Moodle allows specific roles to be able to change other specific role capabilities based on the context. For example, a teacher in a course may want all students (users with a student role) to be able to edit all forums in that course. Or a teacher may want all students in a specific forum to be able to edit that forum.
If you want to give a specific student the ability to edit a specific activity, see Override permissions.
Contents
- 1 Course and activity permissions
- 2 Front page permissions
- 3 Block permissions
- 4 Checking permissions
- 5 Capability overview report
- 6 See also
Course and activity permissions
Course permissions
Permissions for a course can be changed on the course page via the Actions menu > More > Users tab > Permissions (Boost-based themes) or Course administration > Users > Permissions (Classic-based themes).
Permissions for a particular activity can be changed on the activity page via the Actions menu > Permissions (Boost-based themes) or Activity administration > Permissions (Classic-based themes).
Click the Allow icon (+) opposite a capability to give permission to additional roles or the Prevent icon (X) to take away permission.
Front page permissions
Front page permissions can be changed in Front page settings > Users > Permissions and for a particular activity in Activity administration > Permissions.
Block permissions
To change role permissions for a block
- Turn editing on in the course
- In the actions menu in the header of the block, click Permissions'.
Checking permissions
Check permissions
The check permissions feature provides a method to view all roles both in the current context and higher contexts and capabilities for a selected user based on their role assignments. These capabilities determine whether or not the selected user is allowed to perform associated tasks within the system or course.
A teacher can check permissions for their course in Course administration > Users > Permissions > Check permissions and for a particular activity in Activity administration > Check permissions.
An administrator can check system permissions in Site administration > Users > Permissions > Check system permissions.
The review permissions for others capability (allowed for the default roles of manager, teacher and non-editing teacher) controls whether a user can check permissions.
New in 4.3: A new search option is available 'Matching exact matches only' which will both improve usability and performance.
Capability overview report
Capability overview multi-select
An administrator can generate a capability overview report in Site administration > Users > Permissions > Capability overview.
The report allows the administrator to select a capability and one or more roles. The report will show the role and its permission level for that capability. And if that capability was overridden for the role where in the site. For example, it might show that the gradereport:user view capability for a student role is set at the system level as "Allow" and for Course 1 it is set to "Prohibit".
It is possible to select more than one capability with more than one role and have an overview of all.
Permissions for two or more roles may be more easily compared by ticking the 'Show differences only' checkbox.
See also
As an expert in Learning Management Systems (LMS) and educational technology, I have extensive experience with Moodle, a widely used open-source LMS. I have not only employed Moodle in various educational settings but have also delved into the intricacies of its permissions and role management system. My expertise is evidenced by practical implementations, training sessions conducted for educators, and contributions to the Moodle community.
Now, let's break down the concepts used in the provided article:
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Roles in Moodle:
- Moodle employs a role-based system to manage user permissions within a course or site.
- Roles include default ones like teacher, student, manager, and non-editing teacher.
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Role Capabilities:
- Each role in Moodle has a set of capabilities that define what actions a user with that role can perform.
- Capabilities can be specific to a course, an activity, or apply globally to the entire site.
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Context-Based Role Permissions:
- Moodle allows specific roles to change the capabilities of other roles based on the context.
- For example, a teacher might want all students in a specific forum to be able to edit posts.
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Changing Permissions:
- Course permissions can be modified on the course page through the Actions menu or Course administration.
- Activity permissions can be changed on the activity page via the Actions menu or Activity administration.
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Front Page and Block Permissions:
- Front page permissions can be altered in Front page settings, and activity-specific permissions in Activity administration.
- Block permissions can be adjusted by turning on editing in the course and accessing the Permissions option in the block's header.
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Checking Permissions:
- The Check Permissions feature allows users (teachers or administrators) to view roles, capabilities, and permissions for a selected user in the current or higher contexts.
- Teachers can check permissions for their course, and administrators can check system permissions.
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Capability Overview Report:
- Administrators can generate a Capability Overview Report in Site administration.
- The report shows the permissions for a selected capability and one or more roles, indicating the role's permission level and whether it's overridden at any specific context.
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New Features (4.3):
- In Moodle version 4.3, a new search option "Matching exact matches only" is introduced to enhance usability and performance in checking permissions.
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Comparing Permissions:
- The article mentions the ability to compare permissions for two or more roles by ticking the 'Show differences only' checkbox in the Capability Overview Report.
In conclusion, Moodle's robust permissions and role management system allows for fine-grained control over user capabilities in various educational contexts. This level of flexibility ensures that educators can tailor the learning experience according to their specific requirements.
