MoodleDocs - User contributions [en]

Roles FAQ

2008-07-23T03:57:30Z

Jisner: /* Do roles have an inheritance relationsip? */

{{Roles}}
==What is the definition of a...==

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of behavior. As of version 1.9 Moodle has over 200 capabilities. Each capability has a computer friendly name like [[Capabilities/mod/forum:rate|mod/forum:rate]] and a human-friendly name like "Rate posts."
;Permission
:A capability and its value considered as a pair. There are four possible values: ''Not set'' (known as ''Inherit'' in 1.7), ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', and ''Prohibit''
;Role
:A named set of permissions, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle, such as a course, module or block

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, manual role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However automatic role assignments that result from changes to certain user policies (for example, Default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the System context, so giving such permissions in the course context will have no effect.

==Why are all my teacher accounts automatically added as "Teachers" in all my courses?==

If a user is assigned a role in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles) or in a Course category context, then the user will have this role in ALL courses within the context. For example, a user who is assigned the Teacher role in the System context will appear as a Teacher in all courses on the site, including the Front page course.

Except in very special cases, teachers and students should be assigned their respective roles in a Course context. When these roles are assigned in a System context, it is almost always an error on the part of the administrator.

If you have accidentally assigned a System role, go to ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' unassign users using the right-facing arrow button. Then re-assign the roles in the appropriate Course context.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==What is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

If a role has capability ''X = Not set'', then the role is saying "I don't care about X." If a role has ''X = Prevent,'' then the role is saying "I don't want you be able to do X." Now you typically have multiple roles in a given context, and those roles may have different opinions about ''X''. If ALL of your roles have ''X = Not set'' then you will be effectively prevented from doing ''X'' because you need positive permission to do something. It's just like an election. If you are a candidate but no one votes, you don't win the election. If all of your roles except for one has ''X = Not set'' and the remaining role has ''X = Allow'', then you will be allowed to do X. Again, it's like an election where only one person votes, and they vote for you! For more complicated cases (e.g., roles assigned and overridden in different contexts) you need to understand [[How permissions are calculated]], but the principle is the same: By not voting, a role can allow other roles to determine the outcome of the election. Roles with lots of permissions Not set tend to mix well with other roles.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?==

To prevent a user from changing their own password, you must make sure they do not have moodle/user:changeownpassword ("Change own password") = Allow in the System context. The Authenticated user role (which is assigned to users in the System context) has moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow by default, so you have two choices:
# edit Authenticated user, setting moodle/user:changeownpassword = Not set
# create a new role CannotChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Prevent and all other permissions Not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (1) will prevent ''all'' users from changing their passwords (except for the administrator, who can do anything). To selectively allow selected users (say teachers) to change their passwords, you could create a new role CanChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow and all other permissions not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (2) allows you to be selective, but if you have a lot of users that you want to prevent (say, all students), you will have to make a lot of role assignments in the System context. There is currently no convenient way to do this, so you might consider choice (1).

Note that you MUST deal with this permission in the System context.

==How can I prevent a user from editing their own profile?==

See [[Roles_FAQ#How can I prevent a user from changing their own password? | How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?]] The answer to this question is the same if you substitute ''edit their own profile'' for ''change their own password'' and ''moodle/user:editownprofile'' for ''moodle/user:changeownpassword.''

==Do roles have an inheritance relationship?==

No. Roles are completely independent.

* When you create a new role by copying an existing role, it is just like copying a file: the original and the copy are identical at the outset, but the copy has no ongoing relationship with the original. Changes to the original do not affect the copy and ''vice versa''.
* When you create a new role and select a value such as LEGACY:Student from the Legacy role type dropdown, you are not "inheriting" from the Student role. You are simply indicating that you want your role to have the same defaults as Student.
* Course creator does not "inherit" from Teacher (a common misconception). As with all roles, the two roles are completely independent. Course creator is actually a very simple role that can basically only create courses and not much else. However a user who creates a course is automatically assigned the role of Teacher in the newly-created course. This is how a course creator gets her teaching abilities within a course.

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role|Forum moderator]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role|Blogger]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only
*[[Quiz user with unlimited time role|Quiz user with unlimited time]] - for allowing a user unlimited time to attempt a quiz which has a time limit set
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override permissions" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another==

There is no import and export facility for roles, but it can be achieved nearly as easily using backup and restore.

# Create an empty course with all the default settings
# Assign anybody to your custom role (or roles) within the course
# Backup the course (all defaults are fine)
# Download the backup file
# Upload the backup file to the site files of the target Moodle
# Restore the course (all defaults are fine)
# Delete the course.

You will find that the custom roles have been recreated in the target site.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Rollen FAQ]]
[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]

Roles FAQ

2008-07-22T16:48:54Z

Jisner: /* Do roles have an inheritance relationsip? */

{{Roles}}
==What is the definition of a...==

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of behavior. As of version 1.9 Moodle has over 200 capabilities. Each capability has a computer friendly name like [[Capabilities/mod/forum:rate|mod/forum:rate]] and a human-friendly name like "Rate posts."
;Permission
:A capability and its value considered as a pair. There are four possible values: ''Not set'' (known as ''Inherit'' in 1.7), ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', and ''Prohibit''
;Role
:A named set of permissions, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle, such as a course, module or block

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, manual role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However automatic role assignments that result from changes to certain user policies (for example, Default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the System context, so giving such permissions in the course context will have no effect.

==Why are all my teacher accounts automatically added as "Teachers" in all my courses?==

If a user is assigned a role in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles) or in a Course category context, then the user will have this role in ALL courses within the context. For example, a user who is assigned the Teacher role in the System context will appear as a Teacher in all courses on the site, including the Front page course.

Except in very special cases, teachers and students should be assigned their respective roles in a Course context. When these roles are assigned in a System context, it is almost always an error on the part of the administrator.

If you have accidentally assigned a System role, go to ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' unassign users using the right-facing arrow button. Then re-assign the roles in the appropriate Course context.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==What is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

If a role has capability ''X = Not set'', then the role is saying "I don't care about X." If a role has ''X = Prevent,'' then the role is saying "I don't want you be able to do X." Now you typically have multiple roles in a given context, and those roles may have different opinions about ''X''. If ALL of your roles have ''X = Not set'' then you will be effectively prevented from doing ''X'' because you need positive permission to do something. It's just like an election. If you are a candidate but no one votes, you don't win the election. If all of your roles except for one has ''X = Not set'' and the remaining role has ''X = Allow'', then you will be allowed to do X. Again, it's like an election where only one person votes, and they vote for you! For more complicated cases (e.g., roles assigned and overridden in different contexts) you need to understand [[How permissions are calculated]], but the principle is the same: By not voting, a role can allow other roles to determine the outcome of the election. Roles with lots of permissions Not set tend to mix well with other roles.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?==

To prevent a user from changing their own password, you must make sure they do not have moodle/user:changeownpassword ("Change own password") = Allow in the System context. The Authenticated user role (which is assigned to users in the System context) has moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow by default, so you have two choices:
# edit Authenticated user, setting moodle/user:changeownpassword = Not set
# create a new role CannotChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Prevent and all other permissions Not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (1) will prevent ''all'' users from changing their passwords (except for the administrator, who can do anything). To selectively allow selected users (say teachers) to change their passwords, you could create a new role CanChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow and all other permissions not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (2) allows you to be selective, but if you have a lot of users that you want to prevent (say, all students), you will have to make a lot of role assignments in the System context. There is currently no convenient way to do this, so you might consider choice (1).

Note that you MUST deal with this permission in the System context.

==How can I prevent a user from editing their own profile?==

See [[Roles_FAQ#How can I prevent a user from changing their own password? | How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?]] The answer to this question is the same if you substitute ''edit their own profile'' for ''change their own password'' and ''moodle/user:editownprofile'' for ''moodle/user:changeownpassword.''

==Do roles have an inheritance relationsip?==

No. Roles are completely independent.

* When you create a new role by copying an existing role, it is just like copying a file: the original and the copy are identical at the outset, but the copy has no ongoing relationship with the original. Changes to the original do not affect the copy and ''vice versa''.
* When you create a new role and select a value such as LEGACY:Student from the Legacy role type dropdown, you are not "inheriting" from the Student role. You are simply indicating that you want your role to have the same defaults as Student.
* Course creator does not "inherit" from Teacher (a common misconception). As with all roles, the two roles are completely independent. Course creator is actually a very simple role that can basically only create courses and not much else. However a user who creates a course is automatically assigned the role of Teacher in the newly-created course. This is how a course creator gets her teaching abilities within a course.

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role|Forum moderator]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role|Blogger]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only
*[[Quiz user with unlimited time role|Quiz user with unlimited time]] - for allowing a user unlimited time to attempt a quiz which has a time limit set
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override permissions" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another==

There is no import and export facility for roles, but it can be achieved nearly as easily using backup and restore.

