MoodleDocs - User contributions [en]

Random Short-Answer Matching question type

2014-02-21T09:04:51Z

Marycooch: removing info about removed question type

{{Questions}}Note: The Random Short-Answer Matching question type was previously a standard question type but was removed from core in Moodle 2.1.

Moodle research

2013-05-01T07:34:33Z

Marycooch: typo

{{About Moodle}}
The site [http://research.moodle.net research.moodle.net] has been established as a point of contact for Moodle researchers. On that site there is a [http://research.moodle.net/mod/data/view.php?id=1 Moodle Research Collection] containing Moodle-related research publications.

A growing, community-contributed collection of research into LMS (Learning Management Systems) and particularly Moodle.

=Moodle-specific research=
Academic, governmental, organisational research (mostly) involving Moodle (design, use, implementation...). Check [[Moodle research FAQ|here]] for details.
==Print (papers, reports, collections, theses...)==
*Al-Ajlan, A. & Zedan,H. (2008) [http://www.computer.org/portal/web/csdl/doi/10.1109/FTDCS.2008.22 Why Moodle] 12th IEEE International Workshop on Future Trends of Distributed Computing Systems, 2008
*Alier, M., Casany, J., Casado, P. (2007) [http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:9f3NRhHqyDMJ:scholar.google.com/+moodle&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5 Mobile Extension Of A Web Based Moodle Virtual Classroom]. Proceedings of E-Challenges Conference, 2007.
*Al Naddabi, Z. (2007). [http://www.editlib.org/p/26540 A Moodle Course: Design and Implementation in English for Academic Purposes Instruction]. In T. Bastiaens & S. Carliner (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2007
*Beatty, B. & Ulasewicz, C. (2006) [http://www.springerlink.com/content/bg0613214k409500/ Faculty Perspectives on Moving from Blackboard to the Moodle Learning Management System]. TechTrends Volume 50, Number 4, 36-45.
*Berggren, A. et al (2005) [http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:2t2PDSl4o_4J:scholar.google.com/+moodle&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5 Practical and Pedagogical Issues for Teacher Adoption of IMS Learning Design Standards in Moodle LMS]. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2005(02)
*Brandl, K. (2007) [http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:b1gGpxaaCR0J:scholar.google.com/+moodle&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5 Are You Ready to "Moodle"?]. Language Learning & Technology, May 2005, Vol.9(2)
*Burgos, D. et al. (2007) [http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.169.251&rep=rep1&type=pdf A First Step Mapping IMS Learning Design and Moodle]. Journal of Universal Computer Science, Vol. 13 (7).
*Cowan, P. (2006). [http://www.editlib.org/p/22507 Factors influencing Pre-Service teachers’ attitudes towards using a Moodle environment for teaching and learning]. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2006
*Deng, Y. & Hemphill, L. (2006). [http://www.editlib.org/p/22054 Demonstrating Online K12 Teaching Strategies in a Moodle Course Management Environment]. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2006
*DeSchryver, M., Mishra, P., Koehleer, M. & Francis, A. (2009). [http://www.editlib.org/?fuseaction=Reader.ViewFullText&paper_id=30612 Moodle vs. Facebook: Does using Facebook for Discussions in an Online Course Enhance Perceived Social Presence and Student Interaction?]. In I. Gibson et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2009
*Dougiamas, M. & Taylor, P. (2003). [http://www.editlib.org/p/13739 Moodle: Using Learning Communities to Create an Open Source Course Management System]. In D. Lassner & C. McNaught (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2003.
*Graf, S. &List, B.(2005) [http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=1508637 An evaluation of open source e-learning platforms stressing adaptation issues]. Advanced Learning Technologies, 2005. ICALT 2005.
*Guttierez, E. et al. (2009) [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VCJ-4XB1967-2&_user=10&_coverDate=02%2F28%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1688004089&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=f9a939ec272e44d724d630209831642a&searchtype=a A new Moodle module supporting automatic verification of VHDL-based assignments]. Computers & Education, Vol 54 (2), Feb 2010.
*Hueros, D. & Sanchez, A. (2010) [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VDC-50HWJ4Y-4&_user=10&_coverDate=11%2F30%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1687987167&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=15927cf368be7fc0df80aa91ac4e92a3&searchtype=a Motivational factors that influence the acceptance of Moodle using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)]. Computers in Human Behavior. Vol. 26(6) Nov 2010.
*Jide, W. & Li, Z. (2009) [http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-YCJY200905004.htm New Progresses in the Domestic Research on Moodle] Journal of Distance Education.
*Knutzen, B. & Kennedy, D.M. (2008). [http://www.editlib.org/p/28913 Can Learning to Use Moodle Alter Teachers’ Approaches to Teaching?]. In J. Luca & E. Weippl (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2008
*Pfaffman, J. (2004). [http://www.editlib.org/p/13664 Integrating Moodle into a Course for Pre- and In-service Teachers]. In R. Ferdig et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2004
*Kemp, J. Livingstone, D. (2008) [http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:Kvnq5aCMDSwJ:scholar.google.com/+moodle&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5 Integrating Web-Based and 3D Learning Environments: Second Life Meets Moodle]. UPGRADE Vol. IX, No. 3, June 2008
*Romero,C. et al (2009) [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V03-4R98K46-7&_user=10&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1687992777&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=f15fe515105a3c120401c2a6c6d1551e&searchtype=a Evolutionary algorithms for subgroup discovery in e-learning: A practical application using Moodle data]. Expert Systems with Applications, Volume 36(2)1, March 2009.
*Romero, S. Ventura, C. & Garcia, E. (2007) [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VCJ-4P7FCT6-1&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F31%2F2008&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1686659096&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=b77769e114cba19d78a12526b8755858&searchtype=a Data mining in course management systems: Moodle case study and tutorial]. Computers & Education. Vol. 51 (1), Aug 2008 (Abstract only, paid access).
*Li, P. et al. (2009) [http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-YCJY200803014.htm Classroom Response Systems Based on Moodle]. Distance Education Journal;2008-03
*Martín-Blas, T. & Serrano-Fernández (2009) [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VCJ-4T2RYPV-1&_user=10&_coverDate=01%2F31%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1687986242&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=81ca28b957fbd194f133ad342073759a&searchtype=a The role of new technologies in the learning process: Moodle as a teaching tool in Physics]. Computers & Education. Vol. 52(1), Jan 2009.
*Meurant, R.C. (2009) [http://www.springerlink.com/content/u08884qr83704276/ Computer-Based Internet-Hosted Assessment of L2 Literacy: Computerizing and Administering of the Oxford Quick Placement Test in ExamView and Moodle].Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2009, Vol. 60.
*Rakoczi, Gergely. (2010) [http://www.fm-kp.si/zalozba/ISBN/978-961-266-066-6/prispevki/rakoczi.pdf "Cast your Eyes on Moodle: An Eye Tracking Study investigating learning with Moodle"]
*Liu Suqin & Li Jiahou (2007) [http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-YCJY200701002.htm Curriculum Design BIG6 Mode Based on Moodle]. Distance Education Journal.
*Stewart, B. et al (2007) [http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/article.aspx?TitleId=1705 Choosing MOODLE: An Evaluation of Learning Management Systems at Athabasca University. International Journal of Distance Education Technologies (IJDET)]. Vol. 5(3)
*Zenha-Rela,M. & Carvalho, R.(2006) [http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=4117034 Work in Progress: Self Evaluation Through Monitored Peer Review Using the Moodle Platform]. Frontiers in Education Conference.
*Zhiqiang, M & Yanli, W. (2008) [http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-DDJY200807013.htm An Analysis of Moodle-based Online Learning Barriers]. Distance Education in China, Aug 2008.

==Presentations and videos==
==Other material (eg projects)==

=LMS research - general=
Broader academic, governmental, organisational research on LMS/VLE useful to Moodle to learn from. Check [[Moodle research FAQ|here]] for details.
==Print (papers, reports, collections, theses...)==
*Carmean, C. & Haefner,J. (2002). [http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM0261.pdf Mind over matter: Transforming course management systems into effective learning environments]. EDUCAUSE Review, Vol. 37, No. 6, pp. 27–33.
*Chang, Chinhong Lim (2008) [http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2530/2303 Faculty Perceptions and Utilization of a Learning Management System in Higher Education] (dissertation)
*Keesee, G. & Shepard, M.(2011) [http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring141/keesee_shepard141.html Perceived Attributes Predict Course Management System Adopter Status]. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Vol 14/1.
*Lane, L. (2009) [http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2530/2303 Insidious pedagogy: How course management systems impact teaching]. First Monday, Vol. 14, Number 10 - 5 Oct 2009
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ofsted OFSTED] (2009) [http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Documents-by-type/Thematic-reports/Virtual-learning-environments-an-evaluation-of-their-development-in-a-sample-of-educational-settings Virtual learning environments: an evaluation of their development in a sample of educational settings].
*Sancar, H. & Cagiltay, K. (2008). [http://www.editlib.org/p/28931 Effective Use of LMS: Pedagogy through the Technology]. In J. Luca & E. Weippl (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2008

==Presentations and videos==
==Other material==
=Questions? Try here=
See the growing list at [[Moodle research FAQ]]

Language FAQ

2012-07-03T17:10:57Z

Marycooch: copied from 2.2 docs

{{Language}}
==Where can I set the default language for the site?==

''Site Administration > Language > [[Language settings]]''

==How can I change a word or phrase used in Moodle?==

In ''Settings > Site Administration > Language > Language customization''.

See [[Language customization]] for details.

==How can I find where a language string is located?==

Tick the 'Show origin of languages strings' checkbox in ''Settings > Site administration > Development > Debugging'' then visit the page containing the string you want to customize.

==Why are my changes not saved if I edit a language pack with the Moodle language pack editor?==

This could be caused by a PHP accelerator. Try switching it off (usually in php.ini).

==I've set a default site language but when I log in it switches to English. Why?==

By default, Moodle detects a user's language from their browser setting. This language auto-detection may be disabled so that the default site language is used instead in ''Site administration > Language > [[Language settings]]''.

==How can I provide course content in more than one language?==

Labels, web pages, activity descriptions etc. may be provided in more than one language using the [[Multi language content|Multi language content filter]].

==How can I disable (hide) the language dropdown menu on the site front page?==

Go to ''Settings > Site administration > Language > Language settings'' and un-tick the 'Display language menu' checkbox.

==Are there any short cuts for editing a language?==
Yes, but be careful. You can make use of the customize language process. Basically copy the php files that contain the strings you want to change to the moodledata/lang/local folder. For example, copy the /lang/en/moodle.php file to someplace. Edit the file with a search and replace with whole word and case sensitive turned on, change Teacher to Instructor and Teachers to Instructors, do the same for teacher and teachers. Now copy that saved copy of the moodle.php file to the moodledata/lang/en_local folder. Be careful not to change the String name.

Because it is a customization, Moodle will not erase the xx_local language files in Moodledata with an upgrade. Moodle will upgrade any language folders it finds in the moodle/lang folder.

==How can I make a new language pack?==

Look at https://docs.moodle.org/21/en/Translation. Even though your new language pack might be in a version of English (such as "Pirate talk!") it is still classed as a translation.

== See also ==

* [[Translation FAQ]]
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=26 Languages forum]

Using Moodle forum discussions
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=131927#p604462 Edited Strings Not Visible]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=163375 Language customization in 2.0]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[fr:FAQ de langue]]

Blog settings

2012-06-20T19:05:51Z

Marycooch: copied from 2.2 docs/* Blog visibility */

{{Template:Blogs}}
==Enabling / disabling blogs==

Blogs in Moodle are enabled by default. They may be disabled by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Advanced features'' by setting the blog visibility to 'Disable blog system completely'.

==My profile settings==

===Blog entries per page===

In ''Settings > My profile > Blogs > Preferences'' you can set how many blog entries are displayed on a page. The default number of entries is 10.

==Site administration settings==

Blogs have additional settings which may be changed by an administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Appearance > Blog''.

===Enable blog associations===

[[Image:Blog menu block.png|frame|Blog menu block on an assignment page]]
Two capabilities:
*[[Capabilities/moodle/blog:associatecourse|Associate blog entries with courses]] and
*[[Capabilities/moodle/blog:associatemodule|Associate blog entries with activity modules]]

enable users to blog about their course or a particular activity. The [[Blog menu block]] provides context-sensitive links for adding an entry.

===Blog visibility===

This setting allows you to restrict the level to which user blogs can be viewed on this site. Note that they specify the maximum context of the VIEWER not the poster or the types of blog posts. Blogs can also be disabled completely if you don't want them at all.

Note: Sites upgrading to 2.0 which previously had blog visibility set to "Users can only see blogs for people who share a course" or "Users can only see blogs for people who share a group" will have blogs converted into blog-like format forums.

[[File:blogvisibility.png]]

===Enable external blogs===

Enables users to specify external blog feeds. Moodle regularly checks these blog feeds and copies new entries to the local blog of that user.

===External blog cron schedule===

How often Moodle checks the external blogs for new entries. By default it is 24 hours.

===Maximum number of external blogs per user===

By default, the number of external blogs each user is allowed to link to their Moodle blog is 1.

===Enable comments===

Blog comments are enabled by default, though may be disabled if required.

==Blog capabilities==

* [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:create|Create new blog entries]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:manageentries|Edit and manage entries]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:manageexternal|Edit and manage external blogs]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:search|Search blog entries]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:view|View blog entries]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:viewdrafts|View draft blog entries]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:readuserblogs|See all user blogs]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:associatecourse|Associate blog entries with courses]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/blog:associatemodule|Associate blog entries with activity modules]]

The [[Blogger role]] may be used to limit blogging to specific users only.

[[Category:Site administration]]

[[eu:Sarrera_gehitu_blogean]]
[[de:Blog-Eintrag anlegen]]

File:blogvisibility.png

2012-06-20T19:05:11Z

Marycooch:

Export questions

2012-06-20T16:34:01Z

Marycooch: copied from 2.2 docs

{{Managing questions}}
Questions may be exported from the [[Quiz module]] and the [[Question bank]] in any one of 3 formats:

* [[GIFT format]]
* [[Moodle XML format]]
* [[IMS QTI 2.0 format]]
* [[XHTML format]]

==Process==
*Click ''Settings>Quiz Administration>Question bank>Export.''

[[File:exportquestions.png]]

*Select the output type required for the exported file.
*Use the pulldown menu to select the question category you want to export
*Check if you want the category name to exported and/or the context to be included. This only applies to some formats and is used to restore this information on import.
*Click on the export questions to file button
*You are invited to download the file to your computer.

==Example uses of exported files==
*GIFT and Moodle XML formats can be imported into the [[Lesson module]] And [[Question bank]] via [[Import questions|an import question process]].
*Exported question files on one server, can be imported into another Moodle site/server
*GIFT and Moodle XML formats can be tweaked to create word processing or spreadsheet documents suitable for paper tests or vetting.
*In case you want to convert your Moodle XML file into text format upload XML to [http://moodle.heroku.com http://moodle.heroku.com]. It automatically generates *.txt with your questions

==See also==
*[http://moodle.heroku.com Moodle XML Converter] to generate in and from XML.
*[http://www.moodle2word.net Website for converting Moodle Questions into tables in a Microsoft Word file, and vice versa].

[[de:Fragen exportieren]]
[[eu:Galderak_esportatu]]
[[fr:Exporter des questions]]
[[ja:問題のエクスポート]]

File:exportquestions.png

2012-06-20T16:33:42Z

Marycooch:

Converting your MySQL database to UTF8

2012-06-19T22:24:13Z

Marycooch: copying from 2.2 docs

{{Installing Moodle}}
This document describes how to convert your MySQL database from the latin1 charset to UTF8. Moodle requires that your Database is now UTF8 and will not upgrade if your database is not.

For more information about UTF8 have a look at the doc on [[Unicode|unicode]].

==Why?==

You may see the following error when upgrading your Moodle.

''It is required that you store all your data in Unicode format (UTF-8). New installations must be performed into databases that have their default character set as Unicode. If you are upgrading, you should perform the UTF-8 migration process (see the Admin page).''

==Default Mysql character set==
Moodle requires UTF8 in order to provide better multilingual support and has done since Moodle 1.8. However the UTF8 check during install and upgrade was only been implemented in Moodle 2.0 and you may find you are unable to upgrade because your database was not set up originally as utf8 when you first installed Mysql or because you have been running Moodle since before 1.8 and haven't previously converted your database.
It is perhaps worth noting that Mysql is nothing to do specifically with Moodle. It is a database engine that is very widely used in open source projects and it contains details of all the stuff in your Moodle such as usernames etc and pointers to all the files that have been uploaded to it.

You need to do two things.
1) Change your mysql to have utf8 as its character set and
2) Change your database to utf8.

The descriptions elsewhere in this section cover making the utf8 database versions using mysqldump.

To make mysql default to utf8 you can edit /etc/my.cnf as follows.

(This was good for ubuntu server lucid 10.04 2.6.32-24-server Jan 2011)

In the client section of my.cnf

[client]
...
....
...

default-character-set=utf8
....

and further down in my.cnf

[mysqld]
...
...

default-character-set=utf8

default-collation=utf8_unicode_ci

character-set-server=utf8

collation-server=utf8_unicode_ci

...
...

Having made your default character set utf, a mysqldump restore of your database with the
--skip-character-set parameter, will restore the database with your new default character set of utf8.

utf8_unicode and utf8_general are not the same but similar. The difference is described in the unicode documentation page. (Link below)

==Converting an empty database==
If you have created your database schema and are receiving the error during your initial installation your Moodle database will still be empty. You can simply run the below query in your database to resolve the issue.
<code sql>
alter database mydatabasename charset=utf8;
</code>

==Converting a database containing tables==
If you have previously installed Moodle and are now getting the error the following process will allow you to convert your database.

===Linux & Mac===
<code bash>
mysqldump -uusername -ppassword -c -e --default-character-set=utf8 --single-transaction --skip-set-charset --add-drop-database -B dbname > dump.sql
cp dump.sql dump-fixed.sql
vim dump-fixed.sql
:%s/DEFAULT CHARACTER SET latin1/DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci/
:%s/DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1/DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8/
:wq
mysql -uusername -ppassword < dump-fixed.sql
</code>

or alternatively using sed:
<code bash>
# $1-dbusername $2-password $3-dbname
mysqldump -u$1 -p$2 -c -e --default-character-set=utf8 --single-transaction --skip-set-charset --add-drop-database -B $3 > dump.sql
sed 's/DEFAULT CHARACTER SET latin1/DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci/' <dump.sql | sed 's/DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1/DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8/' >dump-fixed.sql
mysql -u$1 -p$2 < dump-fixed.sql
</code>

====Explained====
The following steps will guide you in creating a database dumb, editing the database dump so that the correct charset and collation are used and then restoring the new database.

