Balanced random grouping
The tool shuffles the list and deals members round-robin, so groups stay within ±1 member of each other — no 7-person group next to a 2-person group. With number of groups mode, sizes are as even as the list allows; with members per group, the last group may be smaller.
Exclusions
Each line declares a pair that must not share a group (Alice, Bob). The algorithm retries up to 50 times to place everyone legally; if no valid arrangement exists, it reports the conflict pairs it couldn't avoid. Exclusions only enforce separation; there is no dedicated "keep together" mode. For pairing people, just use groups of 2.
Teacher tips
- Mix strong and weak students: shuffle once, then eyeball — or re-shuffle until the spread looks fair.
- Lab partners: groups of 2 with exclusions for chatty pairs works well.
- Repeatable randomness: screenshot the result or note the order — re-shuffling gives a new arrangement.
- Pairs with the Seating Chart Maker for the full classroom-organisation kit.