# Create an empty course with all the default settings
# Assign anybody to your custom role (or roles) within the course
# Backup the course (all defaults are fine)
# Download the backup file
# Upload the backup file to the site files of the target Moodle
# Restore the course (all defaults are fine)
# Delete the course.

You will find that the custom roles have been recreated in the target site.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Rollen FAQ]]
[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]

Roles FAQ

2008-07-22T16:43:41Z

Jisner:

{{Roles}}
==What is the definition of a...==

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of behavior. As of version 1.9 Moodle has over 200 capabilities. Each capability has a computer friendly name like [[Capabilities/mod/forum:rate|mod/forum:rate]] and a human-friendly name like "Rate posts."
;Permission
:A capability and its value considered as a pair. There are four possible values: ''Not set'' (known as ''Inherit'' in 1.7), ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', and ''Prohibit''
;Role
:A named set of permissions, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle, such as a course, module or block

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, manual role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However automatic role assignments that result from changes to certain user policies (for example, Default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the System context, so giving such permissions in the course context will have no effect.

==Why are all my teacher accounts automatically added as "Teachers" in all my courses?==

If a user is assigned a role in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles) or in a Course category context, then the user will have this role in ALL courses within the context. For example, a user who is assigned the Teacher role in the System context will appear as a Teacher in all courses on the site, including the Front page course.

Except in very special cases, teachers and students should be assigned their respective roles in a Course context. When these roles are assigned in a System context, it is almost always an error on the part of the administrator.

If you have accidentally assigned a System role, go to ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' unassign users using the right-facing arrow button. Then re-assign the roles in the appropriate Course context.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==What is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

If a role has capability ''X = Not set'', then the role is saying "I don't care about X." If a role has ''X = Prevent,'' then the role is saying "I don't want you be able to do X." Now you typically have multiple roles in a given context, and those roles may have different opinions about ''X''. If ALL of your roles have ''X = Not set'' then you will be effectively prevented from doing ''X'' because you need positive permission to do something. It's just like an election. If you are a candidate but no one votes, you don't win the election. If all of your roles except for one has ''X = Not set'' and the remaining role has ''X = Allow'', then you will be allowed to do X. Again, it's like an election where only one person votes, and they vote for you! For more complicated cases (e.g., roles assigned and overridden in different contexts) you need to understand [[How permissions are calculated]], but the principle is the same: By not voting, a role can allow other roles to determine the outcome of the election. Roles with lots of permissions Not set tend to mix well with other roles.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?==

To prevent a user from changing their own password, you must make sure they do not have moodle/user:changeownpassword ("Change own password") = Allow in the System context. The Authenticated user role (which is assigned to users in the System context) has moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow by default, so you have two choices:
# edit Authenticated user, setting moodle/user:changeownpassword = Not set
# create a new role CannotChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Prevent and all other permissions Not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (1) will prevent ''all'' users from changing their passwords (except for the administrator, who can do anything). To selectively allow selected users (say teachers) to change their passwords, you could create a new role CanChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow and all other permissions not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (2) allows you to be selective, but if you have a lot of users that you want to prevent (say, all students), you will have to make a lot of role assignments in the System context. There is currently no convenient way to do this, so you might consider choice (1).

Note that you MUST deal with this permission in the System context.

==How can I prevent a user from editing their own profile?==

See [[Roles_FAQ#How can I prevent a user from changing their own password? | How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?]] The answer to this question is the same if you substitute ''edit their own profile'' for ''change their own password'' and ''moodle/user:editownprofile'' for ''moodle/user:changeownpassword.''

==Do roles have an inheritance relationsip?==

No. Roles are completely independent.

* When you create a new role by copying an existing role, it is just like copying a file: the original and the copy are identical at the outset, but the copy has no ongoing relationship with the original. Changes to the original do not affect the copy and ''vice versa''.
* When you create a new role and select a value other such as LEGACY:Student from the Legacy role type dropdown, you are not "inheriting" from the Student role. You are simply indicating that you want your role to have the same defaults as Student.
* Course creator does not "inherit" from Teacher (a common misconception). As with all roles, the two roles are completely independent. Course creator is actually a very simple role that can basically only create courses and not much else. However a user who creates a course is automatically assigned the role of Teacher in the newly-created course. This is how a course creator gets her teaching abilities within a course.

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role|Forum moderator]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role|Blogger]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only
*[[Quiz user with unlimited time role|Quiz user with unlimited time]] - for allowing a user unlimited time to attempt a quiz which has a time limit set
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override permissions" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another==

There is no import and export facility for roles, but it can be achieved nearly as easily using backup and restore.

# Create an empty course with all the default settings
# Assign anybody to your custom role (or roles) within the course
# Backup the course (all defaults are fine)
# Download the backup file
# Upload the backup file to the site files of the target Moodle
# Restore the course (all defaults are fine)
# Delete the course.

You will find that the custom roles have been recreated in the target site.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Rollen FAQ]]
[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]

Roles FAQ

2008-07-22T16:22:51Z

Jisner: /* Why isn't my role change taking effect? */

{{Roles}}
==What is the definition of a...==

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of behavior. As of version 1.9 Moodle has over 200 capabilities. Each capability has a computer friendly name like [[Capabilities/mod/forum:rate|mod/forum:rate]] and a human-friendly name like "Rate posts."
;Permission
:A capability and its value considered as a pair. There are four possible values: ''Not set'' (known as ''Inherit'' in 1.7), ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', and ''Prohibit''
;Role
:A named set of permissions, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle, such as a course, module or block

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, manual role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However automatic role assignments that result from changes to certain user policies (for example, Default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the System context, so giving such permissions in the course context will have no effect.

==Why are all my teacher accounts automatically added as "Teachers" in all my courses?==

If a user is assigned a role in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles) or in a Course category context, then the user will have this role in ALL courses within the context. For example, a user who is assigned the Teacher role in the System context will appear as a Teacher in all courses on the site, including the Front page course.

Except in very special cases, teachers and students should be assigned their respective roles in a Course context. When these roles are assigned in a System context, it is almost always an error on the part of the administrator.

If you have accidentally assigned a System role, go to ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' unassign users using the right-facing arrow button. Then re-assign the roles in the appropriate Course context.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==What is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

If a role has capability ''X = Not set'', then the role is saying "I don't care about X." If a role has ''X = Prevent,'' then the role is saying "I don't want you be able to do X." Now you typically have multiple roles in a given context, and those roles may have different opinions about ''X''. If ALL of your roles have ''X = Not set'' then you will be effectively prevented from doing ''X'' because you need positive permission to do something. It's just like an election. If you are a candidate but no one votes, you don't win the election. If all of your roles except for one has ''X = Not set'' and the remaining role has ''X = Allow'', then you will be allowed to do X. Again, it's like an election where only one person votes, and they vote for you! For more complicated cases (e.g., roles assigned and overridden in different contexts) you need to understand [[How permissions are calculated]], but the principle is the same: By not voting, a role can allow other roles to determine the outcome of the election. Roles with lots of permissions Not set tend to mix well with other roles.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?==

To prevent a user from changing their own password, you must make sure they do not have moodle/user:changeownpassword ("Change own password") = Allow in the System context. The Authenticated user role (which is assigned to users in the System context) has moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow by default, so you have two choices:
# edit Authenticated user, setting moodle/user:changeownpassword = Not set
# create a new role CannotChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Prevent and all other permissions Not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (1) will prevent ''all'' users from changing their passwords (except for the administrator, who can do anything). To selectively allow selected users (say teachers) to change their passwords, you could create a new role CanChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow and all other permissions not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (2) allows you to be selective, but if you have a lot of users that you want to prevent (say, all students), you will have to make a lot of role assignments in the System context. There is currently no convenient way to do this, so you might consider choice (1).

Note that you MUST deal with this permission in the System context.

==How can I prevent a user from editing their own profile?==

See [[Roles_FAQ#How can I prevent a user from changing their own password? | How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?]] The answer to this question is the same if you substitute ''edit their own profile'' for ''change their own password'' and ''moodle/user:editownprofile'' for ''moodle/user:changeownpassword.''

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role|Forum moderator]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role|Blogger]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only
*[[Quiz user with unlimited time role|Quiz user with unlimited time]] - for allowing a user unlimited time to attempt a quiz which has a time limit set
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override permissions" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another==

There is no import and export facility for roles, but it can be achieved nearly as easily using backup and restore.

# Create an empty course with all the default settings
# Assign anybody to your custom role (or roles) within the course
# Backup the course (all defaults are fine)
# Download the backup file
# Upload the backup file to the site files of the target Moodle
# Restore the course (all defaults are fine)
# Delete the course.