To start please open a new terminal and move to a temp directory.

<code bash>
mysqldump -uusername -ppassword -c -e --default-character-set=utf8 --single-transaction --skip-set-charset --add-drop-database -B dbname > dump.sql
</code>

The first step is of course to dump out the database and of course we will use mysqldump for this. We do however need to set several arguments in order to clean up the charsets and provide a dump that is not going to cause you any problems if you are moving this database to a different database server or find yourself having to restore on a reverted system.

; username : The username to access your database.
; password : The password for the above user.
; -c : Complete inserts for better compatibility.
; -e : Extended inserts for better performance.
; --default-character-set=utf8 : To set the default character set.
; --single-transaction : To reduce our workload if anything goes wrong.
; --skip-set-charset : Obviously not wanted or needed as we are changing it anyway.
; --add-drop-database : Required so we can restore over the top of our existing database.
; -B : We use this option so that our dump will contain drop table and create table syntax (which we will change the syntax for).
; dbname : The name of the database to convert.

When you run this command a database dump will be generated into '''dump.sql'''

Next step is to copy dump.sql to dump-fixed.sql achieved by

<code bash>
cp dump.sql dump-fixed.sql
</code>

We will make the desired changes within dump-fixed.sql and we will keep dump.sql as it is as a backup just in case.

<code bash>
vim dump-fixed.sql
:%s/DEFAULT CHARACTER SET latin1/DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci/
:%s/DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1/DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8/
:wq
</code>
Now we need to edit the dump and correct the incorrect charsets that have been used. I have chosen to do this with VIM however you can use any search+replace editor or program. ( I choose VIM for this only because every linux user is/should be familiar with it).

First we open the file using VIM, and then run the three commands.

The first command replaces all instances of ''DEFAULT CHARACTER SET latin1'' with ''DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci''. This is used to fix up the database's default charset and collation.

The second command replaces all instances of ''DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1'' with ''DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8''. This converts all tables from using latin1 to using UTF8.

The third command simply saves it and exits.

<code bash>
mysql -uusername -ppassword < dump-fixed.sql
</code>
Now that we've made the required changes we simply need to restore the database over top of the existing database. We can do this by running the above command.

===Windows===
The following steps will let you create a database dump, edit it so that the correct charset (utf8) and collation (utf8_unicode_ci) are used, and then restore the new database. For this, you'll first have to download [http://sed.sourceforge.net/grabbag/ssed/sed-3.62.zip Super Sed (Win32 executable, zipped)].

Start by opening a command window and move to a temporary folder.

[your mysql dir]\bin\mysqldump -u [username] -p[password] -c -e --default-character-set=utf8 --single-transaction --skip-set-charset --add-drop-database -B [dbname] -r dbdump.sql
ssed -e "s/DEFAULT CHARACTER SET latin1/DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_unicode_ci/" dbdump.sql | ssed -e "s/DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1/DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8/" >dbdump_w.sql
[your mysql dir]\bin\mysql -u [username] -p[password] [dbname] < dbdump_w.sql

====mysqldump parameters====

; username : Username used to access your database.
; password : Password for the above user.
; -c (--complete-insert) : Creates INSERT statements that include column names.
; -e (--extended-insert) : Uses a multiple-row INSERT syntax that includes several VALUES lists; this results in a smaller dump file and speeds up inserts when the file is reloaded.
; --default-character-set=utf8 : Use and set '''utf8''' as the default character set.
; --single-transaction : This option is useful only when using transactional tables such as InnoDB, as it helps minimize the locking time duration.
; --skip-set-charset : Suppress the SET NAMES statement (not needed because it is going to be changed).
; --add-drop-database : Adds a DROP DATABASE statement before each CREATE DATABASE statement (to restore over the top of our existing database).
; --add-drop-table : Adds a DROP TABLE statement before each CREATE TABLE statement.
; -B (--databases) : Defines the name of the database to convert.
; -r (--result-file) : This option should be used on Windows to prevent newline “\n” characters from being converted to “\r\n” carriage return/newline sequences. The result file is created and its previous contents overwritten, even if an error occurs while generating the dump.

===Special chars won't import correctly===
Under certain circumstances, when restoring UTF8 encoded mysql dump, international special chars (you are able to correctly see using, say, vim editor), does not appears to be imported correctly. In such cases you may want to try the following under a *nix system: 1.login into mysql, 2.create a db with utf8 encoding and 3. import your dump using 'source':
<code bash>
# cd /folder_where_your_dump_is/
# mysql -u your_user -p
> create database yourdb charset=utf8;
> use yourdb;
> SET NAMES 'utf8';
> source db_dump.sql
> quit;
</code>

That should do the trick.

==More information==
* [[Unicode]]

[[Category:UTF-8]]
[[Category:DB]]
[[Category:SQL_databases]]

[[fr:Convertir votre base MySQL en UTF-8]]

Capabilities/moodle/block:edit

2012-06-14T20:36:06Z

Marycooch: copying from 2.2 docs

{{Capabilities}}
*This allows a user to edit a [[Block settings|block's settings]]
*This capability is allowed for the default role of teacher. In new installs of Moodle 2.1 it is allowed for the role of manager at site level.

[[Category:Capabilities|Block]]
[[Category:Block]]

Building Lesson

2012-06-14T19:28:27Z

Marycooch: copied from 2.,2 docs thanks to J Rézeau/Al Rachels/* Numerical */

{{Lesson}}
This page is about how to strucure a Moodle lesson once you have created it with the [[Lesson settings]]. See [[Using Lesson]] for details on how best to use a Lesson and how students approach it.

==Planning your lesson==
*A lesson is made up of pages which may have content for the student to read or questions for them to answer. The questions can be created by the teacher or imported. The teacher decides the order in which these pages appear.
*You need to have a clear idea beforehand of what you want to do with this lesson. Is it to be a graded, linear learning experience? Or an ungraded, non-linear practice session? Will students be able to go back and revisit areas or is it just a once-only opportunity?
*Even those who are very comfortable working directly online might find it useful to note down on paper the direction they want their lesson pages to go in, rather than having to remember and visualise the navigation in their head.
*For hints and ideas about using the Lesson module, look at [[Using Lesson]] and [[Lesson FAQ]]

==Adding content and questions to your lesson==
*When you have set up your lesson with the [[Lesson settings]],click "Save and display" and you will be taken to the screen in the screenshot below.
*If you click "Save and return to course" instead, then click the "update" icon next to the lesson on the page and click "edit" in the ''Settings block>Lesson Administration''
[[File:lessonbegin.png]]

===Import questions===
*If you have some questions in the following formats, you can import them to use in your lesson by clicking the Import questions link. For general information about these question types, see [[Import questions]]
[[File:importquestions.png]]

===Import a powerpoint===
*Although this setting is available, it really does not work and is not advised. See [[Import PowerPoint]] for alternatives.

===Add a cluster===
*A cluster is a group of question pages which will be offered randomly to a student as they work through the lesson.It is best if you have made the question pages beforehand and can then decide where to mark the start and end of the cluster. The start is marked by a "cluster" page and the end by an "end of cluster" page. See [[Clusters]] for more information.

===Add a content page===
*This is a page where a teacher can provide information to move the lesson forward but without requiring the student to answer specific questions.
*The student sees the page's title, some information and then one or more buttons at the bottom to select.
*When the student clicks on a button, they go to the next page but their choice is not scored.

====Title====
*The title of a content page appears to the student at the top of the page.
*A teacher will also see the title in the collapsed edit mode when they are working on the Lesson, and they will also be able to choose the title (and hence this page) from the drop down "jump" lists.
*The title in a content page is also used with the "display left menu" setting.

====Page contents====
This is where the tacher can add information for the student,making use of the [[Text editor]] and its multimedia features.

====Content====
*Here the teacher writes the words they want the student to click on to get to the next part of the lesson.
*These words will appear to the student as a button.
*The teacher can check the box to have the buttons appear horizontally, or uncheck it for them to appear centred vertically.

====Format====
There are 4 format types to choose from when editing text in the content description box. If you wish to have the usual rich text editing icons,choose HTML format. (Note - once you have selected an option, you cannot then go back and change your mind!)However, if you DO choose HTML format, be warned that the student will not see the changes (such as bold or different colours) in the button.

[[File:lessoncontentbuttons.png]]

====Number of options available====
*How many of these you have depends on your choice in the ''Maximum Number of Answers'' setting in [[Lesson settings]]

==== The Jump====
*Each Description in a Content page has a Jumps menu. "Jumps" take a student from one page to another.
*A "relative jump" is "next page" or "end of lesson" whereas an "absolute jump" gives the actual name of a page.
*The teacher chooses from the dropdown the correct page to send the student to if they click on the button that will be made from this particular description. Any pages created by the teacher will have their titles appear in this dropdown, allowing them to be selected.
*When a student clicks on a description button, they are sent to the page defined in the Jump associated with the button.
*See [[Jumps]] for more detailed information.

===Add a question page===
*From this link you can choose from a variety of question types which will then be added as pages to your lesson:
[[File:addquestionpage.png]]
*''(Note: These question types are not the same as for the [[Quiz]] and are in no way connected with quiz questions.)''

*The format of question pages is similar to content pages outlined in [[Building_Lesson#Add_a_content_page| Section 2.4]] above.
A typical question page could include:
***'''Title''' - the name the student sees at the top of the question page.
***'''Page contents''' - the actual question
***[[File:examplequestion.png]]
***'''Answer/Response/Format/Jump/Score''' as in the screenshot below
***[[File:exampleanswer.png]]

===Question types===
====Multichoice====
*The student is given a question and a list of answers. The answer list will be shuffled every time the question is view by a student. By default they choose one answer but you can check the box "multiple answer" to allow them to choose more than one answer.
====Essay====
*Students can write a longer answer as part of the lesson and this can be graded manually by the teacher. If the main purpose of your lesson is for students to write an essay, consider the [[Assignment module]] instead.
====Matching====
*This allows you to set up lists which must be matched against other lists, for instance, words, pictures, numebers etc. The student must match all correctly to receive the score.
====Numerical====
*This requires a number as an answer. A number within a range may also be accepted as correct. The range separator to be used is the colon : .
For example, to accept as correct any number between 10 and 12 (10, 11 and 12) you would type 10:12 in the Answer box.

====Short answer====
*A student must provide a single word or short phrase answer. The teacher must anticipate the possible answers and enter them in the Jump dropdown boxes, using ** wild cards if appropriate.
====True/false====
*The student is given a sentence and must decide if it is true or false.

==Moving your lesson forward==
*0nce you have added your first content or question page, you reach the next screen which displays your page title/type/jumps(ie where the responses take the student to) and actions you can take next:
[[File:lessonactions.png]]
*The '''Actions''' icons allow you to move (if you have more than one),edit, preview or delete your pages.
*The drop down allows you to create another page of your choice:
[[File:lessonactionsdropdown.png]]

*Note the different view options:

====Collapsed view====
*This gives a brief outline of the lesson structure as in the two screenshots above.

====Expanded view====
*This shows more detail as in the screenshot below:
[[File:expandedview.png]]

==Ending your lesson==
*To bring the lesson to a close, select the "End of Lesson" option from the Jump menu on any relevant pages.
*The student will then see a generic message as in the next screenshot, with a direction back to the main course page or to view their grades:
[[File:endoflesson1.png]]

Course requester role

2012-06-13T18:26:58Z

Marycooch: copied from 2.2 docs

{{Roles}}The role of Course requester may be used to restrict users who can make [[Course request|course requests]], perhaps to teachers only.

By default, all authenticated users can make course requests. To change this:

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the authenticated user role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/course:request|moodle/course:request]] from allow to not set.
#Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the 'Save changes' button.

==Role set-up==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Click the button "Add a new role"
#Give the role a name e.g. Course requester, short name and description.
#Under "Context types where this role may be assigned", click on the "System" tick box turning it on.
#Change the capability moodle/course:request to allow.
#Click the button "Add a new role".

''Note'': It is necessary to create a new role, rather than simply changing the capability for the teacher role, because it needs to be assigned as a system role. (The role of teacher is generally assigned in the course or course category context.)

==Role assignment==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Assign system roles''.
#Choose the course requester role to assign.
#Select a user in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add it to the existing users list. If you want all teachers to be able to make course requests, you need to select all their names.

==See also==
Forum thread: Only teachers can request courses - how to do that? http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=195211

Glossary FAQ

2012-06-13T18:16:04Z

Marycooch: copied from 2.2 docs

{{Glossary}}

==How can I turn on glossary auto-linking?==

# The glossary auto-linking filter should be enabled by an administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Filters > Manage filters''.
# Each glossary entry should have the "This entry should be automatically linked" box checked.

==How can I delete a glossary entry attachment?==

Simply delete the glossary entry and add a new one.

==How can I enable glossary auto-linking in uploaded HTML files?==

In ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Filters > Common filter settings'', set ''filteruploadedfiles'' to "All files" or "HTML files only".

==How can I exempt individual words from auto-linking to a Glossary entry?==
If you don't want particular text to be linked (in a Forum post, say) then:
# In Edit mode, locate and click the Toggle HTML Source button on the formatting toolbar (appears as '<>' symbol)
# Locate the piece of text you want to exempt from autolinking
# Before and after the text respectively, add <nolink> and </nolink>.
# Save and check.

==How can I make a glossary "read only" for students?==

* In ''Settings>Glossary administration>Permissions'', set the ''Create new entries'' capability for Student to ''Prevent''. ([http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=204674&parent=892580#p892618| screenshot in forum thread thanks to Joseph Rézeau])

==How can I prevent glossary auto-linking in a quiz?==

# In ''Settings > Quiz administration > Filters'' turn the glossary auto-linking filter off
# Click the 'Save changes' button

==How do I import entries from another glossary?==

See [[Import glossary entries]].

==I am frustrated trying to import my old images glossary into my new glossary with XML==
Here is a workaround, there has to be an easier way but
*Create a webfolder that you can link to. For example call it "images"
*Add images to that folder
*Export your XML file and edit it
* Change the src="@@PLUGINFILE@@/ to something line src="Mydomain.edu/images/ for every entry in the file.
*Save the XML file with a different name
*Import that new XML file into your new glossary

Now when you use the course import feature, your glossary will work in the new course.

==See also==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=126 Glossary module forum]
* [[Import and export FAQ]]
* [[XML FAQ]]

[[de:Glossar_FAQ]]
[[Category:FAQ]]

Course FAQ

2012-06-13T05:54:26Z

Marycooch: disable duplicating activities - copied from 2.2

{{Courses}}
==How do I get rid of the teachers' names on my course descriptions?==
*By default Moodle will show names of teachers on course descriptions.If you don't want this, uncheck the role in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Course contacts''

==How do I add the names of non-editing teachers to my course descriptions?==
*By default Moodle will only show names of teachers on course descriptions.If you want to add other roles, check the role in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Course contacts''

==Some of my courses have the course summaries showing but some only have an information icon.Why?==
*Categories which have fewer than ten courses will show the full summary but those with more will only show the information icon. If you want them all to show the full summary then change the number to a number lower in ''Settings>Site Administration>Front Page>Front page settings''. The courses will then display over more than one page but with the full summary.

==Why can I only add one hyperlink to a page or label?==
You are probably using Internet Explorer 8 or later. Try either switching to Firefox or click the icon to change to Compatibility mode (which is in effect Internet Explorer 7) and then you will be able to make more than one link.

==The edit icon of my topic summary is "stuck" and I can't access it to edit it.==
*This often happens if something copied and pasted from another source, such as MS Word has corrupted your topic summary. [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=194072&parent=845434 This forum post] suggests three possible solutions.

==How can I change Weekly Outline or Topic Outline to the name of the course?==
This can only be done by changing the code, so if you are comfortable with theming, see https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Themes_2.0_How_to_change_%27Topic_outline%27_and_%27Weekly_outline%27_to_Page_heading

==How can I remove the words Weekly/Topic outline and the numbering?==
See this forum post for ideas http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=177442

==How can I prevent teachers from being able to duplicate course activities?==
*Edit teacher role
*Untick 'allow' on capabilities: ** moodle/backup:backuptargetimport ** moodle/restore:restoretargetimport
*See forum post here http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=204488#p891807

==Where can I find a list of all course resources?==

<code><nowiki>http://yourmoodlesite.net/course/resources.php?id=x</nowiki></code> where x is the course ID number, for example http://school.demo.moodle.net/course/resources.php?id=115.

Text editor

2012-05-23T20:19:01Z

Marycooch: emoticon filter clarification copied from 2.2/2.3

{{Editing text}}
The text editor (sometimes referred to as the 'HTML editor' or even 'TinyMCE') has many icons to assist the user in entering content. Many of these icons and functions should be familiar to anyone who uses a word processor. Some examples of where you will see the text editor include: Editing Section headings, description of an activity, writing an answer to a quiz question or editing the content of many blocks.

[[Image:HTMLeditor tools M2 1.png|frame|center|The standard version of the text editor tool bar]]

==Video introduction to the text editor==
HTML editor in Moodle 2.0 video:

<mediaplayer>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJE6UhqnyjU</mediaplayer>

==List of groups==
For those who are not familiar with the tool bar, here are the functions listed by group using the above example. Remember that the site administrator can edit or provide additonal toolbars.

