to split a list of names or items into randomized teams, pairs, or groups. These tools are commonly used by teachers, managers, and event organizers to eliminate bias in grouping and avoid the time-consuming process of manual sorting. Key Features and Functionality
Simple Input & Generation: You can input a list of names and specify either the number of groups desired or the number of people per group.
Randomized Sorting: The tool uses algorithms to ensure teams are assigned by chance, providing a fair distribution.
Re-shuffling: If the initial breakdown is not satisfactory, most generators have a “shuffle” or “re-generate” feature to instantly create new combinations.
Customization & Controls: Some advanced tools allow you to prevent certain individuals from being paired together (e.g., student exclusions) or force others to be together.
Balancing: Certain versions allow for creating balanced groups based on specific criteria, such as gender or skill level. Popular Examples
ClassTools Random Group Generator: Focuses on quick, simple sorting of names for educators.
RandomLists Team Generator: A straightforward tool that can be used for people, tasks, or items.
Classroom Screen: Offers a “Group Maker” widget with more complex controls (e.g., preventing certain pairs).
Picker Wheel Team Generator: Features both host-led grouping and self-join options where participants can join a group via a link. Flippity: Popular for providing visually random groupings.
This video demonstrates how to use Flippity to create random groups: Using Flippity to Create Random Groups 7.1K views · Aug 4, 2022 YouTube · Duane Habecker
These tools are widely used in classrooms for “visibly random groupings” (VRG) to improve collaboration among students, as described by Peter Liljedahl in his #BuildingThinkingClassrooms work, which you can see in this video: If you’d like, I can: Tell you which of these is easiest to use Tell you which is best for teachers Tell you which works best for remote teams Random Group Generator (split list of names into teams)