You will find that the custom roles have been recreated in the target site.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Rollen FAQ]]
[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]

Roles FAQ

2008-07-22T16:19:29Z

Jisner: /* What is the definition of a... */

{{Roles}}
==What is the definition of a...==

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of behavior. As of version 1.9 Moodle has over 200 capabilities. Each capability has a computer friendly name like [[Capabilities/mod/forum:rate|mod/forum:rate]] and a human-friendly name like "Rate posts."
;Permission
:A capability and its value considered as a pair. There are four possible values: ''Not set'' (known as ''Inherit'' in 1.7), ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', and ''Prohibit''
;Role
:A named set of permissions, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle, such as a course, module or block

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, explicit role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However role assignments resulting from changes to certain user policies (for example, changing the default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the system context, so assigning a role in the course context will result in the role change not taking effect.

==Why are all my teacher accounts automatically added as "Teachers" in all my courses?==

If a user is assigned a role in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles) or in a Course category context, then the user will have this role in ALL courses within the context. For example, a user who is assigned the Teacher role in the System context will appear as a Teacher in all courses on the site, including the Front page course.

Except in very special cases, teachers and students should be assigned their respective roles in a Course context. When these roles are assigned in a System context, it is almost always an error on the part of the administrator.

If you have accidentally assigned a System role, go to ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' unassign users using the right-facing arrow button. Then re-assign the roles in the appropriate Course context.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==What is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

If a role has capability ''X = Not set'', then the role is saying "I don't care about X." If a role has ''X = Prevent,'' then the role is saying "I don't want you be able to do X." Now you typically have multiple roles in a given context, and those roles may have different opinions about ''X''. If ALL of your roles have ''X = Not set'' then you will be effectively prevented from doing ''X'' because you need positive permission to do something. It's just like an election. If you are a candidate but no one votes, you don't win the election. If all of your roles except for one has ''X = Not set'' and the remaining role has ''X = Allow'', then you will be allowed to do X. Again, it's like an election where only one person votes, and they vote for you! For more complicated cases (e.g., roles assigned and overridden in different contexts) you need to understand [[How permissions are calculated]], but the principle is the same: By not voting, a role can allow other roles to determine the outcome of the election. Roles with lots of permissions Not set tend to mix well with other roles.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?==

To prevent a user from changing their own password, you must make sure they do not have moodle/user:changeownpassword ("Change own password") = Allow in the System context. The Authenticated user role (which is assigned to users in the System context) has moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow by default, so you have two choices:
# edit Authenticated user, setting moodle/user:changeownpassword = Not set
# create a new role CannotChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Prevent and all other permissions Not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (1) will prevent ''all'' users from changing their passwords (except for the administrator, who can do anything). To selectively allow selected users (say teachers) to change their passwords, you could create a new role CanChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow and all other permissions not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (2) allows you to be selective, but if you have a lot of users that you want to prevent (say, all students), you will have to make a lot of role assignments in the System context. There is currently no convenient way to do this, so you might consider choice (1).

Note that you MUST deal with this permission in the System context.

==How can I prevent a user from editing their own profile?==

See [[Roles_FAQ#How can I prevent a user from changing their own password? | How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?]] The answer to this question is the same if you substitute ''edit their own profile'' for ''change their own password'' and ''moodle/user:editownprofile'' for ''moodle/user:changeownpassword.''

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role|Forum moderator]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role|Blogger]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only
*[[Quiz user with unlimited time role|Quiz user with unlimited time]] - for allowing a user unlimited time to attempt a quiz which has a time limit set
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override permissions" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another==

There is no import and export facility for roles, but it can be achieved nearly as easily using backup and restore.

# Create an empty course with all the default settings
# Assign anybody to your custom role (or roles) within the course
# Backup the course (all defaults are fine)
# Download the backup file
# Upload the backup file to the site files of the target Moodle
# Restore the course (all defaults are fine)
# Delete the course.

You will find that the custom roles have been recreated in the target site.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Rollen FAQ]]
[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]

Roles FAQ

2008-07-22T16:16:00Z

Jisner: /* What is the definition of a... */

{{Roles}}
==What is the definition of a...==

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of behavior, for example [[Capabilities/mod/forum:rate|mod/forum:rate]]
;Permission
:A capability and its value considered as a pair. There are four possible values: ''Not set'' (known as ''Inherit'' in 1.7), ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', and ''Prohibit''
;Role
:A named set of permissions, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle, such as a course, module or block

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, explicit role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However role assignments resulting from changes to certain user policies (for example, changing the default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the system context, so assigning a role in the course context will result in the role change not taking effect.

==Why are all my teacher accounts automatically added as "Teachers" in all my courses?==

If a user is assigned a role in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles) or in a Course category context, then the user will have this role in ALL courses within the context. For example, a user who is assigned the Teacher role in the System context will appear as a Teacher in all courses on the site, including the Front page course.

Except in very special cases, teachers and students should be assigned their respective roles in a Course context. When these roles are assigned in a System context, it is almost always an error on the part of the administrator.

If you have accidentally assigned a System role, go to ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' unassign users using the right-facing arrow button. Then re-assign the roles in the appropriate Course context.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==What is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

If a role has capability ''X = Not set'', then the role is saying "I don't care about X." If a role has ''X = Prevent,'' then the role is saying "I don't want you be able to do X." Now you typically have multiple roles in a given context, and those roles may have different opinions about ''X''. If ALL of your roles have ''X = Not set'' then you will be effectively prevented from doing ''X'' because you need positive permission to do something. It's just like an election. If you are a candidate but no one votes, you don't win the election. If all of your roles except for one has ''X = Not set'' and the remaining role has ''X = Allow'', then you will be allowed to do X. Again, it's like an election where only one person votes, and they vote for you! For more complicated cases (e.g., roles assigned and overridden in different contexts) you need to understand [[How permissions are calculated]], but the principle is the same: By not voting, a role can allow other roles to determine the outcome of the election. Roles with lots of permissions Not set tend to mix well with other roles.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?==

To prevent a user from changing their own password, you must make sure they do not have moodle/user:changeownpassword ("Change own password") = Allow in the System context. The Authenticated user role (which is assigned to users in the System context) has moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow by default, so you have two choices:
# edit Authenticated user, setting moodle/user:changeownpassword = Not set
# create a new role CannotChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Prevent and all other permissions Not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (1) will prevent ''all'' users from changing their passwords (except for the administrator, who can do anything). To selectively allow selected users (say teachers) to change their passwords, you could create a new role CanChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow and all other permissions not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (2) allows you to be selective, but if you have a lot of users that you want to prevent (say, all students), you will have to make a lot of role assignments in the System context. There is currently no convenient way to do this, so you might consider choice (1).

Note that you MUST deal with this permission in the System context.

==How can I prevent a user from editing their own profile?==

See [[Roles_FAQ#How can I prevent a user from changing their own password? | How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?]] The answer to this question is the same if you substitute ''edit their own profile'' for ''change their own password'' and ''moodle/user:editownprofile'' for ''moodle/user:changeownpassword.''

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role|Forum moderator]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role|Blogger]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only
*[[Quiz user with unlimited time role|Quiz user with unlimited time]] - for allowing a user unlimited time to attempt a quiz which has a time limit set
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override permissions" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another==

There is no import and export facility for roles, but it can be achieved nearly as easily using backup and restore.

# Create an empty course with all the default settings
# Assign anybody to your custom role (or roles) within the course
# Backup the course (all defaults are fine)
# Download the backup file
# Upload the backup file to the site files of the target Moodle
# Restore the course (all defaults are fine)
# Delete the course.

You will find that the custom roles have been recreated in the target site.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Rollen FAQ]]
[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]

Enrolment FAQ

2008-07-22T01:11:37Z

Jisner: /* How do I prevent users from enrolling themselves on courses? */

{{FAQ}}
==How do I prevent students from enrolling themselves in a course?==

Student-initiated enrollment (also known as [[Internal enrolment]]) is one of the standard enrollment methods supported by Moodle. In fact, it is the only method that cannot be disabled sitewide by the administrator. Fortunately, there are a few methods you can use to effectively prevent students from enrolling themselves in your course.
*Set ''Course enrollable'' to ''No'' in the course settings. This disables internal enrollment for your course.
*Set an [[Enrolment key|enrolment key]] in the course settings. Students will only be able to enroll if they know the key. Naturally, you will keep the key secret.

Note that neither method prevents teachers from [[Enrolment#Manual enrolment|manually enrolling]] students (Course administration -> Assign roles).

== Why are users being unenrolled for no apparent reason? ==

Please check the following:
*The ''longtimenosee'' variable in ''Site Administration > Server > Cleanup'' (or Administration > Configuration > Variables in Moodle 1.6) which specifies the time limit for which, if students haven't logged in, they are unenrolled from courses.
*The ''Enrolment duration'' in the [[course/edit|Course settings]] which unenrols students after the specified time has elapsed.

(See [[Unenrolment]] for a full list of what controls unenrolment.)

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

If the default role for all users in ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to student rather than authenticated user (the default setting), this will result in all students being enrolled in all courses.

Another possibility is that users are assigned the system role of student. Check ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' and unassign users as necessary, then reassign them the role of student in the course context.