Row 1
*[[Image:HTML_editor_group_font_style.png]] - Font, size and heading group
*[[Image:HTML_editor_group_undo_redo.png]] - Undo and Redo group
*[[Image:HTML_editor_group_find_replace.png]] - Find and Replace group
*[[Image:HTML_editor_group_fullscreen_1.png]]|Full screen toggle
Row 2
*[[Image:HTML editor group text effects.png]] - Text effect group
*[[Image:HTML editor group line format.png]] - Line format group
*[[Image:HTML_editor_group_formatting.png]] - Formatting group
*[[Image:HTML_editor_group_color.png]] - Color group
*[[Image:HTML_editor_group_paragraph.png]] - Paragraph group

Row 3
*[[Image:HTML_editor_group_lists.png]] - Number and Bullets and indents
*[[Image:HTML_editor_group_link.png]] - Link group
*[[Image:HTML_editor_group_insert.png]] - Insert group
*[[Image:HTML_editor_group_HTML_spell.png]] - HTML source toggle & spellchecker

==Special features==
===Color pickers===
*[[Image:HTML_editor_group_color.png]]
There are 4 levels of selecting a font or background color,
*A quick pick 5x8 matrix of colors
*"More colors" that links to Picker, Pallet and Named tabs
<gallery>
Image:HTML_editor_color_selector_basic_1.png|A quick pick 5x8 matrix of colors
Image:HTML_editor_color_selector_more_picker_1.png|A rainbow color picker tab
Image:HTML_editor_color_selector_more_pallet_1.png|A Pallet tab with a 18x12 matrix of colors
Image:HTML_editor_color_selector_more_named_1.png|A Named tab with custom pallets
</gallery>

===Insert images and media===
[[Image:HTML_editor_group_insert_MU_1.png|frame|center|The Insert images and media group]]

* 1 Insert Image - uses [[File picker]]
* 2 Insert Emoticon (only present if the site administrator has enabled the "show emoticons as images" ''filter in Settings>Site administration>Plugins>Filters>Manage filters'')
* 3 Insert Media - uses [[File picker]]
* 4 Insert Equation - uses java script editor
* 5 Insert Non breaking space
* 6 Insert Custom character - Special keyboard characters
* 7 Insert Table -

====File picker ====
[[Image:Files_File_picker_upload_files_add_1.png|thumb|center|300px|Upload file screen]]

====Equation editor====
[[Image:HTML editor equation editor 1.png|thumb|center|300px|]]

====Custom character====
[[Image:HTML_editor_custom_character_selector_1.png|thumb|center|300px|]]

====Insert table====
<gallery widths="300px">
Image:HTMLeditor_Insert_Table_general_1.png|General tab
Image:HTMLeditor_Insert_Table_advanced_1.png|Advanced tab
</gallery>

'''To add borders to a table'''

Cell borders are crucial for helping readers to follow the rows across the screen. If they aren’t showing already you can add them as follows:

#In the Wiki page containing your table, click its Edit tab
#Carefully select all the cells of the table
#Then right click (Macs: Command+click or Ctrl+Click) over any part of your selection to get a context menu; from it select Cell > Table Cell Properties; the cell properties dialog box then loads.
#Click on its Advanced tab, set Border Color to black (for instance), then click Apply, and then click Update.
#Click Save; the Wiki page containing your table will then load displaying its borders.

==Site administration settings==

===Manage editors===

A site administrator can enable / disable text editors in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Text editors > Manage editors''. By default the TinyMCE HTML editor and plain text area are enabled.

====Spell engine====
[[File:Spellengine.png]]

The TinyMCE HTML editor used by Moodle has Google Spell as its default spell engine (spell-checker). This can be changed by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Text editors > TinyMCE HTML editor''.

If PSpellSpell is selected then aspell 0.50 or later must be installed on your server and the path to aspell set in Settings > Site administration > Server > System Paths.

[[File:Spellcheck.png]]

===HTML settings===

A site administrator can edit the emoticons (or smileys) used in the text editor in ''Settings > Site administration > Appearance > HTML settings''.

==See also==

* [[Text editor FAQ]]

[[Category:Site administration]]

Course completion FAQ

2012-05-17T22:06:11Z

Marycooch: copied prerequistes from 2.2 docs

{{Course completion}}
==Students have completed things but the report does not show it==
The default time for updating course completion is every 10 minutes. You have several options:
*Tell your students the update schedule.
*Ask your site administrator to tell you the when the 10 minute [[Cron]] will run, so you can tell your students "The competition report or Activity completion block will be upgraded every 10 minutes, starting 5 minutes after each hour."
*Alter the language pack, or help files to include this information.
*Ask your site administrator how often the Moodle cron php file is triggered. If it is longer than 10 minutes, that will be the default interval.
*Ask your site administrator if they would change the cache expiry time from 10 minutes to something different. They might tweak the code at /lib/completionlib.php around line 90.
*Ask your site administrator to make sure the server cron triggers Moodle to run cron at the same interval as the cron setting for course completion.
*See if you can trigger cron by going to your Moodle site and adding /admin/cron.php to your browser address. For example after logging into your Moodle site, in the browser address put mymoodlesite.edu/admin/cron.php .

==I have set up course prerequisites but my students can still access the second course before they have finished the first==
Sorry - the ccourse prerequisites feature does NOT prevent students from accessing courses. It merely prevents the course from being marked as "complete" until they have completed another course.

==I made a mistake and had to erase my student data. Do my students have to redo the activities?==
No. For example, if you set the course completion for All aggregation methods and wanted to reset it to "Any", Moodle will warn you that you are deleting compiled student data. It will delete the student data only for the course completion information. When cron.php runs it will recompile the course completion information.

==My student got an error message when they click on more information in the course completion block==
Moodle is confused by your course completion settings. This may happen at the start of the course when the student has not completed an activity and/or you have selected an aggreation method of All and have not checked off that they have completed the activity.

==Where do my students tell me they have finished the course?==
Did you install the [[Self completion block]]? When they click on the link in that block, that will indicate they think they are done. You will have to wait for [[Cron]] to run before seeing the results in your course competition report.

==See also==

Using Moodle forum discussions:
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=184602 Confused how Completion.... err.... completes]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=194747 How to set course completion requirements to include a minimum quiz grade?]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Kursabschluss FAQ]]

Using Assignment

2012-04-25T20:19:59Z

Marycooch: /* See also */ link to forum discussion

{{Assignment}}
This page contains information and suggestions for making the most of Moodle assignments.

==Different Assignment types==
*There are four standard assignment types, but there are several other contributed assignment types which can be downloaded from the [http://moodle.org/plugins/browse.php?list=category&id=12 modules and plugins database].

[[File:Assignmentdropdown.png]]

**''Advanced Uploading of files'' - students can submit one or several items such as word-processed documents with a note to their teacher. The teacher can comment on and send back the uploaded file.
**''Online text'' - students can type their response directly into Moodle using the [[Text editor]]
**''Upload a single file'' - students typically submit one piece of work such as a word-processed document or presentation
**''Offline assignment'' - not a "true" assignment but a place for a teacher to add grades to work done outside of Moodle.

==How do students submit their assignments?==
*With the ''Upload a single file'' and ''Advanced uploading of files'' assignments, students see a button "upload file" which takes them to the file picker where they locate their file(s)

[[File:Studentupload.png]]

*With the online text assignment, students see a button "edit submission" which takes them to the [[Text editor]] where they type their response.

[[File:Studentonlinetext.png]]

'''Note:''' ''Teachers don't see these buttons even if they switch to student view so do not worry if your assignment doesn't display as you're expecting - if you check it with a real student account, it will work!''

==Viewing and grading submitted assignments==
*When students have submitted their assignments, the teacher clicks the 'View x submitted assignments' link (where 'x' is the number of assignments submitted)at the top right of the assignment:

[[File:Viewsubmitted.png]]

*This takes them to the gradebook where they click "Grade" to view and grade the work:

[[File:Gradeassignment.png]]

*With the ''Advanced Uploading of files'' assignment and ''Upload a single file assignment'' you have to download the students' files to view them - see (3) in screenshot below.
*A grade can be entered in the dropdown box (2) and feedback can be written in the text box (1)

[[File:Gradingassignment.png]]

*With the ''Advanced Uploading of files'' assignment, you have the option to re-upload their file with your comments from the "response files" button:

[[File:Responsefile.png]]

*With the ''Online text'' assignment, if you selected "comment inline" the students' work will appear in the feedback text box for you to write comments/corrections on:

[[File:Onlinetextfeedback.png]]

===Quick grading assignments===
You may prefer to use "quick grading" by checking the box at the bottom of the submissions page. This enables you to quickly grade multiple assignments all on one page, rather than one by one in a new window. Simply add the grades and comments then when you're done, click "Save all my feedback" at the bottom of the page.

==Which assignment suits you best?==

===You want students to type shorter or longer responses directly online===

*Use the ''online text assignment'' It works well for younger children who will only manage a sentence or two and works just as well for higher ed students who write long essays.
**Advantage - quick for the student to get started; no need to use a word-processing program and upload the file.
**Disadvantage - potential worries that if the internet goes down, the work students have typed in and not yet saved might be lost.

===You want students to submit work you can download in a specified program===

*Use the "upload a single file" assignment
**Advantage - better than students emailing work as the whole class's work is collated in one space on your course.
**Disadvantage - assignments must downloaded to be viewed (but they can be [[Assignment_FAQ| downloaded in bulk]]) and the teacher needs the appropriate program to open them.

===You want students to submit files at different times for a project===

*Use the ''Advanced uploading of files''type and in the settings, set the maximum number of separate files they can upload.
**Advantage - all project files are in one assignment area for grading so they get a single grade.
**Disadvantage - all project files are in one assignment area for grading -so they can only have a single grade!

===You want students to write a response to a video/sound file/image===

*Use the ''online text'' assignment type and use the Moodle media icon to add your video/sound/image file.

===You want students to answer a series of questions on a video/sound file/image===
*Investigate the [[Quiz]] module. Assignments are really just for a single question.

===You want to view, comment on and send back students' assignments===

*Use the ''Advanced Uploading of files'' type which allows you to download the assignment, add your comments and then re-upload back to the student.
**Advantage: useful for teachers who like using the "tracking changes" options in word-processing programs for example
**Disadvantage: the files have to be downloaded, saved and re-uploaded. They can't be edited online.

===You want students to send you a note along with their uploaded work===

*Use the ''Advanced Uploading of files'' type and in the settings, check "Allow notes"

===You want to allow students to redraft and decide when to submit the work===

*Use the ''Advanced Uploading of files'' type and in the settings check "Allow send for marking". Students can then control when their draft work is submitted to the teacher.

===You want students to keep an ongoing journal or do an iterative assignment===

*Use the ''online text'' assignment or ''Upload a single file'' and in the settings check "Allow resubmitting".[[Image:flowForAssignment.png|thumb|left|140x107px|Iterative assignments]]
*Advantage: the work remains in one place and is constantly improved, graded (if needed) and improved again.
**Disadvantage: unless the student copies and pastes their original text in the online text assignment every time, there is no record/history of previous attempts (such as with the [[Wiki]]) The online text assignment does not replicate the display of a journal or blog where each new entry is additional to the previous ones.

==Keeping records (archiving, exporting, backing up)==
When students unenrol from a Moodle area, their records become invisible through the Gradebook interface. In order to have the information to hand, departments or course teaching teams may need systems in place to keep their own records for the data retention period required in their particular context. There are two separate procedures for exporting student submissions and marks.

To export marks (with or without feedback):
#Go to your course area
#From its front page Settings block, select Grades; the Grader Report loads.
#From the Grader Report Settings block, select Export; a menu displays.
#From the menu, if you need easy viewing and running calculations you probably want to select one of the spreadsheet formats; a page of export settings loads
#Use the Visible Groups pulldown menu to limit the export to specific groups, as required
#In Options, you indicate whether feedback comments are included
#In Grade Items To Be Included lists you can, if required, omit particular Activities from the report
#When you've finished with the settings, click on Submit; a preview of your export displays
#Click on Download to export to the format you chose, and save the file.

To download the original student submissions:
#In your course area, click the link to the Assignment whose submissions you want to download.
#Click on the link to View [n] Submitted Assignments; its Grader then loads.
#Click the link to 'Download All Assignments As A Zip', and save the file.

==Tips and Tricks==
* Want to use an Assignment activity again in another Moodle site? Use the [[Activity_backup| backup and restore]] options.
*Want to use an Assignment activity in another course you teach? Use the [[Import_course_data| Import function]] in the course administration block.
*Moodle will sometimes appear not to be uploading a resubmitted assignment - you seem to be downloading the original assignment. This is a cache issue, in short, go to ''"Tools > Clear Recent History"'' in Firefox or ''"Tools > Delete Browsing History > Delete Temporary Files"'' in Windows Explorer. The newer file will then appear.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=83537 Deleting Submitted Assignments] forum discussion
*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=201307Advantages of using Assignment upload over emailing a document] forum discussion

[[de:Aufgabe einreichen]]
[[fr:Afficher un devoir]]
[[ja:課題を表示する]]

Security recommendations

2012-04-22T12:20:07Z

Marycooch: copied from 2.2 docs

{{Security}}All web application software is highly complex, and every application has security issues that are found from time to time, usually involving some combination of input that the programmers did not anticipate. The Moodle project takes security seriously, and is continuously improving Moodle to close such holes as we find them.

==Introduction==
*This page contains important security measures for your Moodle installation.
*You should report security problems to the [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/CreateIssue!default.jspa Moodle tracker] (and mark it as a security issue!) so that developers can see it and inform registered Moodle sites about fixes as soon as possible.
*You should not post actual exploits in the forums or elsewhere on the web (to protect Moodle admins who have not upgraded yet).

==Simple security measures==
*The best security strategy is a good backup! But you don't have a good backup unless you are able to restore it. Test your restoration procedures!
*Load only software or services you will use
*Perform regular updates
*Model your security after the layers of clothing you wear on a cold winter day

==Basic recommendations==
*Update Moodle regularly on each release
:Published security holes draw crackers attention after release. The older the version, the more vulnerabilities it is likely to contain.
*Register globals '''MUST''' be disabled!
:This will help prevent against possible XSS problems in third-party scripts.
*Use strong passwords for admin and teachers
:Choosing "difficult" passwords is a basic security practice to protect against "brute force" cracking of accounts.
*Only give teacher accounts to trusted users. Avoid creating public sandboxes with free teacher accounts on production servers.
:Teacher accounts have much freer permissions and it is easier to create situations where data can be abused or stolen.
*Separate your systems as much as possible
:Another basic security technique is to use different passwords on different systems, use different machines for different services and so on. This will prevent damage being widespread even if one account or one server is compromised.

==Run regular updates==
*Use auto update systems
*Windows Update
*Linux: up2date, yum, apt-get
:Consider automating updates with a script scheduled via cron
*Mac OSX update system
*Stay current with php, apache, and moodle

==Use mailing lists to stay updated==
*CERT - http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/signup.html
*PHP - http://www.php.net/mailing-lists.php - sign up for Announcements list
*MySQL - http://lists.mysql.com - sign up for MySQL Announcements

==Firewalls==
*Security experts recommend a dual firewall
:Differing hardware/software combinations
*Disabling unused services is often as effective as a firewall
:Use netstat -a to review open network ports
*Not a guarantee of protection
*Allow ports
:80, 443(ssl), and 9111 (for chat),
:Remote admin: ssh 22, or rdp 3389

==Password policy==

A password policy may be set up in ''Settings > Site administration > Security > [[Site policies]]''.

There is a check box to determine if password complexity should be enforced or not, the option to set the minimum length of the password, the minimum number of digits, the minimum number of lowercase characters, the minimum number of uppercase characters and the minimum number of non alphanumeric characters.

If a user enters a password that does not meet those requirements, they are given an error message indicating the nature of the problem with the entered password.

Enforcing password complexity along with requiring users to change their initial password go a long way in helping ensure that users choose and are in fact using "good passwords".

However, making the check too onerous just results in them writing it down so be realistic.

==Password salting==

User passwords are stored as MD5 hashes in the database. It is relatively easy to derive original simple password from simple hash, this can be prevented by setting up password salt. See [[Password salting]] for more details.

==Be prepared for the worst==
*Have backups ready
*Practice recovery procedures ahead of time
*Use a rootkit detector on a regular basis
**Linux/MacOSX - http://www.chkrootkit.org/
**Windows - http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/RootkitRevealer.html

==Moodle security alerts==
*Register your site with Moodle.org
:Registered users receive email alerts
*Security alerts also posted online
*Web - http://moodle.org/security
*RSS feed - http://moodle.org/rss/file.php/1/1/forum/996/rss.xml

==Miscellaneous considerations==
These are all things you might consider that impact your overall security:
*Use the secure forms setting
*Always set a mysql root user password
*Turn off mysql network access
*Use SSL, httpslogins=yes
*Use good passwords - set up a password policy in ''Administration > Security > [[Site policies]]'' (in Moodle 1.9 onwards)
*Do not enable the ''opentogoogle'' setting (in ''Administration > Security > [[Site policies]]'')
*Disable guest access by hiding the guest login button (in ''Administration > Users > [[Authentication]]'')
*Place enrollment keys on all courses or set Course Enrollable = No for all courses
*Ensure the enrolment key hint is disabled in Settings>''Site Administration>Plugins>Enrolments>Self enrolment.''

==Most secure/paranoid file permissions==

'''Note''': The following information applies to Linux/Unix based installations only, as MS Windows permission system is quite different.

Depending on your server setup there are two different scenarios:
# You are running Moodle on your own dedicated server.
# You are running Moodle on a shared hosting environment.

In the sections below, you are required to use the web service user account and group to set the permissions, so you need to know them. This can vary quite a bit from server to server but if this feature has not been disabled in your server, you can go to http://your.moodle.site/admin/phpinfo.php (logging in as admin), and then search for the line that reads 'User/Group', inside the 'apache' table. For example, I get 'www-data' for the user account and 'www-data' for the group too.

=== Running Moodle on a dedicated server ===
Assuming you are running Moodle on a sealed server (i.e. no user logins allowed on the machine) and that root takes care of the modifications to both moodle code and moodle config (config.php), then this are the most tight permissions I can think of:

1. moodledata directory and all of its contents (and subdirectories, includes sessions):
owner: apache user (apache, httpd, www-data, whatever; see above)
group: apache group (apache, httpd, www-data, whatever; see above)
permissions: 700 on directories, 600 on files

2. moodle directory and all of its contents and subdirectories (including config.php):
owner: root
group: root
permissions: 755 on directories, 644 on files.

If you allow local logins for regular users, then 2. should be:
owner: root
group: apache group (apache, httpd, www-data, whatever; see above)
permissions: 750 on directories, 640 on files.

Think of these permissions as the most paranoid ones. You can be secure enough with less tighter permissions, both in moodledata and moodle directories (and subdirectories).

=== Running Moodle on a shared hosting environment ===
If you are running Moodle on a shared hosting environment, then above permissions are probably wrong. If you set 700 as the permission for directories (and 600 for files), you are probably denying the web service user account access to your directories and files.

If you want to tighten your permissions as much as possible, you will need to know:

# the user account and the group the web service is running under (see above).
# the owner of the directories/files of both moodledata and the moodle directory (this should normally be your client user account), and the group of the directories/files. You can usually get this information from the file manager of your hosting control panel. Go to the moodle folder and pick any directory or file and try to view/change the permissions, owner and group of that file. That would normally show the current permissions, owner and group. Do the same for the moodledata directory.

Then, depending on the following scenarios you should use a different set of permissions (listed from more secure to less secure) for your moodledata directory:

# if the web service account and the owner of the directories/files is the same, you should use 700 for directories and 600 for files.
# if the web service group and the group of the directories/files is the same, you should use 770 for directories and 660 for the files.
# if none of the above, you will need to use 777 for directories and 666 for files, which is less secure but it is your only option. 707 and 606 would be more secure, but it might or might not work, depending on your particular setup.

In fact, you just need to set moodledata the permissions specified above, as all the directories and files inside are created by the web service itself, and will have the right permissions.

Regarding the moodle directory, as long as the web service user account can read the files plus read and execute the directories, that should be enough. There is no need to grant write permission to the web service account/group on any of the files or subdirectories. The only drawback is that you will need to create the config.php by hand during the installation process, as Moodle will not be able to create it. But that should not be a big problem.

