Dear Peter
Groups allow you to make sections of the same course. The only problem with groups is that all activities are shared by all "sections" (groups), it is only the course data that is independent. Hence the courses must be identical.
Also groups are sections of the same course, and have the same point of entry in the course heirarchy.
Unless that is you use my "redirect course" hack to link one course to another, as you suggest. Please see
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=32225
Tim
Testing and QA
Vastly improved course categories
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