==Why can't I select "External Database" from the enrolment plugins drop-down menu in the course settings?==

Only ''interactive'' enrolment methods may be chosen in the course settings. Non-interactive enrolment plugins are set for the entire site in ''Site Administration'' > ''Enrolment''. Please refer to the interactive enrolment section of [[Enrolment plugins]].

==How do I enable students to unenrol themselves from courses?==

#Access ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Click the edit icon opposite the student role.
#Change the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:unassignself|moodle/role:unassignself]] capability from not set to allow.
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

(See [[Unenrolment]] for instructions on how to enable students to unenrol themselves from a particular course.)

==How do I prevent teachers from unenrolling themselves from their course by mistake?==

#Access ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Click the edit icon opposite the teacher role.
#Change the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:unassignself|moodle/role:unassignself]] capability from allow to not set.
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

==How do I change the spelling of "enrol" to "enroll"?==

Simply install the American English language pack (en_us) then choose it as the default language for the site. Or [[Language editing|edit your language]] settings.

==Is there a way for teachers to be notified when students enrol in a course?==

No notifications will be sent when students are allowed to enrol by the [[Internal enrolment]] process. It can be done by changing the open source code, but not by through the interface. Other enrolment methods (for example [[Flat file]]) can allow emails when enrolment is complete but these are not student initiated.

==When a student enrols using an enrolment key, they get a welcome e-mail message. Can a teacher customise this at the course level?==

Entering text for the message is described [[Email_processing#Email_confirmation_or_registration_words.2C_and_how_to_edit_them| Documentation here]]. But at the course level, not possible without a hack.

==Where in the database is the relationship between user and course?==

Prior to Moodle 1.7, enrollments were represented by two simple tables: mdl_user_students and mdl_user_teachers. Under the new Roles and Capabilities System introduced in Moodle 1.7, the concept of enrollment has been generalized. The word "Enroll" should literally be read as "Assign a role to." To accomodate this flexibility, the database model has changed. There is now a mdl_role_assignments table that holds the equivalent information. For more information, see [[Development:Roles|the roles development documentation]]

[[Category:Enrolment]]

Enrolment FAQ

2008-07-22T00:54:20Z

Jisner:

{{FAQ}}
==How do I prevent users from enrolling themselves on courses?==

There are several methods to prevent or restrict [[Internal enrolment]] by a student.
*Set an [[Enrolment key|enrolment key]] in the course settings, so whilst the student can automatically enrol, they will need the key to complete the process.
*Set ''Course enrollable'' to ''No'' in the course settings. This stops the internal enrolment (student initiated enrolment) process.

Note that neither method will prevent [[Enrolment#Manual enrolment|manual enrolments]] or [[Enrolment plugins]] from working.

== Why are users being unenrolled for no apparent reason? ==

Please check the following:
*The ''longtimenosee'' variable in ''Site Administration > Server > Cleanup'' (or Administration > Configuration > Variables in Moodle 1.6) which specifies the time limit for which, if students haven't logged in, they are unenrolled from courses.
*The ''Enrolment duration'' in the [[course/edit|Course settings]] which unenrols students after the specified time has elapsed.

(See [[Unenrolment]] for a full list of what controls unenrolment.)

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

If the default role for all users in ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to student rather than authenticated user (the default setting), this will result in all students being enrolled in all courses.

Another possibility is that users are assigned the system role of student. Check ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' and unassign users as necessary, then reassign them the role of student in the course context.

==Why can't I select "External Database" from the enrolment plugins drop-down menu in the course settings?==

Only ''interactive'' enrolment methods may be chosen in the course settings. Non-interactive enrolment plugins are set for the entire site in ''Site Administration'' > ''Enrolment''. Please refer to the interactive enrolment section of [[Enrolment plugins]].

==How do I enable students to unenrol themselves from courses?==

#Access ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Click the edit icon opposite the student role.
#Change the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:unassignself|moodle/role:unassignself]] capability from not set to allow.
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

(See [[Unenrolment]] for instructions on how to enable students to unenrol themselves from a particular course.)

==How do I prevent teachers from unenrolling themselves from their course by mistake?==

#Access ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Click the edit icon opposite the teacher role.
#Change the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:unassignself|moodle/role:unassignself]] capability from allow to not set.
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

==How do I change the spelling of "enrol" to "enroll"?==

Simply install the American English language pack (en_us) then choose it as the default language for the site. Or [[Language editing|edit your language]] settings.

==Is there a way for teachers to be notified when students enrol in a course?==

No notifications will be sent when students are allowed to enrol by the [[Internal enrolment]] process. It can be done by changing the open source code, but not by through the interface. Other enrolment methods (for example [[Flat file]]) can allow emails when enrolment is complete but these are not student initiated.

==When a student enrols using an enrolment key, they get a welcome e-mail message. Can a teacher customise this at the course level?==

Entering text for the message is described [[Email_processing#Email_confirmation_or_registration_words.2C_and_how_to_edit_them| Documentation here]]. But at the course level, not possible without a hack.

==Where in the database is the relationship between user and course?==

Prior to Moodle 1.7, enrollments were represented by two simple tables: mdl_user_students and mdl_user_teachers. Under the new Roles and Capabilities System introduced in Moodle 1.7, the concept of enrollment has been generalized. The word "Enroll" should literally be read as "Assign a role to." To accomodate this flexibility, the database model has changed. There is now a mdl_role_assignments table that holds the equivalent information. For more information, see [[Development:Roles|the roles development documentation]]

[[Category:Enrolment]]

Enrolment FAQ

2008-07-22T00:53:30Z

Jisner: /* Where in the database is the relationship between user and course? */

{{FAQ}}
==How do I prevent users from enrolling themselves on courses?==

There are several methods to prevent or restrict [[Internal enrolment]] by a student.
*Set an [[Enrolment key|enrolment key]] in the course settings, so whilst the student can automatically enrol, they will need the key to complete the process.
*Set ''Course enrollable'' to ''No'' in the course settings. This stops the internal enrolment (student initiated enrolment) process.

Note that neither method will prevent [[Enrolment#Manual enrolment|manual enrolments]] or [[Enrolment plugins]] from working.

== Why are users being unenrolled for no apparent reason? ==

Please check the following:
*The ''longtimenosee'' variable in ''Site Administration > Server > Cleanup'' (or Administration > Configuration > Variables in Moodle 1.6) which specifies the time limit for which, if students haven't logged in, they are unenrolled from courses.
*The ''Enrolment duration'' in the [[course/edit|Course settings]] which unenrols students after the specified time has elapsed.

(See [[Unenrolment]] for a full list of what controls unenrolment.)

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

If the default role for all users in ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to student rather than authenticated user (the default setting), this will result in all students being enrolled in all courses.

Another possibility is that users are assigned the system role of student. Check ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' and unassign users as necessary, then reassign them the role of student in the course context.

==Why can't I select "External Database" from the enrolment plugins drop-down menu in the course settings?==

Only ''interactive'' enrolment methods may be chosen in the course settings. Non-interactive enrolment plugins are set for the entire site in ''Site Administration'' > ''Enrolment''. Please refer to the interactive enrolment section of [[Enrolment plugins]].

==How do I enable students to unenrol themselves from courses?==

#Access ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Click the edit icon opposite the student role.
#Change the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:unassignself|moodle/role:unassignself]] capability from not set to allow.
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

(See [[Unenrolment]] for instructions on how to enable students to unenrol themselves from a particular course.)

==How do I prevent teachers from unenrolling themselves from their course by mistake?==

#Access ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Click the edit icon opposite the teacher role.
#Change the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:unassignself|moodle/role:unassignself]] capability from allow to not set.
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

==How do I change the spelling of "enrol" to "enroll"?==

Simply install the American English language pack (en_us) then choose it as the default language for the site. Or [[Language editing|edit your language]] settings.

==Is there a way for lecturers to be notified when students enrol in a course?==

No notifications will be sent when students are allowed to enrol by the [[Internal enrolment]] process. It can be done by changing the open source code, but not by through the interface. Other enrolment methods (for example [[Flat file]]) can allow emails when enrolment is complete but these are not student initiated.

==When a student enrols using an enrolment key, they get a welcome e-mail message. Can a lecturer customise this at the course level?==

Entering text for the message is described [[Email_processing#Email_confirmation_or_registration_words.2C_and_how_to_edit_them| Documentation here]]. But at the course level, not possible without a hack.

==Where in the database is the relationship between user and course?==

Prior to Moodle 1.7, enrollments were represented by two simple tables: mdl_user_students and mdl_user_teachers. Under the new Roles and Capabilities System introduced in Moodle 1.7, the concept of enrollment has been generalized. The word "Enroll" should literally be read as "Assign a role to." To accomodate this flexibility, the database model has changed. There is now a mdl_role_assignments table that holds the equivalent information. For more information, see [[Development:Roles|the roles development documentation]]

[[Category:Enrolment]]

Enrolment FAQ

2008-07-22T00:50:27Z

Jisner:

{{FAQ}}
==How do I prevent users from enrolling themselves on courses?==

There are several methods to prevent or restrict [[Internal enrolment]] by a student.
*Set an [[Enrolment key|enrolment key]] in the course settings, so whilst the student can automatically enrol, they will need the key to complete the process.
*Set ''Course enrollable'' to ''No'' in the course settings. This stops the internal enrolment (student initiated enrolment) process.