==See also==

*[[Security FAQ]]
Using Moodle forum discussions:
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=39404 Guide to Securing your Moodle Server]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=93561 How to secure Moodle website from hacking] including recommendations on emergency recovery

[[Category:Security]]

[[es:Seguridad]]
[[fr:Sécurité]]

Themes FAQ

2012-04-20T14:08:03Z

Marycooch: copied from 2.2 docs

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?==
#In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list.

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion,Nonzero,Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.1 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.1 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

==What is new in themes in Moodle 2.1?==
*Device detection in [[Theme settings]] will automatically switch to one of the device types found [[Standard themes|Theme selector]]. You can even create your own device type themes to add to the list. In theory, you could have different themes for each browser type in the world, and each would be automatically selected when the user logged into Moodle.
* Moodle 2.0 brought lots of changes. See [[:dev:Themes 2.0]].

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Forum settings

2012-04-20T09:59:53Z

Marycooch: formatting

{{Forum}}
[[Image:Adding a forum.png||thumb|Adding a forum, showing General and Grade sections]]To add a forum:
#As an editing teacher for a course, click "Turn Editing On", and go to the topic or week section in which you want to create the forum.
#From the dropdown menu labeled "Add an activity", select "Forum". This will take you to the forum settings page titled "Adding a new forum" page.

In an existing forum, the following settings can be found in ''Settings > Forum administration > Edit settings''.

==Forum administration settings==

===Forum name===

A short name of the forum (e.g. "Favourite colour"), which will be displayed on the course homepage.

===Forum type===

There are five forum types to choose from:

[[File:Forumtypes.png]]

*A single simple discussion - A single topic discussion developed on one page, which is useful for short focused discussions
*Standard forum for general use - An open forum where anyone can start a new topic at any time; this is the best general-purpose forum
*Each person posts one discussion - Each person can post exactly one new discussion topic (everyone can reply to them though); this is useful when you want each student to start a discussion about, say, their reflections on the week's topic, and everyone else responds to these
*Q and A Forum - Instead of initiating discussions participants pose a question in the initial post of a discussion. Students may reply with an answer, but they will not see the replies of other Students to the question in that discussion until they have themselves replied to the same discussion.
*Standard forum displayed in a blog-like format

A [[News forum]] is a special type of forum that is automatically created with a new course.

===Forum introduction===

Place the description of the forum here. It has the standard Moodle [[HTML editor]] toolbar to assist the teacher.

:''TIP:'' It is a good practice to include precise instructions for students regarding the subject of the forum and the rating and grading criteria that might be used in this forum (see below).

===Subscription mode===

When a person is subscribed to a forum it means that they will be sent email copies of every post in that forum. This will over ride some [[Edit profile|student settings in their profile]]. By default, posts are recorded about 30 minutes after the post was first written. Depending upon the email settings of each forum member, they may be sent an email immediately after the 30 minute edit window is closed, or in a batch at a time fixed by the site administrator (see below).

People can usually choose whether or not they want to be subscribed to each forum. However, the teacher can choose to force subscription on a particular forum then all course users will be subscribed automatically, even those that enrol at a later time.

If the teacher selects the option "Yes, initially" then all current and future course users will be subscribed initially but they can unsubscribe themselves at any time. If the teacher chooses "Yes, forever" then the forum members will not be able to unsubscribe themselves.

Tips:
* Forcing everyone to subscribe is especially useful in the [[News forum]] and in forums towards the beginning of the course (before everyone has worked out that they can subscribe to these emails themselves).
* Changing the setting from "Yes, initially" to "No" will not unsubscribe existing users, it will only affect those who enrol in the course in the future. Similarly changing "Yes, initially" will not subscribe existing course users but only those enrolling later.
* There is also a "Subscriptions not allowed" setting which prevents Students from subscribing to a Forum. Teachers may choose to subscribe to a forum if they wish.

===Read tracking for this forum?===

"Read tracking" for a forum allows users to track read and unread messages in the forum.

There are three options for this setting:
* Optional (default) - students can turn tracking on or off for the forum at their discretion
* On - tracking is always on in this forum for all members
** Not quite sure about this statement. This seems to only be true for users who have read tracking enabled in their user settings (Tested in Moodle 2.0.4 and at http://demo.moodle.net/)
* Off - tracking is always off in this forum for all members

===Maximum attachment size===

The maximum file size that may be attached to a forum post will first be determined by the Moodle site settings. The teacher may want a smaller size limit for the forum. Server file capacity, student downloading speeds and discouraging images in a document centered discussion are a few reasons to limit file size.

===Maximum number of attachments===
The maximum number of files a user can attach to a forum post can be specified here (from 0 to 100)

===Post threshold for blocking===

Students (i.e. users which don't have the 'Exempt from post threshold' permission) can be blocked from posting more than a specified number of posts in a given period.

===Grade===

Forum posts can be rated using a [[Scales|scale]] (pre existing number or word scales). By default, only teachers can rate forum posts, though students can be given permission to do so if desired (see Forum permissions below). This is a useful tool for giving students participation grades. Any ratings given in the forum are recorded in the [[Gradebook|gradebook]].

===Aggregate type===

You can set an aggregate type, in other words, decide how all the ratings given to posts in a forum are combined to form the final grade (for each post and for the whole forum activity). Some scales do not lend themselves to certain types of aggregates. There are five options:

* Average of ratings (default) - This is the mean of all the ratings given to posts in that forum. It is especially useful with peer grading when there are a lot of ratings being made.
* Count of ratings - The counts the number of rated posts which becomes the final grade. This is useful when the number of posts is important. Note that the total can not exceed the maximum grade allowed for the forum. A count may be used if the teacher simply wants to acknowledge that a reply was given in the case students being required to make a certain number of posts in the discussion. Note: Count of ratings does not work for the "Separate or Connected Ways of Knowing" scale or custom scales due to the limitation imposed by the max grade.
* Maximum rating - The highest rating is returned as the final grade. This method is useful for emphasising the best work from participants, allowing them to post one high-quality post as well as a number of more casual responses to others.
* Minimum rating - The smallest rating is returned as the final grade. This method promotes a culture of high quality for all posts.
* Sum of ratings - All the ratings for a particular user are added together. Note that the total is not allowed to exceed the maximum grade for the forum. Note: Sum of ratings does not work for the "Separate or Connected Ways of Knowing" scale or custom scales due to the limitation imposed by the max grade.

===Restrict ratings to posts with dates in this range===
The teacher can allow only posts within a certain date range to be rated. This is useful if the teacher wants to keep students focused on the most recent content and maintain a specific pace within the forum or course.

===RSS feed for this activity===

This turns RSS on or off for this forum. When set to “None,” RSS is disabled. When set to “Discussions,” the RSS feed will send out new discussions to subscribers. When set to “Posts,” the RSS feed will send out any new posts to subscribers.

===Number of RSS recent articles===

This number sets the number of articles that go out via RSS. If this number is set to 5, then the 5 most recent articles will be sent to subscribers. As new posts (or discussions) get added, the oldest post/discussion gets replaced on the RSS feed. If your forum gets a lot of posts every day, you will want to set this number high.

The administrative cron (admin/cron.php) must run after the forum is created and posts or discussions have been made. Otherwise the user will receive an error "Error reading RSS data"

Note: [[RSS feeds]] must be enabled for the site and for forums in order for the RSS settings to appear.

===Common module settings===

====Group mode====

The [[Groups|group]] mode setting has three options:

# No groups
# Separate groups - each group can only see their own group, others are invisible
# Visible groups - each group works in their own group, but can also see other groups

If the group mode is set to separate groups:
[[Image:Forum set to separate groups.png|650px|thumb|Adding a new discussion topic to a forum set to separate groups]]
* Teachers are given the option of adding a new discussion topic for all participants or for a selected group. If a teacher adds a new discussion topic for a selected group, then only group members can reply to it. If a teacher adds a new discussion topic for all participants, then students can't reply to it. (This is to ensure that groups are kept separate.)
* Students can only start discussions for their own group.
* Students can only reply to discussions started by other group members or discussions for their own group started by a teacher.

If the group mode is set to visible groups:

* Teachers are given the option of adding a new discussion topic for all participants or for a selected group. If a teacher adds a new discussion topic for a selected group, then only group members can reply to it.
* Students can only start discussions for their own group.
* Students can only reply to discussions started by other group members or teachers.

Teachers, and other users with the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/site:accessallgroups|moodle/site:accessallgroups]] set to allow, can view and post in all forum discussions, regardless of the group mode setting.

:''Note'': Single simple discussions cannot be set to separate groups (as this feature is not implemented). Instead, a standard forum should be used, with the teacher copying and pasting the same discussion topic for each separate group. If required, a permissions override may be set to prevent students from starting new discussions.

:''Note 2'': There is a further setting in 2.0, enabled at system level admin > development that hides groups-enabled activities from a student if they are not in a group.

====Visible to students====

You can hide the activity from students by selecting "Hide" here. It is useful if you wouldn't like to make the activity available immediately.

====ID number====

Setting an ID number provides a way of identifying the forum for grade calculation purposes. If the activity is not included in any grade calculation then the ID number field can be left blank.

==Locally assigned roles==

In ''Settings > Forum administration > Locally assigned roles'' selected users can be given additional roles in the activity.

===Forum moderator===

A student can be given the rights to moderate a forum by assigning them the role of non-editing teacher in the forum.

# In ''Settings > Forum administration > Locally assigned roles'' click on student
# Select the student from the potential users list on the right, and use the Add button to add them to the existing users list on the left. Multiple users may be selected by holding down the Apple or Ctrl key whilst clicking on the users' names.

See also [[Forum moderator role]].

==Forum permissions==

Role permissions for the activity can be changed in ''Settings > Forum administration > Permissions''.

[[File:Forum permissions.png|Frame|]]

Common permissions changes include:

===Enabling students to rate posts===

Click the Allow icon (+) opposite the capability to rate posts and allow the role of student.

===Archiving a forum===

A forum can be closed / archived so that students may no longer start new discussions, nor add replies, but can still read all the discussions by clicking the Prevent icon (X) for the student role for the capabilities 'Start new discussions' and 'Reply to posts'.

===Guests and posting in a forum===

There are certain things, such as posting in a forum, that guests are never allowed to do, despite the permissions interface suggesting otherwise.

The guest role has some special functionality, for example when a guest user attempts to post in a forum, they obtain the message "Sorry, guests are not allowed to post. Would you like to log in now with a full user account?"

(Note: If guests don't obtain the "Sorry, guests are not allowed to post" message because they have no reply link, then self enrolment needs enabling in ''Settings > Course administration > Users > Enrolment methods''.)

If you wish guests to be able to post in a forum, you can [[Manage roles|create a similar role]], say "visitor" with very few permissions allowed, then create an account and assign it the role of visitor. Guests can then share this visitor account.

''Anything else you'd like to achieve with a forum permissions change? Please add your suggestions to [[Talk:Forum settings]]!''

==User administration settings==

Users can choose whether or not to track unread posts in their profile settings under 'Forum tracking'. The settings are:

* Yes: highlight new posts for me
* No: don't keep track of posts I have seen

If the user chooses 'Yes: highlight new posts for me' and the forum administrator has set the 'Read tracking for this forum?' to On or Optional then the user will have new posts highlighted for them. The posts will be highlighted in the following places:

* My home page
* Main Course page
* Within the forum itself

[[Image:MoodleDocs forum_show_unread_behaviour.png|frame|center|Show unread on forum page]]

==Site administration settings==

The forum module has additional settings which may be changed by an administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Activity modules > Forum'' and, for 'Maximum time to edit posts', in ''Settings > Site administration > Security > Site policies''.

===Long and short posts===

The long and short post setting determine how forum posts on the site front page, social format course pages, and user profiles are displayed. (Note: There is currently an unresolved issue - "Site news - forum length setting has no effect for certain users" - MDL-4781.)

===Enabling timed posts===

Timed forum posts may be enabled i.e. having the option to set a display start and end date for a new discussion. Timed posts can then be created by users with the [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewhiddentimedposts|capability to view hidden timed posts]] (normally admins and teachers).

===Maximum time to edit posts===

This specifies the amount of time people have to re-edit forum postings, glossary comments etc. Usually 30 minutes is a good value. The setting may be changed by an administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Security > Site policies''.

===Mark post read after 'X' days===

This setting is forum_oldpostdays and specifies the number of days after which any post is considered to be read. E.g. If this is set to 14 days then any post older than 14 days will be considered read. If you set this to 0 then '''ALL''' posts are instantly considered to be read. If you don't want any posts to be considered read without the user reading them then set a high figure (e.g. 1000)

[[fr:Ajouter/modifier un forum]]
[[ja:フォーラムの追加/編集]]
[[de:Forum anlegen]]

Server files repository

2012-04-18T19:38:25Z

Marycooch: added French link as with 2.2

{{Repositories}}The server repository allows users with the correct permissions to see files on the server. This might mean only files and folders in the context of the current course, or access to a file system that will allow them to use other courses files.

To access any repository, click on it.

[[File:File_Picker_blank_course.png|thumb|300px|center|A new course, with arrow point to Server files repository]]

Below is an example of drilling down. The breadcrumb path has built in links to the level it represents. In the example below, click on "English" and you will see folders representing all the courses in the English category at demo.moodle.org .
[[Image:File_Picker_demo_moodle_legacy_files.png|center|Server files after drilling down in demo.moodle.org]]

==Repository capabilities==

There is just one capability, [[Capabilities/repository/local:view|View server repository]], which is allowed for the default roles of manager, course creator, teacher and non-editing teacher.

[[fr:Fichiers serveur]]

Forum settings

2012-04-18T14:39:39Z

Marycooch: copying from 2.2 docs

{{Forum}}
[[Image:Adding a forum.png||thumb|Adding a forum, showing General and Grade sections]]To add a forum:
#As an editing teacher for a course, click "Turn Editing On", and go to the topic or week section in which you want to create the forum.
#From the dropdown menu labeled "Add an activity", select "Forum". This will take you to the forum settings page titled "Adding a new forum" page.

In an existing forum, the following settings can be found in ''Settings > Forum administration > Edit settings''.

==Forum administration settings==

===Forum name===

A short name of the forum (e.g. "Favourite colour"), which will be displayed on the course homepage.

===Forum type===

There are five forum types to choose from:

[[File:Forumtypes.png]]

*A single simple discussion - A single topic discussion developed on one page, which is useful for short focused discussions
*Standard forum for general use - An open forum where anyone can start a new topic at any time; this is the best general-purpose forum
*Each person posts one discussion - Each person can post exactly one new discussion topic (everyone can reply to them though); this is useful when you want each student to start a discussion about, say, their reflections on the week's topic, and everyone else responds to these
*Q and A Forum - Instead of initiating discussions participants pose a question in the initial post of a discussion. Students may reply with an answer, but they will not see the replies of other Students to the question in that discussion until they have themselves replied to the same discussion.
*Standard forum displayed in a blog-like format

A [[News forum]] is a special type of forum that is automatically created with a new course.

===Forum introduction===

Place the description of the forum here. It has the standard Moodle [[HTML editor]] toolbar to assist the teacher.

:''TIP:'' It is a good practice to include precise instructions for students regarding the subject of the forum and the rating and grading criteria that might be used in this forum (see below).

===Subscription mode===

When a person is subscribed to a forum it means that they will be sent email copies of every post in that forum. This will over ride some [[Edit profile|student settings in their profile]]. By default, posts are recorded about 30 minutes after the post was first written. Depending upon the email settings of each forum member, they may be sent an email immediately after the 30 minute edit window is closed, or in a batch at a time fixed by the site administrator (see below).

People can usually choose whether or not they want to be subscribed to each forum. However, the teacher can choose to force subscription on a particular forum then all course users will be subscribed automatically, even those that enrol at a later time.

If the teacher selects the option "Yes, initially" then all current and future course users will be subscribed initially but they can unsubscribe themselves at any time. If the teacher chooses "Yes, forever" then the forum members will not be able to unsubscribe themselves.

Tips:
* Forcing everyone to subscribe is especially useful in the [[News forum]] and in forums towards the beginning of the course (before everyone has worked out that they can subscribe to these emails themselves).
* Changing the setting from "Yes, initially" to "No" will not unsubscribe existing users, it will only affect those who enrol in the course in the future. Similarly changing "Yes, initially" will not subscribe existing course users but only those enrolling later.
* There is also a "Subscriptions not allowed" setting which prevents Students from subscribing to a Forum. Teachers may choose to subscribe to a forum if they wish.

===Read tracking for this forum?===

"Read tracking" for a forum allows users to track read and unread messages in the forum.

There are three options for this setting:
* Optional (default) - students can turn tracking on or off for the forum at their discretion
* On - tracking is always on in this forum for all members
** Not quite sure about this statement. This seems to only be true for users who have read tracking enabled in their user settings (Tested in Moodle 2.0.4 and at http://demo.moodle.net/)
* Off - tracking is always off in this forum for all members

===Maximum attachment size===

The maximum file size that may be attached to a forum post will first be determined by the Moodle site settings. The teacher may want a smaller size limit for the forum. Server file capacity, student downloading speeds and discouraging images in a document centered discussion are a few reasons to limit file size.

==Maximum number of attachments==
The maximum number of files a user can attach to a forum post can be specified here (from 0 to 100)

===Post threshold for blocking===

Students (i.e. users which don't have the 'Exempt from post threshold' permission) can be blocked from posting more than a specified number of posts in a given period.

===Grade===

Forum posts can be rated using a [[Scales|scale]] (pre existing number or word scales). By default, only teachers can rate forum posts, though students can be given permission to do so if desired (see Forum permissions below). This is a useful tool for giving students participation grades. Any ratings given in the forum are recorded in the [[Gradebook|gradebook]].

===Aggregate type===

You can set an aggregate type, in other words, decide how all the ratings given to posts in a forum are combined to form the final grade (for each post and for the whole forum activity). Some scales do not lend themselves to certain types of aggregates. There are five options:

* Average of ratings (default) - This is the mean of all the ratings given to posts in that forum. It is especially useful with peer grading when there are a lot of ratings being made.
* Count of ratings - The counts the number of rated posts which becomes the final grade. This is useful when the number of posts is important. Note that the total can not exceed the maximum grade allowed for the forum. A count may be used if the teacher simply wants to acknowledge that a reply was given in the case students being required to make a certain number of posts in the discussion. Note: Count of ratings does not work for the "Separate or Connected Ways of Knowing" scale or custom scales due to the limitation imposed by the max grade.
* Maximum rating - The highest rating is returned as the final grade. This method is useful for emphasising the best work from participants, allowing them to post one high-quality post as well as a number of more casual responses to others.
* Minimum rating - The smallest rating is returned as the final grade. This method promotes a culture of high quality for all posts.
* Sum of ratings - All the ratings for a particular user are added together. Note that the total is not allowed to exceed the maximum grade for the forum. Note: Sum of ratings does not work for the "Separate or Connected Ways of Knowing" scale or custom scales due to the limitation imposed by the max grade.

