Assign roles

Location

• System context: Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign global roles (this context is named "site" in Moodle 1.7)
• Site context: Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles (from Moodle 1.8 onwards)
• Course category context: Assign roles link in course categories page
• Course context: Assign roles link in course administration block
• Module context: Roles tab in editing activity page
• Block context: Assign roles link in course block (editing on)
• User context: Roles tab in user profile page

Contexts

By assigning a role to a user in a certain context, you grant them the permissions contained in that role for the current context and all lower contexts.

The list of contexts in hierarchical order is as follows:

• System (no parent)
• Site (parent = system) - Moodle 1.8 onwards
• Course category (parent = system)
• Course (parent = course category or system)
• Module (parent = course)
• Block (parent = system or course)
• User (parent = system)

Inheritance will kick in if a role is assigned at a higher level. For example if a user is assigned a Teacher role in a particular course category then the user will have this role in ALL courses within the category.

Roles will only work if the role assignment is made in the correct context. For example, a Teacher role should be assigned in the course or course category context, a Forum moderator for a particular forum should be assigned in the module context.

The Inspector role is an example of a role assigned in the system context. The Forum moderator role is an example of a role assigned in the module context. The Parent role is an example of a role assigned in the user context.

Global roles

Roles assigned in the site (1.7) or system context (1.8 onwards) are called global roles and apply across the entire site, including the front page. For example, a user assigned the global role of Teacher will have this role in every course on the site.

In many sites only admins and course creators will be assigned global roles.

The Demo teacher Restricted user role is an example of a global role.

Assigning a role

1. Choose the type of role you wish to assign. For example, if we wanted to assign a Course Creator role to Ali, we'd choose "Course Creator" from the drop-down list. ("Course Creator" is one of the pre-defined role types that comes with Moodle - your installation may have a modified set of roles.)
2. Once you have chosen a role, two lists appear: a list of users who currently have that role, and a list of users who don't. We can select Ali in the second list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add Ali's account to the list of Course Creators. Multiple users may be selected by holding down the Apple or Ctrl key whilst clicking on the users' names.

Assigning users the role of student i.e. enrolling them on the course

Hidden assignments

• To hide which role a user is assigned to, click the Hidden assignments check box before assigning the role to the user.
• This feature is useful for example if you don't want everyone with teacher rights listed in the course description.
• Note: The role assignment is not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the viewhiddenassigns capability.

Beware of assignments that don't make sense

There are many role assignments that do not make sense as the underlying functionality does not exist. Just because you give someone the "right" to do something does not guarantee that the interface or facility actually exists within the context that you have assigned that right. For example, you can assign a user the right to create new categories at the Category context, however there is no interface within Moodle to do that (category creation is only available at the site level).

See also

• Manage roles - for administrators
• Using Moodle Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list and What happens if a user has multiple roles in a course? forum discussions