Note that neither method will prevent [[Enrolment#Manual enrolment|manual enrolments]] or [[Enrolment plugins]] from working.

== Why are users being unenrolled for no apparent reason? ==

Please check the following:
*The ''longtimenosee'' variable in ''Site Administration > Server > Cleanup'' (or Administration > Configuration > Variables in Moodle 1.6) which specifies the time limit for which, if students haven't logged in, they are unenrolled from courses.
*The ''Enrolment duration'' in the [[course/edit|Course settings]] which unenrols students after the specified time has elapsed.

(See [[Unenrolment]] for a full list of what controls unenrolment.)

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

If the default role for all users in ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to student rather than authenticated user (the default setting), this will result in all students being enrolled in all courses.

Another possibility is that users are assigned the system role of student. Check ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' and unassign users as necessary, then reassign them the role of student in the course context.

==Why can't I select "External Database" from the enrolment plugins drop-down menu in the course settings?==

Only ''interactive'' enrolment methods may be chosen in the course settings. Non-interactive enrolment plugins are set for the entire site in ''Site Administration'' > ''Enrolment''. Please refer to the interactive enrolment section of [[Enrolment plugins]].

==How do I enable students to unenrol themselves from courses?==

#Access ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Click the edit icon opposite the student role.
#Change the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:unassignself|moodle/role:unassignself]] capability from not set to allow.
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

(See [[Unenrolment]] for instructions on how to enable students to unenrol themselves from a particular course.)

==How do I prevent teachers from unenrolling themselves from their course by mistake?==

#Access ''Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Click the edit icon opposite the teacher role.
#Change the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:unassignself|moodle/role:unassignself]] capability from allow to not set.
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

==How do I change the spelling of "enrol" to "enroll"?==

Simply install the American English language pack (en_us) then choose it as the default language for the site. Or [[Language editing|edit your language]] settings.

==Is there a way for lecturers to be notified when students enrol in a course?==

No notifications will be sent when students are allowed to enrol by the [[Internal enrolment]] process. It can be done by changing the open source code, but not by through the interface. Other enrolment methods (for example [[Flat file]]) can allow emails when enrolment is complete but these are not student initiated.

==When a student enrols using an enrolment key, they get a welcome e-mail message. Can a lecturer customise this at the course level?==

Entering text for the message is described [[Email_processing#Email_confirmation_or_registration_words.2C_and_how_to_edit_them| Documentation here]]. But at the course level, not possible without a hack.

==Where in the database is the relationship between user and course?==

Prior to Moodle 1.7, enrollments were represented by two simple tables: mdl_user_students and mdl_user_teachers. Under the new Roles and Capabilities System introduced in Moodle 1.7, the concept of enrollment has been generalized. The word "Enroll" should litterally be read as "Assign a role to." The data base model has become considerably more complicated. There is now a mdl_role_assignments table that holds the equivalent information. For more information, see [[Development:Roles|the roles development documentation]]

[[Category:Enrolment]]

Roles FAQ

2008-07-21T20:07:54Z

Jisner: /* Why are all my teacher accounts automatically added as "Teachers" to all my courses? */

{{Roles}}
==What is the definition of a...==

;Role
:An identifier of the user's status in some context, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Capability
:A description of a particular Moodle feature, for example [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:create|moodle/blog:create]]
;Permission
:A setting for a capability - inherit, allow, prevent or prohibit
;Context
:A "space" in Moodle, such as courses, activity modules or blocks

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, explicit role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However role assignments resulting from changes to certain user policies (for example, changing the default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the system context, so assigning a role in the course context will result in the role change not taking effect.

==Why are all my teacher accounts automatically added as "Teachers" in all my courses?==

If a user is assigned a role in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles) or in a Course category context, then the user will have this role in ALL courses within the context. For example, a user who is assigned the Teacher role in the System context will appear as a Teacher in all courses on the site, including the Front page course.

Except in very special cases, teachers and students should be assigned their respective roles in a Course context. When these roles are assigned in a System context, it is almost always an error on the part of the administrator.

If you have accidentally assigned a System role, go to ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' unassign users using the right-facing arrow button. Then re-assign the roles in the appropriate Course context.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==What is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

If a role has capability ''X = Not set'', then the role is saying "I don't care about X." If a role has ''X = Prevent,'' then the role is saying "I don't want you be able to do X." Now you typically have multiple roles in a given context, and those roles may have different opinions about ''X''. If ALL of your roles have ''X = Not set'' then you will be effectively prevented from doing ''X'' because you need positive permission to do something. It's just like an election. If you are a candidate but no one votes, you don't win the election. If all of your roles except for one has ''X = Not set'' and the remaining role has ''X = Allow'', then you will be allowed to do X. Again, it's like an election where only one person votes, and they vote for you! For more complicated cases (e.g., roles assigned and overridden in different contexts) you need to understand [[How permissions are calculated]], but the principle is the same: By not voting, a role can allow other roles to determine the outcome of the election. Roles with lots of permissions Not set tend to mix well with other roles.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?==

To prevent a user from changing their own password, you must make sure they do not have moodle/user:changeownpassword ("Change own password") = Allow in the System context. The Authenticated user role (which is assigned to users in the System context) has moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow by default, so you have two choices:
# edit Authenticated user, setting moodle/user:changeownpassword = Not set
# create a new role CannotChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Prevent and all other permissions Not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (1) will prevent ''all'' users from changing their passwords (except for the administrator, who can do anything). To selectively allow selected users (say teachers) to change their passwords, you could create a new role CanChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow and all other permissions not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (2) allows you to be selective, but if you have a lot of users that you want to prevent (say, all students), you will have to make a lot of role assignments in the System context. There is currently no convenient way to do this, so you might consider choice (1).

Note that you MUST deal with this permission in the System context.

==How can I prevent a user from editing their own profile?==

See [[Roles_FAQ#How can I prevent a user from changing their own password? | How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?]] The answer to this question is the same if you substitute ''edit their own profile'' for ''change their own password'' and ''moodle/user:editownprofile'' for ''moodle/user:changeownpassword.''

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role|Forum moderator]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role|Blogger]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only
*[[Quiz user with unlimited time role|Quiz user with unlimited time]] - for allowing a user unlimited time to attempt a quiz which has a time limit set
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override permissions" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another==

There is no import and export facility for roles, but it can be achieved nearly as easily using backup and restore.

# Create an empty course with all the default settings
# Assign anybody to your custom role (or roles) within the course
# Backup the course (all defaults are fine)
# Download the backup file
# Upload the backup file to the site files of the target Moodle
# Restore the course (all defaults are fine)
# Delete the course.

You will find that the custom roles have been recreated in the target site.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Rollen FAQ]]
[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]

Roles FAQ

2008-07-21T20:06:01Z

Jisner: /* Why are participants being added automatically when a new course is created? */

{{Roles}}
==What is the definition of a...==

;Role
:An identifier of the user's status in some context, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Capability
:A description of a particular Moodle feature, for example [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:create|moodle/blog:create]]
;Permission
:A setting for a capability - inherit, allow, prevent or prohibit
;Context
:A "space" in Moodle, such as courses, activity modules or blocks

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, explicit role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However role assignments resulting from changes to certain user policies (for example, changing the default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the system context, so assigning a role in the course context will result in the role change not taking effect.

==Why are all my teacher accounts automatically added as "Teachers" to all my courses?==

If a user is assigned a role in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles) or in a Course category context, then the user will have this role in ALL courses within the context. For example, a user who is assigned the Teacher role in the System context will appear as a Teacher in all courses on the site, including the Front page course.

Except in very special cases, teachers and students should be assigned their respective roles in a Course context. When these roles are assigned in a System context, it is almost always an error on the part of the administrator.

If you have accidentally assigned a System role, go to ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' unassign users using the right-facing arrow button. Then re-assign the roles in the appropriate Course context.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==What is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

If a role has capability ''X = Not set'', then the role is saying "I don't care about X." If a role has ''X = Prevent,'' then the role is saying "I don't want you be able to do X." Now you typically have multiple roles in a given context, and those roles may have different opinions about ''X''. If ALL of your roles have ''X = Not set'' then you will be effectively prevented from doing ''X'' because you need positive permission to do something. It's just like an election. If you are a candidate but no one votes, you don't win the election. If all of your roles except for one has ''X = Not set'' and the remaining role has ''X = Allow'', then you will be allowed to do X. Again, it's like an election where only one person votes, and they vote for you! For more complicated cases (e.g., roles assigned and overridden in different contexts) you need to understand [[How permissions are calculated]], but the principle is the same: By not voting, a role can allow other roles to determine the outcome of the election. Roles with lots of permissions Not set tend to mix well with other roles.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?==

To prevent a user from changing their own password, you must make sure they do not have moodle/user:changeownpassword ("Change own password") = Allow in the System context. The Authenticated user role (which is assigned to users in the System context) has moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow by default, so you have two choices:
# edit Authenticated user, setting moodle/user:changeownpassword = Not set
# create a new role CannotChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Prevent and all other permissions Not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (1) will prevent ''all'' users from changing their passwords (except for the administrator, who can do anything). To selectively allow selected users (say teachers) to change their passwords, you could create a new role CanChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow and all other permissions not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (2) allows you to be selective, but if you have a lot of users that you want to prevent (say, all students), you will have to make a lot of role assignments in the System context. There is currently no convenient way to do this, so you might consider choice (1).