===Restrict ratings to posts with dates in this range===
The teacher can allow only posts within a certain date range to be rated. This is useful if the teacher wants to keep students focused on the most recent content and maintain a specific pace within the forum or course.

===RSS feed for this activity===

This turns RSS on or off for this forum. When set to “None,” RSS is disabled. When set to “Discussions,” the RSS feed will send out new discussions to subscribers. When set to “Posts,” the RSS feed will send out any new posts to subscribers.

===Number of RSS recent articles===

This number sets the number of articles that go out via RSS. If this number is set to 5, then the 5 most recent articles will be sent to subscribers. As new posts (or discussions) get added, the oldest post/discussion gets replaced on the RSS feed. If your forum gets a lot of posts every day, you will want to set this number high.

The administrative cron (admin/cron.php) must run after the forum is created and posts or discussions have been made. Otherwise the user will receive an error "Error reading RSS data"

Note: [[RSS feeds]] must be enabled for the site and for forums in order for the RSS settings to appear.

===Common module settings===

====Group mode====

The [[Groups|group]] mode setting has three options:

# No groups
# Separate groups - each group can only see their own group, others are invisible
# Visible groups - each group works in their own group, but can also see other groups

If the group mode is set to separate groups:
[[Image:Forum set to separate groups.png|650px|thumb|Adding a new discussion topic to a forum set to separate groups]]
* Teachers are given the option of adding a new discussion topic for all participants or for a selected group. If a teacher adds a new discussion topic for a selected group, then only group members can reply to it. If a teacher adds a new discussion topic for all participants, then students can't reply to it. (This is to ensure that groups are kept separate.)
* Students can only start discussions for their own group.
* Students can only reply to discussions started by other group members or discussions for their own group started by a teacher.

If the group mode is set to visible groups:

* Teachers are given the option of adding a new discussion topic for all participants or for a selected group. If a teacher adds a new discussion topic for a selected group, then only group members can reply to it.
* Students can only start discussions for their own group.
* Students can only reply to discussions started by other group members or teachers.

Teachers, and other users with the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/site:accessallgroups|moodle/site:accessallgroups]] set to allow, can view and post in all forum discussions, regardless of the group mode setting.

:''Note'': Single simple discussions cannot be set to separate groups (as this feature is not implemented). Instead, a standard forum should be used, with the teacher copying and pasting the same discussion topic for each separate group. If required, a permissions override may be set to prevent students from starting new discussions.

:''Note 2'': There is a further setting in 2.0, enabled at system level admin > development that hides groups-enabled activities from a student if they are not in a group.

====Visible to students====

You can hide the activity from students by selecting "Hide" here. It is useful if you wouldn't like to make the activity available immediately.

====ID number====

Setting an ID number provides a way of identifying the forum for grade calculation purposes. If the activity is not included in any grade calculation then the ID number field can be left blank.

==Locally assigned roles==

In ''Settings > Forum administration > Locally assigned roles'' selected users can be given additional roles in the activity.

===Forum moderator===

A student can be given the rights to moderate a forum by assigning them the role of non-editing teacher in the forum.

# In ''Settings > Forum administration > Locally assigned roles'' click on student
# Select the student from the potential users list on the right, and use the Add button to add them to the existing users list on the left. Multiple users may be selected by holding down the Apple or Ctrl key whilst clicking on the users' names.

See also [[Forum moderator role]].

==Forum permissions==

Role permissions for the activity can be changed in ''Settings > Forum administration > Permissions''.

[[File:Forum permissions.png|Frame|]]

Common permissions changes include:

===Enabling students to rate posts===

Click the Allow icon (+) opposite the capability to rate posts and allow the role of student.

===Archiving a forum===

A forum can be closed / archived so that students may no longer start new discussions, nor add replies, but can still read all the discussions by clicking the Prevent icon (X) for the student role for the capabilities 'Start new discussions' and 'Reply to posts'.

===Guests and posting in a forum===

There are certain things, such as posting in a forum, that guests are never allowed to do, despite the permissions interface suggesting otherwise.

The guest role has some special functionality, for example when a guest user attempts to post in a forum, they obtain the message "Sorry, guests are not allowed to post. Would you like to log in now with a full user account?"

(Note: If guests don't obtain the "Sorry, guests are not allowed to post" message because they have no reply link, then self enrolment needs enabling in ''Settings > Course administration > Users > Enrolment methods''.)

If you wish guests to be able to post in a forum, you can [[Manage roles|create a similar role]], say "visitor" with very few permissions allowed, then create an account and assign it the role of visitor. Guests can then share this visitor account.

''Anything else you'd like to achieve with a forum permissions change? Please add your suggestions to [[Talk:Forum settings]]!''

==User administration settings==

Users can choose whether or not to track unread posts in their profile settings under 'Forum tracking'. The settings are:

* Yes: highlight new posts for me
* No: don't keep track of posts I have seen

If the user chooses 'Yes: highlight new posts for me' and the forum administrator has set the 'Read tracking for this forum?' to On or Optional then the user will have new posts highlighted for them. The posts will be highlighted in the following places:

* My home page
* Main Course page
* Within the forum itself

[[Image:MoodleDocs forum_show_unread_behaviour.png|frame|center|Show unread on forum page]]

==Site administration settings==

The forum module has additional settings which may be changed by an administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Activity modules > Forum'' and, for 'Maximum time to edit posts', in ''Settings > Site administration > Security > Site policies''.

===Long and short posts===

The long and short post setting determine how forum posts on the site front page, social format course pages, and user profiles are displayed. (Note: There is currently an unresolved issue - "Site news - forum length setting has no effect for certain users" - MDL-4781.)

===Enabling timed posts===

Timed forum posts may be enabled i.e. having the option to set a display start and end date for a new discussion. Timed posts can then be created by users with the [[Capabilities/mod/forum:viewhiddentimedposts|capability to view hidden timed posts]] (normally admins and teachers).

===Maximum time to edit posts===

This specifies the amount of time people have to re-edit forum postings, glossary comments etc. Usually 30 minutes is a good value. The setting may be changed by an administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Security > Site policies''.

===Mark post read after 'X' days===

This setting is forum_oldpostdays and specifies the number of days after which any post is considered to be read. E.g. If this is set to 14 days then any post older than 14 days will be considered read. If you set this to 0 then '''ALL''' posts are instantly considered to be read. If you don't want any posts to be considered read without the user reading them then set a high figure (e.g. 1000)

[[fr:Ajouter/modifier un forum]]
[[ja:フォーラムの追加/編集]]
[[de:Forum anlegen]]

Conditional activities FAQ

2012-04-12T10:08:56Z

Marycooch: copied from 2.2 docs

{{Conditional activities}}

==What ARE Conditional activities?==

[[Conditional activities]] is a feature that enables a teacher to release resources and activities for their students based on certain criteria such as date, grade received or participation.

==Where are the settings to use Conditional activities?==

The Moodle admin needs to enable it site wide in ''Settings>Site administration>Advancd features'' and a teacher will then see "restrict access" options in the setup screen of each activity.

==Can I make access to a course conditional upon completing another course?==
Not currently, no. It is not possible to restrict access to course B until a student has completed course A. There are workarounds such as setting a final page at the end of course A which is only revealed once the student has completed course A. In this page you can include the enrolment key for course B. However - this relies on trusting students not to pass the key onto others.

==Can I set conditional activities for a whole section, not just individual activities?==

There is a tracker entry about this currently MDL-24419 and it is hoped to have this additional feature shortly.

==We had Activity Locking in 1.9. Will it cause problems when upgrading to Moodle 2?==
If you are using the 1.9 AL version that uses the added course format called Activity Locking, then there should not be any upgrading issues.

You could remove the code, which means deleting things from your server and data base.

If you want remove things, do this prior to upgrading to 2.0. Of course, you will be making a backup of your site, database, and even your individual courses before upgrading to 2.0.
#Make a note of the conditions you have set on your activities since they will be deleted.
#Delete the activity locking block through moodle admin--then delete the block folder.
#Delete the AL course format folder.
#This is optional--leaving these should not break things, but it would be a good idea. Delete (e.g. via phpmyadmin) the four added columns to the course_modules table:

:`delay`
:`visiblewhenlocked`
:`checkboxforcomplete`
:`checkboxesforprereqs</nowiki>s`

Now you can change your course formats back to topics, then after upgrade, reset your conditions with the new conditional activities code.

==See also==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=4295 Conditional activities forum]
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=167914 how to clear checks on completion page as admin user] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Bedingte Aktivitäten FAQ]]

SCORM FAQ

2012-04-11T12:15:10Z

Marycooch: copied from 2.2 docs

{{SCORM}}
==What is SCORM?==

SCORM was developed as a result of collaboration in the public and private sectors. The President of the United States, Bill Clinton issued an Executive Order that created an agency (ADL) to oversee the standard for developing and distributing online learning. All Federal agencies are mandated to use programs that meet those standards. SCORM is one result of that order.

There's a really simple "What is SCORM" introduction here: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=3757#p18828

A slightly more detailed introduction here: http://www.rusticisoftware.com/resources/whatisscorm/What%20Is%20SCORM.htm

==Should I make my Moodle courses as SCORM or use Moodle's features?==
It depends how you intend to use it. If you are planning on exporting and using in another LMS then SCORM would make this easier. If you want something shiny, then a SCORM package can fit the bill. However, reporting and grading work better in Moodle and for many educators the standard features do the job perfectly and do not require learning a new program. There is a useful form post discussing the pros and cons of SCORM in Moodle here: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=200242

==SCORM Information==

Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) is the organization that wrote the SCORM standard. You can download documentation and samples form ADL's Web site. Documentation for SCORM 1.2 in several languages is available [http://www.adlnet.gov/Technologies/scorm/SCORMSDocuments/Forms/AllItems.aspx?RootFolder=%2fTechnologies%2fscorm%2fSCORMSDocuments%2fPrevious%20Versions%2fSCORM%201.2%2fDocumentation%20Suite%20(SCORM%201.2)&FolderCTID=0x0120007F801FCD5325044C89D91240519482D7&View={4D6DFFDE-3CFC-4DD9-A21A-4B687728824A} here].

Philip Hutchison provides an AS3 and JavaScript wrapper, as well as a sample package:
http://pipwerks.com/downloads/

==SCORM Package Contents==

A SCORM package must contains in the root of zip a file named imsmanifest.xml which defines SCORM course structure, resource location and many other things. Other files used in the package, such as HTML files, XML files, multimedia files, and JavaScript for the SCORM API must be listed in this file. The LMS parses the manifest, and provides the files listed there to the content package during runtime.

==AICC Package Contents==

An AICC package is defined by several files (from 4 to 7) with defined extensions as follows:

* CRS - Course Description file (mandatory)
* AU - Assignable Unit file (mandatory)
* DES - Descriptor file (mandatory)
* CST - Course Structure file (mandatory)
* ORE - Objective Relationship file (optional)
* PRE - Prerequisites file (optional)
* CMP - Completition Requirements file (optional)

==Basic Troubleshooting==

* Make sure you are running Moodle 2.1 or higher, a large number of SCORM related bugs are present in previous versions.
* Make sure your SCORM object is SCORM compliant - check it in an external SCORM player like [https://docs.moodle.org/en/Tools_for_creating_SCORM_content#Reload Reload] to see if it works there.
* Post a copy of your SCORM object in the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=50 SCORM Repository] and post a message asking for help in the forums, linking to your SCORM object explaining exactly what you expect to happen, and what is happening instead.

==Does Moodle Generate SCORM Content?==

Moodle '''does not''' generate scorm content. Moodle presents the content in SCORM packages to learners, and saves data from learner interactions with the SCORM package.

==Supported Versions==

* SCORM 1.2 is supported in Moodle 2.1(or higher) and passes all the tests in the ADL Conformance test suite 1.2.7 for SCORM 1.2. The best place for information on SCORM 1.2 conformance is the [http://www.adlnet.gov/Technologies/scorm/SCORMSDocuments/Previous%20Versions/SCORM%201.2/Conformance%20Test%20Suite%20(SCORM%201.2)/SCORM_1.2_ConformanceReq.pdf SCORM Comformance Requirements documentation (PDF 3.4MB)].

* SCORM 2004 is not completely supported in Moodle at this stage. Parts of the API have been implemented, but others such as Navigation and Sequencing are not yet supported. If you require a fully certified SCORM 2004 Player in Moodle, [http://www.scorm.com Rustici Software] have a [http://support.scorm.com/entries/20394726-scorm-cloud-moodle-module Moodle plugin] which connects to their commercial [http://www.scorm.com/scorm-solved/scorm-cloud/ SCORM Cloud] service turning Moodle into a fully compliant SCORM 2004 LMS.
:''Moodle Core SCORM 2004 development requires funding!'' See [http://danmarsden.com/blog/2009/05/23/scorm-2004-in-moodle/ SCORM 2004 in Moodle] for details.

* AICC objects are supported in Moodle 2.1 and higher - unfortunately the availability of publicly accessible AICC objects is limited, so testing has been rather difficult. If you have any AICC objects you are willing to share, please upload them to the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=50 SCORM Repository]

* SCORM 2.0 has not been released yet by ADL, and Moodle does not support any of it at this stage.

==Asking for Help in the SCORM Forum==

When trying to engage the community to help with a problem you are facing, you will get a better response if you follow a few simple guidelines:

* Always start your report with '''version information''' - preferably the information displayed on the Admin -> Environment panel eg. http://localhost/moodle/admin/environment.php where http://localhost/moodle is your particular prefix. With this it will be clear how you are running your Moodle instance, on what platform, and at which version. This will quickly expose issues where a simple upgrade will solve your problem.

* Be prepared to '''provide the SCORM package''' that illustrates your problem - if you don't then it will be very difficult for anyone offering assistance to recreate your situation - a real barrier to help.

* '''Screenshots''' are very helpful. Provide a screenshot of all error messages, and any instance where something seems to go wrong in the interface.

* Run your problematic SCORM package through '''debugging''' (see below) and include the text of that API log with your post. That way we can see right away if the right function calls are not taking place.

* If you're using a content development suite which publishes to SCORM, such as Articulate, Captivate, Lectora, LessonBuilder, Udutu, or some other product, then include that in your post. Every authoring software has its ticks, and if you've run into one, it's likely that someone else has also dealt with it, and will recognize it. However, please keep in mind that '''this is a place to get help with Moodle issues, not help with your SCORM package authoring suite'''.

==Debugging ==

# Debugging settings are located at Settings > Site Administration > Plugins > Activities > Scorm.
# Check the checkbox for '''Activate API debug...'''
# Set the api mask. You can use the mask to enable debugging under certain conditions. For example, if you are logged in using the admin user (username admin) you can set the api mask to: <cite>admin.*</cite> Users not logged in as admin will not see the debugging log. The "Default" api mask is <cite>.*</cite>

==What does the debugging log mean?==

The SCO commonly sends the following communications through the API:

* '''LMSInitialize();''' opens the connection between the SCO and Moodle
* '''LMSGetValue( 'valuename' );''' gets a value from Moodle
* '''LMSSetValue( 'valuename' , 'value' );''' sends a value to Moodle
* '''LMSCommit();''' saves values sent to Moodle via LMSSetValue() and should be called after every LMSSetValue()
* '''LMSFinish()''' saves values sent to Moodle and closes the connection between the SCO And Moodle

Red lines in the debugging log means there was an error in the communication through the API.

If LMSInitialize() fails, returns an error, then no subsequent values sent to Moodle will be saved.

Click through the entire SCORM package. Then access the scorm report for your attempt, and compare the saved values in the debugging log with Moodle's report of the attempt. If the values set in the debug log do not match the values saved to Moodle, then there may be a problem with Moodle. Otherwise it's likely to be an issue with the SCO or the SCORM activity settings not giving you the functionality you need.

==SCORM and the Gradebook==
Please see [https://docs.moodle.org/en/SCORM_FAQ#My_SCORM_Module_doesn.27t_function_properly FAQ:My SCORM Module doesn't function properly]

Some SCORM packages report both cmi.core.lesson_status and cmi.core.score.raw. Others report only cmi.core.lesson_status, or only cmi.core.score.raw. The '''Grading Method''' setting for SCORM objects is meant to account for that.

If you have the '''Grading Method''' set to '''Highest grade''', '''Average grade''', or '''Sum grade''', and your learning object does not report a score, only, cmi.core.lesson_status, then there will be no numerical score to pass to the gradebook.

If your SCOs do not report cmi.core.score.raw, then the best '''Grading Method''' setting is '''Learning Objects'''. This reports either a 1 or a 0 as a score for each learning object. The gradebook value for that SCORM activity is the percent of scos in the package for which learners got a 1.

On the other hand, if your SCOs do not report a lesson_status, then select one of the score-based '''Grading Method''' options, such as '''Highest grade''', '''Average grade''', or '''Sum grade''', and not '''Learning Objects'''.

If you do not know what your SCOs are reporting to the LMS, then run them through to completion with debugging on.

Much of the way SCORM objects are graded is controlled inside the SCORM Authoring process before it is packaged for use in an LMS like Moodle - make sure all your grading settings are set correctly. Moodle 2.0 contains some new controls that allow a teacher to override the behaviour as set by the SCORM object to allow for greater, more flexible control. (see MDL-11501 for more information on this)

==SCORM Administration Options==

See [[SCORM settings]]

==Common Solutions==

===Difficulty Displaying a SCORM Package===
If you have difficulty displaying a SCORM, try loading the SCORM in [http://www.reload.ac.uk Reload] and re-saving it, then save the folder as a .zip package and try again.

===Character Display Errors===
When you notice there is a problem displaying characters correctly, it could be a misconfiguration of your server. Make sure that both httpd.conf (when using Apache) and php.ini are set to DefaultCharacterset = utf8 or switch the sending of a default character set off.

===slash arguments warning when I add/update SCORM obects in my course===
SCORM forces what is referred to as "slash arguments" - Unfortunately, some PHP servers don't allow this method and your SCORM objects may not display. This affects IIS 5 and earlier, and some Apache servers. Under IIS 5 and earlier, a workaround using an [http://www.isapirewrite.com/ ISAPI re-write] tool can be used, Apache users should look at this link: https://docs.moodle.org/en/Installation_FAQ#Uploaded_files_give_.22File_not_found.22 - A check on the admin/health.php page is also made to see if slasharguments is supported - visit http://yourmoodlesite/admin/health.php to check to see the status of slasharguments on your server.

===SCORM doesn't work on Godaddy Host===
Godaddy hosts give a 404 file not found error - this is because by default they do not allow slash arguments which SCORM requires. The best way to test this is to visit http://yourmoodlesite/admin/health.php - but the fix involves adding a php.ini or php5.ini file with the following text:
AcceptPathInfo
cgi.fix_pathinfo=1

===Zlib warning when I add/update SCORM objects in my course===
Zlib is a php compression setting made in a websites PHP configuration - unfortunately some browsers don't handle this well (especially Internet Explorer 6) Some webhosts enable this setting, but it will likely cause issues for your users when they attempt to view/use the SCORM object. You will need to contact your server administrator to turn this off. The setting to change in php configuration is "zlib.output_compression"

===Incorrect file package - missing imsmanifest.xml or AICC structure===
This means that Moodle cannot find a file called imsmanifest.xml inside the SCORM object. Reasons for this could be:
* imsmanifest.xml needs to be immediately inside the scorm directory, NOT inside a directory inside of that. So if the zipped scorm package is package.zip, the unzipped package directory should contain immediately inside of it the imsmanifest.xml. This is a common mistake and normally occurs when a SCORM author creates a package themselves and then selects that folder to compress. This places the content folder inside of another folder, The imsmanifest.xml is there, but it is 2 directories deep. To avoid this problem when zipping scorm content into a package, go INSIDE of the exported scorm folder, select all files inside, and compress them while all are selected. The resultant compressed directory has the imsmanifest.xml file in the first directory, immediately available to the moodle scorm loading process.
* when using linux based systems the filename imsmanifest.xml must be all in lowercase not IMSmanifest.xml or Imsmanifest.XML
* The SCORM authoring tool Articulate sometimes fails to create the imsmanifest.xml -Try exporting the package again and see if the manifest is generated.
* The SCORM authoring tool Articulate Presenter will publish packages where the imsmanifest.xml file is in the correct place, but there are several lines of white space in the manifest file if you do not fill out the Reporting and Tracking Options in Articulate Presenter for Keywords and LMS Description. Moodle will give a "Manifest not found" error when encountering this. To fix this problem select the Reporting and Tracking Options in the Articulate Presenter publish dialog and fill in the LMS Description and Keywords.

===File not found error===
You have this error if the scorm package is created in moodle, and the scorm menu loads, but inside of the viewing area for the scorm content, you get a page with a 404 file not found error, usually showing the current Moodle theme.

What this means is that one of the files listed in the imsmanifest.xml is not in the scorm package or not in the correct directory.

Download and unzip the package, open up imsmanifest.xml. At the bottom of the xml file, below any metadata, you'll find a place where organizations and resources for those organizations are designated:

<code xml>

<organizations default="TOC1">
<organization identifier="TOC1">
<title>SCORM Test</title>
<item identifier="I_SCO0" identifierref="SCO0">
<title>Library Quiz</title>
<adlcp:masteryscore>0</adlcp:masteryscore>
</item>
</organization>
</organizations>
<resources>
<resource identifier="SCO0" type="webcontent" adlcp:scormtype="sco" href="scorm.html">
<file href="scorm.html"/>
<dependency identifierref="ALLRESOURCES" />
</resource>
<resource identifier="ALLRESOURCES" type="webcontent" adlcp:scormtype="asset">
<file href="scorm.html" />
<file href="scorm.js" />
<file href="swfobject.js" />
<file href="scorm.swf" />
<file href="scormwrapper.js" />
</resource>
</resources>
</manifest>
</code>

In this xml, we have a single organization, and in that organization is a single resource, a single sco. There are 5 files necessary for that resource to work correctly. The scorm.html file is loaded first. It loads 3 external js files and a swf.

What you need to do now is go to the directory containing imsmanifest.xml, and check that all of those listed files are available at the correct path from imsmanfiest.xml, as listed in imsmanifest.xml. If any one of those files is missing (especially the html file or the swf), or if the paths in imsmanifest.xml are incorrect, then it's very likely that the scorm object won't be able to load at all.

Sometimes the files aren't missing, but are simply misnamed in the manifest, or placed in the wrong directory. You can fix this by moving the files to the correct places, or updating their names so that the imsmanifest and the actual file names match up. In the case of a misnamed file, change the manifest rather than the actual file names, since the the files also reference one another in other places!

===Unzip issues===
If you get a blank page after filling in the title, description, and selecting a large SCORM file, it's likely you haven't installed the PHP-zip lib which is required for Moodle 2.x for more info see [[admin/environment/php_extension/zip]]

===Clear an Attempt===
To clear attempts by a student:

# Go to the SCORM activity and select the link "View reports for x users"
# Select the attempt or attempts you want to clear using the checkbox
# Select Delete in the drop-down box at the bottom of the page

===Handling of Multiple Attempts===
* The option to start a new attempt is provided by a checkbox above the '''Enter''' button on the content structure page, so be sure you're providing access to that page if you want to allow more than one attempt.
* An attempt is not defined until the cmi.core.lesson_status for the attempt is set to either 'completed' or 'passed'. After that, the '''Start new attempt''' checkbox is available to the learner.
* Some scorm packages are intelligent about new attempts, many are not. What this means is that if the learner re-enters an existing attempt, if the SCORM content does not have internal logic to avoid overwriting cmi.core.lesson_status and cmi.core.score.raw, they can be overwritten, even though the attempt was 'completed' or 'passed'.
* SCORM content created with Adobe Captivate has been observed to overwrite these values, though it was not determined whether Captivate provides a publishing setting to override this.

===Reducing Load Time with Captivate===
* Modify the percent that must be downloaded before the content starts to play. In Captivate 4, there's a setting in: Preferences / Project / Start and End / Preload. Reduce that to 50%.
* If you use audio in your Cp file (as background or element attachment), try to put a gap of 0,1 second at the beginning of each element including audio on your slides. If you don't do that, Cp merge all the audio files in one big audio file it need to download before playing the project. This problem have been report many times from the Cp community.

===Moodle changes cmi.core.lesson_status from "completed" or "passed" to "failed"===
Many SCORM authorware suites generate a masteryscore node in the imsmanifest.xml by default. This node is not necessary to the XML file. But when it is there, the SCORM standard designates specific behavior with regard to the value set there.

Here's what is in the scorm standard, on page 35 of 155 in SCORM_1.2_ConformanceReq.pdf, numbered page 2-19 ([http://www.adlnet.gov/Technologies/scorm/SCORMSDocuments/Forms/AllItems.aspx?RootFolder=%2fTechnologies%2fscorm%2fSCORMSDocuments%2fPrevious%20Versions%2fSCORM%201%2e2%2fDocumentation%20Suite%20%28SCORM%201%2e2%29&FolderCTID=0x0120007F801FCD5325044C89D91240519482D7&View=%7b4D6DFFDE%2d3CFC%2d4DD9%2dA21A%2d4B687728824A%7d SCORM Version 1.2 Conformance Requirements Version 1.2]):
<blockquote>
If the value for this element is not set to “incomplete” by the SCO, then the LMS shall re-evaluate and change the value based on the following:<ul>
<li>If there is no mastery score in the Manifest, and the SCO sets a score (cmi.core.score.raw) and the lesson_status (cmi.core.lesson_status) then the LMS shall not override the SCO determined status.</li>
<li>If there is a mastery score in the Manifest, the LMS can change the status to either passed or failed depending on the student's score (cmi.core.score.raw) compared to the mastery score.</li>
<li>If the student is taking the SCO for no-credit, (cmi.core.credit = “no-credit”) there is no change to the lesson_status, with one exception. If the lesson_mode (cmi.core.lesson_mode) is "browse", the lesson_status may change to "browsed" even if the cmi.core.credit is set to no-credit.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
This can result in some functionality you don't intend. You can fix the problem by removing the mastery score node from your imsmanifest.xml file. You will also want to find out what options you have, within your authorware suite, for the writing of that node into the manifest file, and change your authoring process accordingly.

===Player Look 'n Feel===
You should be able to adjust height and width settings for the SCORM player window '''so long as''' your theme is based on/not too much of an aberration from one of the standard themes which ship with Moodle 2.

If your site or course theme isn't closely based on one of the standard M2 themes, then it's possible that your theme CSS is overriding local height and width settings for the SCORM player. Have a Web developer (or a Moodle Partner) examine how your theme is interacting with the player layout, and make changes to your theme as needed.

'''Why can't I just change it locally?''' You can change height and width per individual SCORM package, and you can set defaults for these local height and width values ( [[SCORM Admin Options]] ). Other things, such as colors, shading, borders, backgrounds, are controlled by CSS, just like everything else on the site.

==See also==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=1951 SCORM forum]
* [http://danmarsden.com/blog/2009/05/23/scorm-2004-in-moodle/ SCORM 2004 in Moodle] blog post from developer Dan Marsden
* [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/SCORM_schema Internal SCORM Schema]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?id=7198 SCORM Repository] - allows uploading/downloading shared Objects
* The official standard: [http://www.adlnet.gov/Technologies/scorm/default.aspx Advanced Distributed Learning - SCORM]

Online resources
* [http://www.scormcourse.com/ SCORMCourse.com] serves the SCORM and ADL community as an educational resource for SCORM technology.
* [http://www.eduworks.com/index.php/Publications/Learning-Object-Tutorial.html Learning Object Tutorial]
* [http://elearningweekly.wordpress.com/2007/04/12/tutorial-build-scorm-compatible-lesson-templates-for-your-lms/ Tutorial: Build SCORM-Compatible Lesson Templates for Your LMS]

Using Moodle forum discussions:
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=3757 Simple introduction to SCORM]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=57059 Are there any sugestions for scorm authoring with Microsoft word / or any other easy (maybe free) scorm authoring tool?]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=95946 Is SCORM worth it?]

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Lernpaket FAQ]]

File FAQ

2012-04-07T20:30:13Z

Marycooch: pasted from 2.2 docs

{{File}}==My students cannot open the file I uploaded for them==
Check that the students have the appropriate software to open your file. While Moodle will accept different types of files, it relies on the user to read them with the relevant program. If you uploaded a MS Word 2010 document for instance, make sure your class is able access Office 2010, or provide them with alternatives such as links to Open Office, a "reader" or a pdf version of your file. If your teaching involves the use of subject-specific proprietary software, you should ensure your students are given the means to open the files at home as well as in your establishment.

==Why is it possible to select multiple files in the file settings?==

Because you might be uploading a set of HTML pages with resources. You make the HTML page the main one, and can reference the other resources.

==How can I upload a lot of files in one go?==

You can use the [[Folder]] resource to display multiple files. Put all your files into a folder, zip(compress) the folder and upload it to the [[Folder]] resource. Click the icon to the right of its name to unzip it and then save. All the files will then display.

==How can I change the top frame size when displaying a file in a frame?==

#Login as an admin and go to ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Activity modules > File''.
#Change the 'Frame height' setting.
#Click the 'Save changes' button.

==If I upload a file in one course, can I use it in another course as well?==
Yes. From the file picker, choose Server files and then navigate to the course where you uploaded the file initially and select it there.

==How can I make ppt files open within Moodle rather than downloading?==

You need to convert the ppt to something else, for example a swf file (using Open/Libre Office). See also [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOzAulw8-6E Embedding PowerPoint into Moodle via Google Docs video].

==How can I see or show the size of the file I have uploaded?==

Students who need to download files appreciate being able to see its size especially if they have a poor broadband connection. This will be possible in Moodle 2.3. See tracker entry MDL-31121
[[Category:FAQ]]

Authentication FAQ

2012-03-29T10:57:42Z

Marycooch: pasting from 2.2 docs

{{Authentication}}
==What is an authentication plugin?==

An authentication plugin is a method of handling user authentication i.e. enabling certain people to login to your Moodle site.

==How do I enable the "Create new account" button on the login page?==

To display the "Is this your first time here?" instructions and the "Create new account" button:

# Make sure that the [[Email-based self-registration|email-based self-registration plugin]] (or any other plugin that can support self-registration, such as LDAP) is enabled in '' Settings>Site administration > Plugins > Authentication > [[Manage authentication]]''.
# Select the self-registration plugin in the Common settings.

Warning: Enabling self registration results in the possibility of spammers creating accounts in order to use forum posts, blog entries etc. for spam. See [[Reducing spam in Moodle]] for ways of minimizing the risk.

==How can I change the "Is this your first time here?" instructions?==
#Access ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Authentication > [[Manage authentication]]''.
#Write the instructions in the ''auth_instructions'' text field.
#Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

If your site caters to more than one language you can edit the language via ''Site administration > [[Language_customization]]. Choose the languages (one at a time) and click "edit words or phrases". Choose "file to edit" : moodle.php
Go to the string called "loginsteps" and put in the instruction text you want (for that language). Then repeat for the other languages you want offered.

==How do I set up LDAP authentication?==

See [[LDAP authentication]] for full instructions.

==How is the "No login" authentication plugin used?==

The [[No login]] authentication plugin can be used to suspend particular user accounts. To do so:

# Access the user's profile page.
# In the Settings block, click "Edit profile".
# Select "No login" as the authentication method. (If the setting isn't shown, click the "Show advanced" button to reveal it.)
# Click the "Update profile" button at the bottom of the page.

==What is the difference between enabling the email-based self-registration auth plugin and selecting it as the self registration method?==

The [[Email-based self-registration| email-based self-registration authentication plugin]] must be enabled to allow users who previously self-registered to login.

Selecting email-based self-registration as the self registration method allows potential users to self register.

Warning: Enabling self registration results in the possibility of spammers creating accounts in order to use forum posts, blog entries etc. for spam. This risk can be minimized by limiting self registration to particular email domains with the allowed email domains setting in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins> Authentication > [[Authentication|Manage authentication]]''. Alternatively, self registration may be enabled for a short period of time to allow users to create accounts, and then later disabled.

==How can I create an authentication plugin?==

See [[Development:Authentication plugins]].

==How can students without email addresses have Moodle accounts?==

See [[No Email]].

==Where are users' details stored?==

Users' details can be stored in local Moodle database or externally.

If Users' details are stored in the local Moodle database, it is called "internal authentication". Storing users' details externally is called "external authentication".

==Can you arrange for an e-mail to be sent to notify Users of new accounts?==
If you are creating ONE manual account, then no.

See Feature request here: http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-19390

See discussion http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=117005

Bulk upload can be set up to send e-mails: see the discussion here: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=85333 (Which includes a code hack to do this as well. (Also http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=125000)

==How can I have users logging in with their email address?==

See this Forum thread: [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=199457#p869691 Logging in Using Email or Username]

==See also==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=42 User authentication forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Authentifizierung FAQ]]

Quiz submission email notification

2012-03-29T10:06:55Z

Marycooch: copying from 2.2

{{Quiz}}
It is possible for an email to be sent out to confirm that the student submitted the quiz. There are two types of notification: a confirmation to the student that their attempt has finished successfully, and a notification to the teacher(s) that someone has submitted an attempt. Emails are never sent for preview attempts.
:'''The default Moodle setting is for email functions in Moodle Quiz are turned off for both students and teachers.'''

==Allow notification emails to teachers==
''Settings > Quiz administration > Permissions''

To turn on the email process for a teacher in a specific quiz, go to the permissions screen, and in the Capability column under Activity: Quiz click on the + e procedure is similar to the above. On the Override permission tab in Quiz settings, change the capability "Get email notification when an attempt is submitted" (mod/quiz:emailnotifysubmission) to "Allow" for the teacher.

Since permissions are contextual, this permission can be set on the site or course level by the site administrator..

==Allow confirmation emails to students==
''Settings > Quiz administration > Permissions''

The above process is similar for a student. Change the permission in the Activity:Quiz capability that says "Get a confirmations message when submitting" (mod/quiz:emailconfirmsubmission) to allow this for a student.

==Notes==
:Note that if the quiz is set to separate groups, then teachers will only get a notification if either
* the student is in the same group as the teacher, or
* the teacher has moodle/site:accessallgroups.

==How to configure the text of the emails==
'''Site administration > Language > Language customization'''

This can only be done by a user that has permission to alter the language files. To reconfigure the way the email reads, you will need to understand string variables and how they work as part of another string. While not complicated, this will require attention to detail. This section assumes you also have read [[Language customization]].

The subject and body of the emails are defined in the quiz.php language file that are in the "mod" group. The strings to edit are 'emailconfirmsubject', 'emailconfirmbody', 'emailnotifysubject' and 'emailnotifybody'. The $a string passed in when these language strings are loaded contains all the following information:

===The emailconfirmbody string===
<nowiki> Dear {$a->username}, Thank you for submitting your answers to '{$a->quizname}' in course '{$a->coursename}' at {$a->submissiontime}. This message confirms that we have safely received your answers. You can access this quiz at {$a->quizurl}.</nowiki>

===The emailnotifybody string===
<nowiki>Dear {$a->username}, {$a->studentname} has completed the quiz '{$a->quizname}' ({$a->quizurl}) in course '{$a->coursename}' You can review this attempt at {$a->quizreviewurl}.</nowiki>

=== The emailnotifysmall===
<nowiki>{$a->studentname} has completed {$a->quizname}</nowiki>

===The emailnotifysubject string===
<nowiki>Quiz submission confirmation: {$a->quizname}</nowiki>

===Potential strings to use in an email===
;$a->coursename
:The name of the course
;$a->courseshortname
:The shortname of the course
;$a->quizname
:The name of the quiz
;$a->quizreporturl
:The URL of the results overview for this quiz (.../mod/quiz/report.php?q=''quizid'')
;$a->quizreportlink
:The URL of the results overview URL and quiz name as a HTML link
;$a->quizreviewurl
:The URL of the review page for this attempt (.../mod/quiz/review.php?attempt=''attemptid'')
;$a->quizreviewlink
:The attempt review URL and quiz name as a HTML link
;$a->quizurl
:The URL of the main page of the quiz (.../mod/quiz/view.php?q=''quizid'')
;$a->quizlink
:The URL of the quiz and the quiz name as a HTML link
;$a->attemptsubmissiontime
:The time the attempt was submitted, formatted using userdate().
;$a->timetaken
:How long the quiz attempt lasted.
;$a->studentname
:The name of the person who submitted the quiz.
;$a->studentidnumber
:The idnumber of the person who submitted the quiz.
;$a->studentusername
:The username of the person who submitted the quiz.
;$a->username
:The name of the user the email is being sent to.
;$a->useridnumber
:The idnumber of the user the email is being sent to.
;$a->userusername
:The username of the user the email is being sent to.

[[ja:解答送信の通知メール]]
[[de:E-Mail-Benachrichtigung bei Testabgabe]]

Grades FAQ

2012-03-29T09:31:42Z

Marycooch: pasting from 2.2 docs

{{Grades}}
== General ==

===How can I change how grades are displayed?===

Grades may be displayed as as actual grades, as percentages (in reference to the minimum and maximum grades) or as letters.