Note that you MUST deal with this permission in the System context.

==How can I prevent a user from editing their own profile?==

See [[Roles_FAQ#How can I prevent a user from changing their own password? | How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?]] The answer to this question is the same if you substitute ''edit their own profile'' for ''change their own password'' and ''moodle/user:editownprofile'' for ''moodle/user:changeownpassword.''

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role|Forum moderator]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role|Blogger]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only
*[[Quiz user with unlimited time role|Quiz user with unlimited time]] - for allowing a user unlimited time to attempt a quiz which has a time limit set
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override permissions" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another==

There is no import and export facility for roles, but it can be achieved nearly as easily using backup and restore.

# Create an empty course with all the default settings
# Assign anybody to your custom role (or roles) within the course
# Backup the course (all defaults are fine)
# Download the backup file
# Upload the backup file to the site files of the target Moodle
# Restore the course (all defaults are fine)
# Delete the course.

You will find that the custom roles have been recreated in the target site.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Rollen FAQ]]
[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]

Roles FAQ

2008-07-21T20:01:08Z

Jisner: /* Why are participants being added automatically when a new course is created? */

{{Roles}}
==What is the definition of a...==

;Role
:An identifier of the user's status in some context, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Capability
:A description of a particular Moodle feature, for example [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:create|moodle/blog:create]]
;Permission
:A setting for a capability - inherit, allow, prevent or prohibit
;Context
:A "space" in Moodle, such as courses, activity modules or blocks

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, explicit role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However role assignments resulting from changes to certain user policies (for example, changing the default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the system context, so assigning a role in the course context will result in the role change not taking effect.

==Why are participants being added automatically when a new course is created?==

If a user is assigned a role in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles) or in a Course category context, then the user will have this role in ALL courses within the context. For example, a user who is assigned the Teacher role in the System context will appear as a Teacher in all courses on the site, including the Front page course.

Except in very special cases, teachers and students should be assigned their respective roles in a Course context. When these roles are assigned in a System context, it is almost always an error on the part of the administrator.

If you have accidentally assigned a System role, go to ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' unassign users using the right-facing arrow button. Then re-assign the roles in the appropriate Course context.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==What is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

If a role has capability ''X = Not set'', then the role is saying "I don't care about X." If a role has ''X = Prevent,'' then the role is saying "I don't want you be able to do X." Now you typically have multiple roles in a given context, and those roles may have different opinions about ''X''. If ALL of your roles have ''X = Not set'' then you will be effectively prevented from doing ''X'' because you need positive permission to do something. It's just like an election. If you are a candidate but no one votes, you don't win the election. If all of your roles except for one has ''X = Not set'' and the remaining role has ''X = Allow'', then you will be allowed to do X. Again, it's like an election where only one person votes, and they vote for you! For more complicated cases (e.g., roles assigned and overridden in different contexts) you need to understand [[How permissions are calculated]], but the principle is the same: By not voting, a role can allow other roles to determine the outcome of the election. Roles with lots of permissions Not set tend to mix well with other roles.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?==

To prevent a user from changing their own password, you must make sure they do not have moodle/user:changeownpassword ("Change own password") = Allow in the System context. The Authenticated user role (which is assigned to users in the System context) has moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow by default, so you have two choices:
# edit Authenticated user, setting moodle/user:changeownpassword = Not set
# create a new role CannotChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Prevent and all other permissions Not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (1) will prevent ''all'' users from changing their passwords (except for the administrator, who can do anything). To selectively allow selected users (say teachers) to change their passwords, you could create a new role CanChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow and all other permissions not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (2) allows you to be selective, but if you have a lot of users that you want to prevent (say, all students), you will have to make a lot of role assignments in the System context. There is currently no convenient way to do this, so you might consider choice (1).

Note that you MUST deal with this permission in the System context.

==How can I prevent a user from editing their own profile?==

See [[Roles_FAQ#How can I prevent a user from changing their own password? | How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?]] The answer to this question is the same if you substitute ''edit their own profile'' for ''change their own password'' and ''moodle/user:editownprofile'' for ''moodle/user:changeownpassword.''

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role|Forum moderator]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role|Blogger]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only
*[[Quiz user with unlimited time role|Quiz user with unlimited time]] - for allowing a user unlimited time to attempt a quiz which has a time limit set
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override permissions" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another==

There is no import and export facility for roles, but it can be achieved nearly as easily using backup and restore.

# Create an empty course with all the default settings
# Assign anybody to your custom role (or roles) within the course
# Backup the course (all defaults are fine)
# Download the backup file
# Upload the backup file to the site files of the target Moodle
# Restore the course (all defaults are fine)
# Delete the course.

You will find that the custom roles have been recreated in the target site.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Rollen FAQ]]
[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]

Roles FAQ

2008-07-21T19:53:19Z

Jisner:

{{Roles}}
==What is the definition of a...==

;Role
:An identifier of the user's status in some context, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Capability
:A description of a particular Moodle feature, for example [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:create|moodle/blog:create]]
;Permission
:A setting for a capability - inherit, allow, prevent or prohibit
;Context
:A "space" in Moodle, such as courses, activity modules or blocks

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, explicit role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However role assignments resulting from changes to certain user policies (for example, changing the default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the system context, so assigning a role in the course context will result in the role change not taking effect.

==Why are participants being added automatically when a new course is created?==

If a user is assigned a system role or a role in the course category context then the user has this role in ALL courses in that context. Thus users who are students or teachers at the category level appear as course participants in all courses in that category.

Please check ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' and also the Assign roles link in course categories page and unassign users as necessary.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==What is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

If a role has capability ''X = Not set'', then the role is saying "I don't care about X." If a role has ''X = Prevent,'' then the role is saying "I don't want you be able to do X." Now you typically have multiple roles in a given context, and those roles may have different opinions about ''X''. If ALL of your roles have ''X = Not set'' then you will be effectively prevented from doing ''X'' because you need positive permission to do something. It's just like an election. If you are a candidate but no one votes, you don't win the election. If all of your roles except for one has ''X = Not set'' and the remaining role has ''X = Allow'', then you will be allowed to do X. Again, it's like an election where only one person votes, and they vote for you! For more complicated cases (e.g., roles assigned and overridden in different contexts) you need to understand [[How permissions are calculated]], but the principle is the same: By not voting, a role can allow other roles to determine the outcome of the election. Roles with lots of permissions Not set tend to mix well with other roles.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?==

To prevent a user from changing their own password, you must make sure they do not have moodle/user:changeownpassword ("Change own password") = Allow in the System context. The Authenticated user role (which is assigned to users in the System context) has moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow by default, so you have two choices:
# edit Authenticated user, setting moodle/user:changeownpassword = Not set
# create a new role CannotChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Prevent and all other permissions Not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (1) will prevent ''all'' users from changing their passwords (except for the administrator, who can do anything). To selectively allow selected users (say teachers) to change their passwords, you could create a new role CanChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow and all other permissions not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (2) allows you to be selective, but if you have a lot of users that you want to prevent (say, all students), you will have to make a lot of role assignments in the System context. There is currently no convenient way to do this, so you might consider choice (1).

Note that you MUST deal with this permission in the System context.

==How can I prevent a user from editing their own profile?==

See [[Roles_FAQ#How can I prevent a user from changing their own password? | How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?]] The answer to this question is the same if you substitute ''edit their own profile'' for ''change their own password'' and ''moodle/user:editownprofile'' for ''moodle/user:changeownpassword.''

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role|Forum moderator]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role|Blogger]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only
*[[Quiz user with unlimited time role|Quiz user with unlimited time]] - for allowing a user unlimited time to attempt a quiz which has a time limit set
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override permissions" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another==

There is no import and export facility for roles, but it can be achieved nearly as easily using backup and restore.

# Create an empty course with all the default settings
# Assign anybody to your custom role (or roles) within the course
# Backup the course (all defaults are fine)
# Download the backup file
# Upload the backup file to the site files of the target Moodle
# Restore the course (all defaults are fine)
# Delete the course.