The default grade display type for the site is set by an administrator in ''Administration > Grades > [[Grade item settings]]''. However, this may be changed at course level.

To change how grades are displayed for particular [[Grade items|grade items]], or category and course summaries (called aggregations):

# Follow the grades link in the course administration block.
# Select "Categories and items" from the gradebook dropdown menu.
# Click the edit icon for the grade item, category total or course total.
# From the Grade display type menu, select real (for actual grades), percentage or letter.
# Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

Alternatively, to change how grades are displayed for the whole course:

# Follow the grades link in the course administration block.
# Select "Course settings" from the gradebook dropdown menu.
# From the Grade display type menu, select real (for actual grades), percentage or letter.
# Click the "Save changes" button.

===How can I hide entered grades until a specified date?===

To set a "Hidden until" date:

#Access the course gradebook via the grades link in the course administration block.
#Select "Categories and items" from the gradebook dropdown menu.
#Click on the edit icon opposite the activity for which a "Hidden until" date is to be set.
#On the edit grade item page, ensure that advanced settings are displayed. (Click the "Show advanced" button if not.)
#Enable the "Hidden until" setting by unchecking the disable checkbox, then set a date.
#Click the "Save changes" button.

=== Is it possible to show the teachers/administrators' grades in the grader report? ===
Yes, at the site level you can define which roles will appear in the grader report. This can be found in [[General_grade_settings#Graded_Roles|Administration > Grades > General settings]]. Also read [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=92612 this discussion] for some more ideas.

===Why can't I change a grade within an assignment after changing it in the gradebook?===

When you edit a grade directly in the gradebook, an "overridden" flag is set, meaning that the grade can no longer be changed from within the assignment.

However, the flag can be removed by turning editing on in the [[Grader report|grader report]], then clicking the [[Grade editing|edit grade]] icon, unchecking the overridden box and saving the changes.

===How do I get groups to show up in the grader report?===

For groups to show up in the grader report, group mode should be set to visible or separate groups in the [[Course settings|course settings]]. This will result in a groups dropdown menu being displayed, enabling a teacher to view the grades of all participants, or only the grades for a selected group.

===The quiz grades keep disappearing from the student view, even after I un-hide them!===

Check your quiz settings. Under the '''Review options''' heading, in the '''Later, while the quiz is still open''' and/or the '''After the quiz is closed''' columns, you probably have Scores un-checked. Each time a student completes a quiz, these settings are consulted and the scores will be hidden from ''all'' students. If your students don't all take the quiz at the same time, it can look like quiz scores reset themselves to 'hidden' randomly, even after you un-hide them.

===How can I make the gradebook simpler for teachers?===

See [[Simplifying the gradebook by changing permissions]].

== Reports ==
=== How do I create my own custom gradebook reports? ===
Here is a [[Development:Gradebook_Report_Tutorial|tutorial]] explaining all the main steps involved.

===How can I sort or change the order of column headings?===
Go to Grades link, then select one of the "Category & items" actions from the pulldown on the top left. Use the move icon to change the position of the graded item. And/or you could create categories for the items and move them into a category so they will be grouped that way first.

== Aggregation ==
=== I can't find where to change the aggregation type for my gradebook categories! ===
Each category has an aggregation type, which can be changed through that category's "edit" page. To access that page, you must use one of 2 ways:

1. In the grader report, turn "Editing" on, then click the little "hand" icon next to the category whose aggregation you want to change
2. In the "Edit categories and Items" page (accessible through the "choose an action" menu, top left), you see a tree view of the categories and items in your gradebook. The top category is the course category. Each category also has a "hand" icon, which leads to the category edit page

=== How can I grade some of my activities without the results affecting my students' course total? ===
#Create two [[Grade categories]], one for your "activities still being graded," and one for your "released" activities.
#Ensure that "Aggregate including subcategories" (an advanced option) is unchecked for your top level course grade category.
##Where is this? In gradebook (grader report), in the upper right corner, click the "Turn Editing On" button.
##Click the edit icon next to the "course category" (usually your course name, just above the quiz names and below all the clickable links that were revealed when you turned editing on)
##Then make sure you have the "Show Advanced" option turned on.
#Edit the "activities still being graded" category's "course total" item. (This is one of the categories you created above.)
##Where is this? Look for the edit icon under "category total" that is below this category's name
#Set the "grade type" to "none".
#Tick the "Hidden" checkbox.
#Save your changes.
#Move all your activities being graded in the "activities still being graded" category.
#Move all your activities already graded in the "released" category.

Note: I rewrote this a bit, to help people find where things are. However, this method didn't seem to work for me on Moodle 1.9.

=== My student completed only one activity out of 5, but his course total shows 100%. How do I show a more "progressive" course total? ===

==== Step-by-Step Explanation ====
# From the view menu in the gradeboook, select "Categories and items"
# At the top line there is a folder icon and an edit icon on the right, click the edit icon
# You'll then see the title "Grade category," the 3rd item is "Aggregate only non-empty grades."
# Uncheck this.
# Save.

==== Another Explanation ====
By default, only non-empty grades are aggregated, the others are ignored. However, you can change this setting as well as others that affect the course total, by turning "Editing" on in the grader report, and clicking the "Edit" icon next to the course category (the very top row of the grader report).

You can untick the box "Aggregate only non-empty grades" if you want to show a more "progressive" score for each student. Their empty grades will count as a 0 and will be counted in the course mean/total.

If you prefer to show a sum of points, rather than a percentage, you can change the course category's aggregation method to "Sum of grades".

=== How can I display the average grade for my course categories (not grade categories)? ===
In Moodle 1.9 there is no way to aggregate course totals within each category. The gradebook is course-centered, and there is currently no User Interface for showing grades within an entire course category at once.

=== How can I setup weighted assignments? ===
See [[Using "Weighted Mean of Grades" to weight categories containing assignments]].

== Categories ==
=== How many depths of categories/subcategories can I create? ===
There is no programmatic limit, but there are practical limits. Very deeply nested structures are difficult to manage. 3 levels of categories should be sufficient for most situations. Note that there is always at least one level of categories, since the Course category always encompasses all other categories and grade items, can cannot be deleted.

=== I can't find setting X in the grade category edit page! Where is it? ===
If a setting documented on the [[Grade categories]] page does not appear on your edit page, it may mean that it is set globally in your site. See [[Grade_category_settings#Forcing_settings|Forcing settings]] for more information.

== Outcomes ==
=== I want to set up an outcome item for my course. What are the steps required? ===
#The site administrator needs to have enabled outcomes via ''Settings>Site Administration > Advanced Features >Enable Outcomes''
#In your course, go to ''Settings>Course administration>Grades>Scales'' and create the scale you need.
#[[Scales#Creating_a_new_scale|Create a scale]]
#In Settings>Course administration>Outcomes, create a course outcome assigning it to the scale you just created.
#Read the [[Outcomes| outcomes documentation]] for instructions).
#You can now give your students a rating on the outcome dimension you just created. If you created a standard outcome, you will be able to use it in other courses and follow your students' performance across these courses.

===How can I remove an outcome from an activity?===

An outcome can be removed from an activity by deleting it on the gradebook edit categories and items page. This results in the outcomes being deselected on the update activity page.

== Modules ==
=== The activity module (Module name) doesn't support grading. How can I give my students a grade anyway? ===
You can create a [[Grade_items#Manual_grade_items|grade item]] manually in the gradebook. You will have to grade your students through the [[Grader report]] interface (in editing mode).

=== I just graded some of my students using the (Module name) interface, but the results aren't showing up in the grader report. What's going on? ===
Here are some of the possible reasons:

#The corresponding [[Grade items|grade item]] is [[Grade_locking#In_grade_items|locked]], or its parent [[Grade categories|category]] is [[Grade_locking#In_grade_categories|locked]].
#The module code is not using the [[Development:Grades#API_for_communication_with_modules.2Fblocks|gradebook API]] correctly

=== I just created a new assignment with the "Grade" setting set to "No grade", but it still appears in the gradebook ===
The reason is that the gradebook is now the place where both numerical and textual types of feedback are recorded for all activity modules. The word "Grading" in assignment relates only to numerical grades, but the ability to give text feedback remains, and must be recorded in the gradebook. This is why a grade item is created for it. You can hide the grade item if you do not want it to appear in the user reports.

==Weights and extra credits==

===How do weighted grades influence the category or course total?===
A weight (also called coefficient) only has meaning in reference to other weights. If you only have one grade item, changing its weight will not have any effect. However, if you have two grade items, each with a different weight, the "heavier" item will have more influence on the total grade than the "lighter" one.

You can set the weights to any positive numerical value you choose. Usually, at least one of the weights will be 1 and serve as the baseline for other weights. If another item has a weight of 2, its grades will be multiplied by 2 compared with the grades of the first grade item, before being averaged. The denominator used for averaging is the sum of all the weights.

An example follows:
item 1 weight: 1
item 2 weight: 3
item 3 weight: 0.5

item 1 grade: 40/100
item 2 grade: 60/100
item 3 grade: 20/100

Calculation:
total = ((40 * 1) + (60 * 3) + (20 * 0.5)) / (1 + 3 + 0.5)
= (40 + 180 + 10) / (4.5)
= 230 / 4.5
= 51.11

The total for this category will then be 51.11 out of 100

===Do I have to put a value in each "weight" input box?===
No. If you do not put a value, it will default to 1. If all items are set to 1 then they all have equal weight. If you set a weight to 0, the item's grades will not count at all in the category or course average.

===Do all the weights have to add up to 100 or some similar value?===
No, the numbers you put as weights are completely arbitrary. They must be positive numbers, and can add up to anything you want. Note however that the following four sets of weights are identical in value:

(1 1.75 3)
(4 7 12)
(8 14 24)
(400 700 1200)

===What is the difference between Weight and Extra Credit?===
Weight is only available with "Weighted mean of grades". For the "Simple weighted mean of grades", the weight is taken from the grade item's maximum grade. A weight is used to give a grade item more or less importance in the computation of the category total or average, compared with the other items of the same category.

Extra credit replaces grade item weight if the aggregation method is "Mean of grades (with extra credits)" or "Sum of grades". The effect of extra credit is different for both methods, hence some confusion:

*Mean of grades (with extra credits): A value of 0 does nothing. Any other value is used to multiply the grade and add it to the total after the computation of the mean. This grade is not used in the computation of the mean, however, only added afterwards. Additionally, this cannot bring the category total over its maximum grade unless grades over 100% are enabled by the site administrator (since 1.9.5). This grade item is not counted either in the denominator used to compute the category mean.

*Sum of grades: Extra credit is a checkbox, not a number. Normally, with Sum of Grades, the category's maximum grade is the sum of the maximum grades of all its grade items. If one of them is set as "Extra Credit", however, its maximum grade is not added to the category's maximum grade, but its grades will be. This way it is possible to achieve maximum grade (or grades over maximum if enabled by the site administrator) in the category without getting the maximum grade in all the grade items.

===How do I create an assignment for which students can receive a grade higher than the maximum?===

In Moodle 1.9.5 onwards, a new unlimited grades setting in ''Administration > Grades > General settings'' enables administrators to allow teachers to enter grades over 100% directly in the gradebook.

In earlier versions of 1.9, it is possible for a student to get less than the maximum grade in some grade items, while still getting the maximum grade in the category or course total. The Extra Credit feature is used for this purpose, as described above.

==Formulas==

===How do I give a fixed score for a successful quiz attempt===

Suppose you want to give 5 points for a passing grade (say, 70) in a certain quiz. Possible scenario ([http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=148576]): extra credit points to every student that gets a "passing grade" in a "practice test" at the end of each chapter covered in the course, to encourage them to practice after the homework quizzes and to get familiar with a "test type" situation before the actual test.

The following formula should do the trick:

=round((||quiz||/70)-0.49,0)*5

The formula may be added to a designated grade item or category.

Sample calculations:
Score 70:
=round((70/70)-0.49,0)*5
=round(1-0.49,0)*5
=round(0.51,0)*5
=1*5
=5

Score 69:
=round((69/70)-0.49,0)*5
=round(0.98-0.49,0)*5
=round(0.49,0)*5
=0*5
=0

==See also==

*Gradebook Scenarios/Use Cases [https://docs.moodle.org/en/experimental:_gb_tutoring]
*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=2122 Gradebook forum]

Using Moodle forum discussions:
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=123143 Excluding practice quizzes from gradebook]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=193705 Course total not sum of max grade column?]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[ca:PMF de les qualificacions]]
[[fr:FAQ des notes]]
[[ja:評定FAQ]]

MP3 player

2012-03-28T20:36:53Z

Marycooch: pasted from 2.2

Workshop FAQ

2012-03-28T13:35:45Z

Marycooch: /* How can I make reviewing anonymous? */

{{Workshop}}
==How can I get the workshop to switch phases automatically?==
Currently you can only switch phases manually. However; this is a popular request and it is hoped to have the feature in 2.3. See the related Moodle tracker entry:[http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-26099]

==How can I make reviewing anonymous?==

If you do not want your students to know whose work they are reviewing and who is reviewing their work, go to ''Settings>Workshop administration>Permissions'' and click the X next to student to prevent "view author names" ''mod/workshop:viewauthornames'' and "view reviewer names" ''mod/workshop:viewreviewernames''

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=740 Workshop module forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

Workshop FAQ

2012-03-28T13:32:34Z

Marycooch: pasted from 2.2 docs

{{Workshop}}
==How can I get the workshop to switch phases automatically?==
Currently you can only switch phases manually. However; this is a popular request and it is hoped to have the feature in 2.3. See the related Moodle tracker entry:[http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-26099]

==How can I make reviewing anonymous?==

If you do not want your students to know whose work they are reviewing and who is reviewing their work, go to Settings>Workshop Administration>Permissions and click the X next to student to prevent "view author names" ''mod/workshop:viewauthornames'' and "view reviewer names" ''mod/workshop:viewreviewernames''

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=740 Workshop module forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

Advanced Audio

2012-03-28T12:09:46Z

Marycooch: removing out of date links

*This is a troubleshooting page about creating audio files and using them to best effect in Moodle.
*For basic instructions on adding sound to your Moodle course, see [[Audio|Audio]].

== Multimedia filters ==
Moodle has a facility called [[Multimedia plugins]] that can make the presentation of some kinds of downloaded audio and video files more streamlined. Turning this on is recommended, and is a job for your Moodle administrator. It can however, in some rare cases cause your MP3 files to sound faster and higher pitched, making normal speech sound like Minnie Mouse, or slower and lower pitched.

==Advanced Method==

The Media Filters in Moodle use [[Flash]] to playback audio in the browser. Flash requires the audio to be in a fairly specific format and this happens to also ensure the widest possible compatibility in other situations e.g. playing on an iPod. The short version follows, it is explained in greater depth below:

* MP3 format
* with a sample rate of 11.025, 22.05 or 44.1 kHz
* Constant Bit Rate (CBR) rather than Variable Bit Rate (VBR)
* Joint-Stereo, rather than Mono or Full Stereo

Note that 'sample rate' or frequency, measured in kiloHertz (kHz), is not the same as 'bit rate', measured in kilobits per second (kbps). The latter is a measure of filesize and download time and also a rough measure of quality. Somewhere between 32 and 96 kbps is appropriate with diminishing returns beyond 128kbps.

Sample rate is the number of times per second that the sound is digitally recorded. Due to something called the Nyquist Theorem you need twice the frequency of the sounds you wish to record. 44.1kHz is probably the most compatible and a good default choice but 22 and 11kHz are fairly standard too. You might sometimes find MP3 audio files at 16, 32 and 48 kHz but these can cause problems with Moodle and elsewhere and so ideally should be re-encoded following the instructions given below.

Variable Bit Rate files are commonly used to get the best audio quality by 'saving up' bit on easily encoded sections such as silence or simple audio and then using them for difficult to encode noises such as applause, harpsichords or hi-hats. Constant Bit Rate mp3s can be seen therefore as wasteful as they use the same amount of bits for silence as they do for a full orchestra crescendo but are more compatible and easier to stream. If audio files report that they are much longer or shorter than they really are then VBR incompatibility is a likely cause. If audio sound faster or slower than it should, an you have ruled out the sample rate as a cause then VBR may be the culprit.

Mono files theoretically save bandwidth when the location of the audio is irrelevant (e.g. a single person talking), but joint-stereo mp3s can encode most stereo info with minimal quality loss and are smart enough to deal with primarily mono audio without wasting bits and unnecessarily increasing filesize and download time. Full or Real stereo is only necessary for the very highest quality of recording where stereo separation is regarded as important. Mono files are another potential cause for audio to playback at twice the expected speed.

==== Pros ====
* Ideal for shorter sound clips which can be flexibly embedded into a document, forums, quizzes, lessons etc.
* Allows longer audio files to play instantly in the browser as they download in the background.
* Widest possible compatibility (both software and hardware)
* consistent user experience across platforms (Mac, PC, Linux) as it plays in the browser

====Cons====
* Can require more preparation
* The Media Filters can have issues with some mp3 audio files produced by third parties, that would play fine if downloaded

== Conversion to compatible MP3 ==
If you have audio in one of the other formats listed above but would prefer it in the widely compatible MP3 format detailed above then most can be easily be converted. The following instructions are for iTunes which is freely and easily available for both Mac and PC.

To change the settings used to create or convert audio files, open the iTunes option screen, then select:

Options -> Advanced -> Importing, then select MP3 Encoder then from Settings: select Custom...

* Stereo Bit Rate: your choice. (see below for guidance)
* Don't tick "Use Variable Rate Encoding"
* Sample Rate: only choose either 44.100, 22.050, or 11.025 kHz (lower sample rate as you lower bitrate)
* Channels: Stereo
* Stereo Mode: Joint Stereo
* Don't Tick "Smart Encoding Adjustments" (this doesn't have any effect unless you have left some settings at 'auto')
* Tick "Filter frequencies Below 10 Hz" (this generally doesn't have any effect but doesn't really hurt and can increase quality)

If you have played the file in iTunes you should be able to find it in your library. After selecting the file you should find an option in the Advanced menu, called Convert Selection to MP3. If you have several files to convert you can select them all at the same time.

== Choosing a bitrate ==
If you already have an existing file then you shouldn't change the bitrate without good reason. It is the equivalent of photocopying a photocopy and each copy introduces degradation and artifacts. If you're not going to reduce the bitrate by 50% or more you would probably be best leaving it as it is.

MP3 bitrates can range from 1 to 320kbps. You can experiment to find the right mix of size and quality appropriate for your content but anything over 128 kbps is probably a waste of time and space for anything other than recording high-quality music, as is anything higher than the bitrate you start with if converting from one format to another. From 32 to 96 kbps is roughly the right area for recording speech.