You will find that the custom roles have been recreated in the target site.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Rollen FAQ]]
[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]

Roles FAQ

2008-07-21T19:16:58Z

Jisner:

{{Roles}}
==What is the definition of a...==

;Role
:An identifier of the user's status in some context, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Capability
:A description of a particular Moodle feature, for example [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:create|moodle/blog:create]]
;Permission
:A setting for a capability - inherit, allow, prevent or prohibit
;Context
:A "space" in Moodle, such as courses, activity modules or blocks

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, explicit role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However role assignments resulting from changes to certain user policies (for example, changing the default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the system context, so assigning a role in the course context will result in the role change not taking effect.

==Why are participants being added automatically when a new course is created?==

If a user is assigned a system role or a role in the course category context then the user has this role in ALL courses in that context. Thus users who are students or teachers at the category level appear as course participants in all courses in that category.

Please check ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' and also the Assign roles link in course categories page and unassign users as necessary.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==Where are permissions inherited from?==

Permissions are inherited from a role assigned in a higher-level context which has permissions set to allow for particular capabilities. If permission is "Not set" in any context and not allowed in any higher context (in particular, if you are creating or editing a role at the site level), then a user will have no permission for that capability.

For example, the Student role has permission not set for the change site configuration capability. The permission is never allowed in any context so users assigned the role of Student cannot change the site configuration.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?==

To prevent a user from changing their own password, you must make sure they do not have moodle/user:changeownpassword ("Change own password") = Allow in the System context. The Authenticated user role (which is assigned to users in the System context) has moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow by default, so you have two choices:
# edit Authenticated user, setting moodle/user:changeownpassword = Not set
# create a new role CannotChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Prevent and all other permissions Not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (1) will prevent ''all'' users from changing their passwords (except for the administrator, who can do anything). To selectively allow selected users (say teachers) to change their passwords, you could create a new role CanChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow and all other permissions not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (2) allows you to be selective, but if you have a lot of users that you want to prevent (say, all students), you will have to make a lot of role assignments in the System context. There is currently no convenient way to do this, so you might consider choice (1).

Note that you MUST deal with this permission in the System context.

==How can I prevent a user from editing their own profile?==

See [[Roles_FAQ#How can I prevent a user from changing their own password? | How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?]] The answer to this question is the same if you substitute ''edit their own profile'' for ''change their own password'' and ''moodle/user:editownprofile'' for ''moodle/user:changeownpassword.''

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role|Forum moderator]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role|Blogger]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only
*[[Quiz user with unlimited time role|Quiz user with unlimited time]] - for allowing a user unlimited time to attempt a quiz which has a time limit set
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override permissions" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another==

There is no import and export facility for roles, but it can be achieved nearly as easily using backup and restore.

# Create an empty course with all the default settings
# Assign anybody to your custom role (or roles) within the course
# Backup the course (all defaults are fine)
# Download the backup file
# Upload the backup file to the site files of the target Moodle
# Restore the course (all defaults are fine)
# Delete the course.

You will find that the custom roles have been recreated in the target site.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Rollen FAQ]]
[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]

Roles FAQ

2008-07-21T19:11:23Z

Jisner:

{{Roles}}
==What is the definition of a...==

;Role
:An identifier of the user's status in some context, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Capability
:A description of a particular Moodle feature, for example [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:create|moodle/blog:create]]
;Permission
:A setting for a capability - inherit, allow, prevent or prohibit
;Context
:A "space" in Moodle, such as courses, activity modules or blocks

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, explicit role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However role assignments resulting from changes to certain user policies (for example, changing the default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the system context, so assigning a role in the course context will result in the role change not taking effect.

==Why are participants being added automatically when a new course is created?==

If a user is assigned a system role or a role in the course category context then the user has this role in ALL courses in that context. Thus users who are students or teachers at the category level appear as course participants in all courses in that category.

Please check ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' and also the Assign roles link in course categories page and unassign users as necessary.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==Where are permissions inherited from?==

Permissions are inherited from a role assigned in a higher-level context which has permissions set to allow for particular capabilities. If permission is "Not set" in any context and not allowed in any higher context (in particular, if you are creating or editing a role at the site level), then a user will have no permission for that capability.

For example, the Student role has permission not set for the change site configuration capability. The permission is never allowed in any context so users assigned the role of Student cannot change the site configuration.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==How can I prevent a user from changing their own password?==

To prevent a user from changing their own password, you must make sure they do not have moodle/user:changeownpassword ("Change own password") = Allow in the System context. The Authenticated user role (which is assigned to users in the System context) has moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow by default, so you have two choices:
# edit Authenticated user, setting moodle/user:changeownpassword = Not set
# create a new role CannotChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Prevent and all other permissions Not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (1) will prevent ''all'' users from changing their passwords (except for the administrator, who can do anything). To selectively allow selected users (say teachers) to change their passwords, you could create a new role CanChangeOwnPassword with moodle/user:changeownpassword = Allow and all other permissions not set and assign the role to selected users in the System context (Site administration -> Users -> Permissions -> Assign system roles).

Choice (2) allows you to be selective, but if you have a lot of users that you want to prevent (say, all students), you will have to make a lot of role assignments in the System context. There is currently no convenient way to do this, so you might consider choice (1).

Note that you MUST deal with this permission in the System context.

==How can I prevent a user from editing their own profile?==

See "How can I prevent a user from chaning their own password?" The answer to this question is the same if you substitute "edit their own profile" for "change their own password" and "moodle/user:editownprofile" for "moodle/user:changeownpassword."

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role|Forum moderator]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role|Blogger]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only
*[[Quiz user with unlimited time role|Quiz user with unlimited time]] - for allowing a user unlimited time to attempt a quiz which has a time limit set
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override permissions" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

==How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another==

There is no import and export facility for roles, but it can be achieved nearly as easily using backup and restore.

# Create an empty course with all the default settings
# Assign anybody to your custom role (or roles) within the course
# Backup the course (all defaults are fine)
# Download the backup file
# Upload the backup file to the site files of the target Moodle
# Restore the course (all defaults are fine)
# Delete the course.

You will find that the custom roles have been recreated in the target site.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Rollen FAQ]]
[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]

Forum ratings

2008-07-17T19:57:41Z

Jisner: /* How to use */

{{Forums}}
Forum ratings allow users to evaluate posts in a forum.

==How to use==
If a user has mod/forum:rate ("Rate posts") = Allow in a forum context, the user will be able to rate posts in that forum (see below). Note that the predefined Teacher role has mod/forum:rate ("Rate posts") = Allow, while the predefined Student role has mod/forum:rate ("Rate posts") = Not set. As a result, only teachers are allowed to rate forum posts by default. To allow students to rate posts, see [[Forum_permissions#Enabling_students_to_rate_posts | enabling students to rate posts]].

A user who is allowed to rate posts will see, at the end of each post (except, of course, for his own posts) a label "Rate this post" with a pulldown menu. The menu displays a [[Scales|scale]] that the forum creator selected in the [[Adding/editing_a_forum#Grade|Forum grade settings]]. The rating can become part of the [[Grades|Gradebook]].

[[Image:Forum rating example1 mu.png|thumb|center|Teacher view of a previously rated student post]]

==Tips and Tricks==
*Not all your students are seeing stars? It is all about their browser settings, language and installed fonts.
**If this is a problem, stick with the basics in you scale. Perhaps create a scale that uses Numbers and words.

==See also==
*[[Course level ratings]]
*[[Scales]]
*[[Grades]]

Forum ratings

2008-07-17T19:54:38Z

Jisner:

{{Forums}}
Forum ratings allow users to evaluate posts in a forum.

==How to use==
If a user has mod/forum:rate ("Rate posts") = Allow in a forum context, the user will be able to rate posts in that forum (see below). Note that the predefined Teacher role has mod/forum:rate ("Rate posts") = Allow, while the predefined Student role has mod/forum:rate ("Rate posts") = Not set. As a result, only teachers are allowed to rate forum posts by default.

A user who is allowed to rate posts will see, at the end of each post (except, of course, for his own posts) a label "Rate this post" with a pulldown menu. The menu displays a [[Scales|scale]] that the forum creator selected in the [[Adding/editing_a_forum#Grade|Forum grade settings]]. The rating can become part of the [[Grades|Gradebook]].

[[Image:Forum rating example1 mu.png|thumb|center|Teacher view of a previously rated student post]]

==Tips and Tricks==
*Not all your students are seeing stars? It is all about their browser settings, language and installed fonts.
**If this is a problem, stick with the basics in you scale. Perhaps create a scale that uses Numbers and words.

==See also==
*[[Course level ratings]]
*[[Scales]]
*[[Grades]]

Forum ratings

2008-07-17T19:51:24Z

Jisner: /* How to use */

{{Forums}}
Forum ratings allow either the teacher and/or students to evaluate posts in a forum.

==How to use==
If a user has mod/forum:rate ("Rate posts") = Allow in a forum context, the user will see a label "Rate this post" with a pulldown menu at the bottom of each post (except, of course, for his own posts). The menu displays a [[Scales|scale]] that the forum creator selected in the [[Adding/editing_a_forum#Grade|Forum grade settings]]. The rating can become part of the [[Grades|Gradebook]]. Note that the predefined Teacher role has mod/forum:rate ("Rate posts") = Allow, while the predefined Student role has mod/forum:rate ("Rate posts") = Not set. As a result, only teachers are allowed to rate forum posts by default.

[[Image:Forum rating example1 mu.png|thumb|center|Teacher view of a previously rated student post]]

==Tips and Tricks==
*Not all your students are seeing stars? It is all about their browser settings, language and installed fonts.
**If this is a problem, stick with the basics in you scale. Perhaps create a scale that uses Numbers and words.

==See also==
*[[Course level ratings]]
*[[Scales]]
*[[Grades]]

Grade import

2008-05-26T13:57:37Z

Jisner: /* Importing grades */

{{Grades}}Grades may be imported as a CSV or XML file.

The import file format is the same as the corresponding export format.

Note: Grade import is equivalent to manual grading in the [[Grader report|grader report]]. Thus, if grades for a particular Moodle activity such as an assignment are imported, they can no longer be edited via the assignment submission page.

==Importing grades==
[[Image:Csv grade import.png|thumb|CSV grade import]]
To import grades into the gradebook:

# Decide on an import format - CSV or XML file (see below) - then [[Grade export|export some grades]] using the corresponding export format.
# Edit the export file as appropriate and save it.
# Select your chosen import format from the gradebook dropdown menu.
# Browse and upload your previously saved file.
# Set options as required.
# Click the "Upload grades" button.
# CSV import only: Preview the grade import and choose the column mapping then click the "Upload grades" button to complete the grade import.

You need two permissions to import grades: (1) general permission to import grades and (2) permission to import grades in a particular format. For example, to import CSV grades you need

moodle/grade:import ("Import grades") = Allow
gradeimport/csv:view ("Import grades from CSV") = Allow

==XML import==

XML import requires the numerical grade, activity idnumber and user idnumber.

===Remote file URL===

The remote file URL field is for fetching data from a remote server, such as a student information system.

==CSV import==

CSV import is more flexible than XML import, as you may choose the column mapping.

===Encoding===

If you are unsure of the encoding of your CSV file, try selecting the second option in the encoding dropdown menu. If you've used Excel to produce the CSV file the second option WINDOWS-xxx encoding is probably the correct one. The grade import preview will tell you if you guessed the encoding correctly.

==See also==

Using Moodle forum discussions:
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=85944 Gradebook confusion]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=92081 Can external software insert data into the gradebook?]

Roles FAQ

2008-05-12T13:09:20Z

Jisner: /* What is my role here? */

{{Roles}}

==What is the definition of a...==

;Role
:An identifier of the user's status in some context, for example Teacher, Student and Forum moderator
;Capability
:A description of a particular Moodle feature, for example [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:create|moodle/blog:create]]
;Permission
:A setting for a capability - inherit, allow, prevent or prohibit
;Context
:A "space" in Moodle, such as courses, activity modules or blocks

==Why isn't my role change taking effect?==

In Moodle 1.7.x and 1.8.x, role assignments and overrides do not take effect immediately. They are delayed until the next time the user logs in. Starting with Moodle 1.9, explicit role assignments and overrides take effect immediately. However role assignments resulting from changes to certain user policies (for example, changing the default front page role) may be delayed until the next login.

If you are testing a new role, [[Manage_roles#Testing_a_new_role | here are some suggestions]].

Also, please check the context in which the role is assigned. Certain capabilities e.g. [[Capabilities/moodle/user:update|moodle/user:update]] may only be applied in the system context, so assigning a role in the course context will result in the role change not taking effect.

==Why are participants being added automatically when a new course is created?==

If a user is assigned a system role or a role in the course category context then the user has this role in ALL courses in that context. Thus users who are students or teachers at the category level appear as course participants in all courses in that category.

Please check ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles'' and also the Assign roles link in course categories page and unassign users as necessary.

==Why are all students enrolled in all courses?==

Either
*Users are assigned the role of student in the site/system context rather than the course context (see FAQ above)
Or
*The default role for all users in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies'' is set to Student rather than Authenticated user (Moodle 1.8 onwards).

==Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in a course category context, may appear as course participants. The discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59900 Discrepancies between Assign Roles lists and Participants list] contains a longer explanation.

==How can I prevent administrators being listed as course participants?==

Ensure that administrators are not assigned another role in addition to their admin role.

==Why are hidden assignments still visible?==

Hidden assignments are not hidden from admins or teachers i.e. users with the [[Capabilities/moodle/role:viewhiddenassigns|viewhiddenassigns capability]].

==Where are permissions inherited from?==

Permissions are inherited from a role assigned in a higher-level context which has permissions set to allow for particular capabilities. If permission is "Not set" in any context and not allowed in any higher context (in particular, if you are creating or editing a role at the site level), then a user will have no permission for that capability.

For example, the Student role has permission not set for the change site configuration capability. The permission is never allowed in any context so users assigned the role of Student cannot change the site configuration.

==What is my role here?==

This is a frequently asked question, but an improper one. The correct question is "What are my ''permissions'' here?" In any given context, you often have two or more roles. In addition, one or more role overrides may be in effect. Your permissions in a given context are a result of "adding" the individual permissions from these roles and overrides according to certain rules. As Tim Hunt writes in [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=90140 this discussion], the rules "normally do what you expect." However when permissions conflict, the results can be surprising, and it pays to understand [[How permissions are calculated]].

==How do I debug a roles-related problem?==

If you're having a problem that you suspect is related to roles, consider using [[The rolesdebug.php roles debugging script | the rolesdebug.php roles debugging script]]. You can download it from the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1204 Modules and plugins database]. The script gives you a spatial view of your role assignments and overrides in a given context, and analyzes your permissions there. To interpret the output requires a basic understanding of roles and capabilities. If you are a complete roles novice, run the script and post the output to the [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6826 Roles and Capabilities Forum].

==Are there any differences in Roles in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8?==

In addition to many Roles fixes and refinements (see the list of [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=10221 Roles improvements] in the Tracker), in Moodle 1.8 the ''system'' context is separated from the ''front page'' context. Roles may be assigned in the front page context via ''Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''.

A "Duplicate role" button has been added in Moodle 1.8, which makes creating new roles based on predefined roles much quicker.

==How do I change the name for "teacher" in the course description?==

Either
* Edit the role of Teacher via ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and rename it. The new name will apply site-wide.
Or
* Create a duplicate teacher role with an alternative name and assign users the duplicate teacher role as appropriate in the course context. In ''Administration > Appearance > Course manager'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description.
Or
* One more way to do it in 1.8 is to create new "dummy" roles (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. In the course manager settings you can choose which roles display on the front page under each course. (The feature request [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9182 Ability to assign or display custom title for role of person in course] contains this further method.)

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|course settings]].

==How do I enable teachers to set role overrides?==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:override|moodle/role:override]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
#Click the button "Save changes".

==How do I enable teachers to assign other teachers in a course?==

This is disabled by default but it can be switched on by modifying the teacher's role. In ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' select the "Allow role assignments" tab and tick the checkbox where Teacher and Teacher intersect.

==Why doesn't "Switch role to.." within a course seem to work properly for a course creator?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It doesn't work reliably outside the course.

Further information about this feature can be found in [[Switch roles]] and the paragraph on testing a new role in [[Manage roles]].

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[Inspector role|Inspector]] - for providing external inspectors with permission to view all courses (without being required to enrol)
*[[Parent role|Parent]] - for providing parents/mentors/tutors with permission to view certain information about their children/mentees/tutees
*[[Demo teacher role|Demo teacher]] - for providing a demonstration teacher account with a password which can't be changed
*[[Forum moderator role]] - for providing a user with permission in a particular forum to edit or delete forum posts, split discussions and move discussions to other forums
*[[Keyholder role]] - for setting the person named as holding a course [[Enrolment key|enrolment key]]
*[[Calendar editor role|Calendar editor]] - for providing a user with permission to add site events to the calendar
*[[Blogger role]] - for limiting blogging to specific users only

==Logged-in users can't read the site news. What can I do?==

#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Scroll down to '''Forum'''
#Change the capability [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewdiscussion|mod/forum:viewdiscussion]] to ''allow''
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==

Either:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Follow the "Override roles" link
#Click on "Authenticated User"
#Change capabilities to ''allow'' for all required activities e.g. record a choice, reply to posts
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page

Note that for this to work, you need to make the default role for all users "authenticated user". This is the default for new versions of Moodle. In older versions, the default setting is guest, so if you have recently upgraded, you may have to change this setting. You can change the setting via ''Site Administration > Permissions > User Policies''.

Or:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page roles''
#Click on Student
#Select all users in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

{{Moodle 1.9}}Or, in Moodle 1.9 onwards:
#Access ''Site Administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
#Set the default front page role to student.

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[es:FAQ_roles]]
[[fr:FAQ des rôles]]
[[ja:ロールFAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ по ролям]]
[[de:Rollen FAQ]]

File:Algorithm path through permission table A.png

2008-04-20T15:39:34Z