==Audio modules & programs==
'''Please see the complete list under See also.''' The information in this page maybe moved to their own pages in the future.

=== Using Audacity to Convert audio and Record voice ===
Audacity is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds. It is available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. Learn more about Audacity... Also check our Wiki and Forum for more information.

*Note: Audacity may not be suitable for encoding MP3s for use with Flash Player at the default sample rate settings. At lower bit rates, it uses sample rates that are not a multiple of 11.025 kHz and the resulting MP3 files may either play at an incorrect speed, the chipmunk effect, or not play at all. See the Audacity documentation on how to set the sample rates.

==== Features ====
[[Image:audacity-screencapture-001.jpg|right|frame|Audacity interface]]
* Record live audio.
* Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.
* Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.
* Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together.
* Change the speed or pitch of a recording.
* And more! See the [http://audacity.sourceforge.net/about/features complete list of features].

==== Audacity help and tutorials ====
* [http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ Website] , [http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/ Download]
* [http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php?title=Creating_a_simple_voice_and_music_Podcast_with_Audacity Creating a simple voice and music Podcast with Audacity]
* [http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php?title=Tutorials Tutorials]
* General [http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/ Help]

==See also==

MoodleDoc Links:
*[[Speech_tools]]
*[[MP3 player]] with many techniques for inserting sound.
*[[Portable recording devices]]
*[[Podcasting]]
[[Category:Filter]]
[[Category:Audio]]

Course/site description block

2012-03-27T20:57:07Z

Marycooch: pasting from 2.2 docs

{{Blocks}}The '''Course/site description''' block provides a summary and/or description for your course as contained in the summary text of the [[Course settings|course settings]].

[[Image:Coursedescriptionexample.png]]

'''NOTE:''' The front page description, accessed from ''Settings>Front page Settings>Edit settings,'' will appear as a side block similar to the course description blocks. If you want your front page description in the centre of your page, check "include a topic section" in the Edit Settings page.

Comments block

2012-03-27T20:51:29Z

Marycooch: /* Site administration settings */ pasted from 2.2

{{Blocks}}
The comments block can be added to any page to allow users to add comments.

[[File:Comments block.png]]

==Site administration settings==

The number of comments displayed may be set by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''.

Comments may be turned off on the site by a site administrator via ''Settings>Advanced Features.''

''NOTE:'' A site administrator can also check which comments have been made (and delete inappropriate ones) via ''Settings>Site administration>Reports>Comments''

[[Category:Comments]]
[[Category:Site administration]]

[[de:Kommentare-Block]]

Blocks FAQ

2012-03-27T20:45:50Z

Marycooch: pasting from 2.2 docs

{{Blocks}}
==How do I hide front page blocks from non-logged-in users?==

# Click the "Turn editing on" button at the top-right of the front page. (You need to be logged in as an administrator.)
# Click the assign roles icon (a face and mask) in the header of the block to be hidden. ('''NOTE''': Don't worry if you get an error message saying you are not able to assign roles ;) )
# Scroll down to the settings block and click the Permissions link
# [[File:Blockassign.png]]
# In the ''View block'' section, click the X next to ''Guest''
# Click the "Save changes" button.

==How do I make a front page block visible to teachers but not students?==
It is possible to control who sees block on the front page. The following applies to any specified group of people, not just teachers and students.
# Ensure you have hidden your block from non-logged in users as in the instructions above.
# In ''Settings>Site administration>Users>Permissions>Define roles'', click on "authenticated user on the front page"
# In the context type, select "block"
# Set ''moodle/block:view'' to "allow". Save the changes.
#Turn editing on on your front page.
#Click the "assign roles " icon on your block.
#Click the blue words of "authenticated user on the front page" to access the screen where you can choose who you want to allow to see this block (such as your teachers) by moving them from the right hand box to the left.
#Now click "Permissions" in the Settings block.
#Click the X next to "authenticated user" to prevent them viewing this block.
#From now on, regular authenticated users will not be able to see the block. However, those who have been given the role of "authenticated user on the front page" will be able to see it.

==How can I change a Block item name from a list inside a block?==
You can change an item name in ''Settings > Site Administration > Language > Language customization'' Select the 'moodle.php' file then search for the words you need to alter.

==How to I make a block "sticky"?==
See [[Block settings]]. Using the edit icon in the block heading, go to the configuration page. Look for the "Where this block appears" group and "Display on page types". Depending upon your current context and permissions, you will see different options. One maybe "All pages" or "Any type of course main page", and others.

==Where did that block come from? I do not want it!==
Your site administrator or some one with more permissions than you decided that block should be there. It is possible to force a block to appear on other pages. For example, a site administrator my force a HTML block on every main course page and determine where it will be, so they may put site messages there.

Your site administrator can tell where every instance of a block appears via [[Blocks administration]].

==How can I decide the order in which blocks are docked?==
Blocks are "docked", from top to bottom (usually on the left) in the order in which you dock them.

==How can I add a block to all user profile pages?==

See [[User profiles]] for instructions.

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=2121 Blocks forum]

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[de:Bl%C3%B6cke_FAQ]]

MP3 player

2012-03-26T14:50:40Z

Marycooch: added update template

{{Working with media}}
{{Update}}
The multimedia filter embeds MP3 files in a streaming player made with Flash. The big MP3 player is used when an MP3 file is added as a [[Resources|resource]]. The small player is used when an MP3 file is linked to from within a forum post or another resource or activity using the [[HTML editor]].

:''Note:'' The MP3 Player used in Moodle 1.9 and the media filter does not recognise .m4a and .aac file types.

==MP3 player rates==

To ensure that MP3 files are played at the correct rate, sample rates of 11, 22 or 44 kHz should be used. Constant Bit Rate (CBR) files are also recommended over Variable Bit Rate (VBR) files. Please note that sample and bit rates are not the same thing. See the two sections MP3 sample rates and MP3 bit rates below.

==MP3 sample rates==

Flash Player can produce undesirable results if the MP3 files are not encoded at a sample rate that is not a multiple of 11.025 kHz. In other words, the acceptable sample rates are:

* 11.025 kHz

* 22.050 kHz

* 44.100 kHz

==MP3 bit rates==

Flash player cannot play MP3 files with a bit rate higher than 128 kbps, which is the default bit rate for most MP3 encoders. For use on the web, lower bit rates are recommended because they download faster and take up less server disk space. Experiment with different bit rates to get the smallest file you can with acceptable sound quality. Common bit rates are:

* 32 kbps, mono - speech only

* 40 kbps, mono - music might sound OK

* 40 kbps, stereo - speech only

* 48 kbps, mono - some music sounds OK

* 48 kbps, stereo - speech only

* 56 kbps, stereo - some music sounds OK

* 64 kbps, stereo - most music sounds OK

==Flash security settings==

Security changes in Flash player 7 may result in the MP3 player not playing MP3 files hosted on a remote server. This issue may be resolved by writing a cross-domain policy for the remote server and/or each user changing their global security settings in the Flash player settings manager.

===Cross-domain policy===

To create a cross-domain policy, save the code below as ''crossdomain.xml'' and place the file at the root (public_html or httpdocs) of the remote server.

<pre>
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<cross-domain-policy>

<allow-access-from domain="www.yoursite.com" secure="false"/>
<allow-access-from domain="www.yoursite.com" to-ports="80,443"/>
<allow-http-request-headers-from domain="yoursite.com" headers="*" />

<allow-access-from domain="*.yoursite.com" secure="false" />
<allow-access-from domain="*.yoursite.com" to-ports="80,443" />
<allow-http-request-headers-from domain="*.yoursite.com" headers="*" />
</cross-domain-policy>
</pre>

Please refer to [http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/flash/articles/fplayer_security.html Macromedia - Developer Center: Security Changes in Macromedia Flash Player 7] for further details.

===Global security settings===

Please refer to [http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager02.html Macromedia - Flash Player Help: Global Privacy Settings Panel].

==MP3 player customisation==

It is possible to customise the colours of the the MP3 player via CSS included in the theme. For example

<code>
.mp3flowplayer_backgroundColor {color: #000000;}
</code>

modifies the background colour, see http://flowplayer.org/documentation/skinning/controlbar.html?skin=default for more colour properties, any property that ends with '...Color' can be overridden via CSS.

For accessibility reasons it is not allowed to initiate an automatic playback.

==Inserting sounds into questions==
[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=33335 In a forum, Joseph Rézeau] offer this

There are various ways to insert links to media files in Moodle.
You can
*(1) insert a link which when clicked will open a new window activating your computer's default media player (e.g. quicktime, realaudio, windows media player, etc.)
*(2) OR rely on the automatic insertion of the small Flash player built-in Moodle
*(3) OR both!

The [[Filter]] for multimedia must be on and Flash enabled. The HTML editor needs to be active for the question content.
#In the question text, type "Listen to this sound and select your answer."
#Select by highlighting "this sound"
#Click on the Insert Web Link button
#Give the address of your MP3 file, either a web address or an internal address of a file located in the moodledata directory of your Moodle course.
#Toggle HTML source and view the result, something like this: Listen to <nowiki> < a href="http://moodle/file.php/2/audio/trumpet.mp3" >this sound< /a > </nowiki>and say what you heard. (See NOTE about filenaming below!)
#Now type in the rest of your question data, depending on its type (MCQ, short answer, etc.).
#The result will look something like (3) in screen dump below.
#The student has a choice of using the Flash player (with its minimum buttons) or clicking on the link, which will open the computer's default media player, with all its buttons.

Note: Unfortunately it would be best to give filenames to the
sounds that do NOT contain the information you are asking about.
There are several ways the page viewer can see that name and see
"Aha, it's a trumpet!"

(2) Method to get the Flash player only, and no link to open an external player

#In the question text, type "Listen to this sound xxx and say what you heard."
#Select xxx
#Click on the Insert Web Link button
#Give the address of your MP3 file, either a web address or an internal address of a file located in the moodledata directory of your Moodle course.
#Toggle HTML source and view the result, something like this: Listen to <nowiki>< a href="http://moodle/file.php/2/audio/trumpet.mp3" >xxx< /a > </nowiki> and say what you heard.
#Delete xxx
#The result will look something like (2) in screen dump below.
#The student can only use the Flash player.

[[Image:Quiz question MP3 example.JPG|thumb|center|Example of Quiz Question with Sound]]

==Tips and tricks==
===Temporarily disable the MP3 player ===
* You can surround your link with <nowiki><nolink></nolink></nowiki> tags to stop any kind of processing including the multimedia filters that create the MP3 player. This may be useful when linking to external MP3 files with characters in their name that Flash cannot understand.
:''TIP:'' Be careful with the no link tags or any user written HTML code. The [[HTML editor]] may eliminate some of your work if you use the HTML editor in the future. The HTML editor tries to tidy things up for the new user but this can frustrate an experienced user of HTML code.
:''NOTE:'' This does not work for something like the following inserted into a page resource.
<nowiki><nolink><a href="http://theExampleServer.com/file.php/55/mp3_2/mt16/The_file.mp3"> The_file.mp3</a></nolink></nowiki> , however you can stop the multimedia filter from showing when linking to files by adding ?forcedownload=1 to the end of the link.

==See also==
* [[Audio in Moodle]] for links to audio MP3 encoders, audio programs, modules and plugins for Moodle
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=43297 Multimedia resource filtering on the course page] forum discussion
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=14663 mp3 player rates] forum discussion

* [[Podcasting]]

[[Category:Administrator]]
[[Category:Teacher]]
[[Category:Filter]]
[[Category:Audio]]

[[pl:Odtwarzacz_MP3]]
[[ja:MP3プレイヤー]]

MP3 player

2012-03-26T14:49:46Z

Marycooch: removed improve template

{{Working with media}}
The multimedia filter embeds MP3 files in a streaming player made with Flash. The big MP3 player is used when an MP3 file is added as a [[Resources|resource]]. The small player is used when an MP3 file is linked to from within a forum post or another resource or activity using the [[HTML editor]].

:''Note:'' The MP3 Player used in Moodle 1.9 and the media filter does not recognise .m4a and .aac file types.

==MP3 player rates==

To ensure that MP3 files are played at the correct rate, sample rates of 11, 22 or 44 kHz should be used. Constant Bit Rate (CBR) files are also recommended over Variable Bit Rate (VBR) files. Please note that sample and bit rates are not the same thing. See the two sections MP3 sample rates and MP3 bit rates below.

==MP3 sample rates==

Flash Player can produce undesirable results if the MP3 files are not encoded at a sample rate that is not a multiple of 11.025 kHz. In other words, the acceptable sample rates are:

* 11.025 kHz

* 22.050 kHz

* 44.100 kHz

==MP3 bit rates==

Flash player cannot play MP3 files with a bit rate higher than 128 kbps, which is the default bit rate for most MP3 encoders. For use on the web, lower bit rates are recommended because they download faster and take up less server disk space. Experiment with different bit rates to get the smallest file you can with acceptable sound quality. Common bit rates are:

* 32 kbps, mono - speech only

* 40 kbps, mono - music might sound OK

* 40 kbps, stereo - speech only

* 48 kbps, mono - some music sounds OK

* 48 kbps, stereo - speech only

* 56 kbps, stereo - some music sounds OK

* 64 kbps, stereo - most music sounds OK

==Flash security settings==

Security changes in Flash player 7 may result in the MP3 player not playing MP3 files hosted on a remote server. This issue may be resolved by writing a cross-domain policy for the remote server and/or each user changing their global security settings in the Flash player settings manager.

===Cross-domain policy===

To create a cross-domain policy, save the code below as ''crossdomain.xml'' and place the file at the root (public_html or httpdocs) of the remote server.

<pre>
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<cross-domain-policy>

<allow-access-from domain="www.yoursite.com" secure="false"/>
<allow-access-from domain="www.yoursite.com" to-ports="80,443"/>
<allow-http-request-headers-from domain="yoursite.com" headers="*" />

<allow-access-from domain="*.yoursite.com" secure="false" />
<allow-access-from domain="*.yoursite.com" to-ports="80,443" />
<allow-http-request-headers-from domain="*.yoursite.com" headers="*" />
</cross-domain-policy>
</pre>

Please refer to [http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/flash/articles/fplayer_security.html Macromedia - Developer Center: Security Changes in Macromedia Flash Player 7] for further details.

===Global security settings===

Please refer to [http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager02.html Macromedia - Flash Player Help: Global Privacy Settings Panel].

==MP3 player customisation==

It is possible to customise the colours of the the MP3 player via CSS included in the theme. For example

<code>
.mp3flowplayer_backgroundColor {color: #000000;}
</code>

modifies the background colour, see http://flowplayer.org/documentation/skinning/controlbar.html?skin=default for more colour properties, any property that ends with '...Color' can be overridden via CSS.

For accessibility reasons it is not allowed to initiate an automatic playback.

==Inserting sounds into questions==
[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=33335 In a forum, Joseph Rézeau] offer this

There are various ways to insert links to media files in Moodle.
You can
*(1) insert a link which when clicked will open a new window activating your computer's default media player (e.g. quicktime, realaudio, windows media player, etc.)
*(2) OR rely on the automatic insertion of the small Flash player built-in Moodle
*(3) OR both!

The [[Filter]] for multimedia must be on and Flash enabled. The HTML editor needs to be active for the question content.
#In the question text, type "Listen to this sound and select your answer."
#Select by highlighting "this sound"
#Click on the Insert Web Link button
#Give the address of your MP3 file, either a web address or an internal address of a file located in the moodledata directory of your Moodle course.
#Toggle HTML source and view the result, something like this: Listen to <nowiki> < a href="http://moodle/file.php/2/audio/trumpet.mp3" >this sound< /a > </nowiki>and say what you heard. (See NOTE about filenaming below!)
#Now type in the rest of your question data, depending on its type (MCQ, short answer, etc.).
#The result will look something like (3) in screen dump below.
#The student has a choice of using the Flash player (with its minimum buttons) or clicking on the link, which will open the computer's default media player, with all its buttons.

Note: Unfortunately it would be best to give filenames to the
sounds that do NOT contain the information you are asking about.
There are several ways the page viewer can see that name and see
"Aha, it's a trumpet!"

(2) Method to get the Flash player only, and no link to open an external player

#In the question text, type "Listen to this sound xxx and say what you heard."
#Select xxx
#Click on the Insert Web Link button
#Give the address of your MP3 file, either a web address or an internal address of a file located in the moodledata directory of your Moodle course.
#Toggle HTML source and view the result, something like this: Listen to <nowiki>< a href="http://moodle/file.php/2/audio/trumpet.mp3" >xxx< /a > </nowiki> and say what you heard.
#Delete xxx
#The result will look something like (2) in screen dump below.
#The student can only use the Flash player.

[[Image:Quiz question MP3 example.JPG|thumb|center|Example of Quiz Question with Sound]]

==Tips and tricks==
===Temporarily disable the MP3 player ===
* You can surround your link with <nowiki><nolink></nolink></nowiki> tags to stop any kind of processing including the multimedia filters that create the MP3 player. This may be useful when linking to external MP3 files with characters in their name that Flash cannot understand.
:''TIP:'' Be careful with the no link tags or any user written HTML code. The [[HTML editor]] may eliminate some of your work if you use the HTML editor in the future. The HTML editor tries to tidy things up for the new user but this can frustrate an experienced user of HTML code.
:''NOTE:'' This does not work for something like the following inserted into a page resource.
<nowiki><nolink><a href="http://theExampleServer.com/file.php/55/mp3_2/mt16/The_file.mp3"> The_file.mp3</a></nolink></nowiki> , however you can stop the multimedia filter from showing when linking to files by adding ?forcedownload=1 to the end of the link.

==See also==
* [[Audio in Moodle]] for links to audio MP3 encoders, audio programs, modules and plugins for Moodle
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=43297 Multimedia resource filtering on the course page] forum discussion
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=14663 mp3 player rates] forum discussion

* [[Podcasting]]

[[Category:Administrator]]
[[Category:Teacher]]
[[Category:Filter]]
[[Category:Audio]]

[[pl:Odtwarzacz_MP3]]
[[ja:MP3プレイヤー]]

Java

2012-03-26T11:02:52Z

Marycooch: removed stub

Java is a programming language made available by Sun Microsystems under the GNU General Public License. It is one of the object-oriented programming languages.

Java can run on any supported hardware/operating-system platform without having to be re-written. Sun's slogan was "Write once, run anywhere" (WORA).

==Tips and Tricks==
*It is possible to insert a Java script by using the [[HTML editor]]. It is important to remember that the HTML editor does not use a header (a specific type of code at the very start of the page). A good practice is to use the WYSIWYG screen to create the desired HTML page, then switch to "view the source" with the <> icon. Now place the header information at the top and insert any other java scripts in the body of the page. Save the page.
**''TIP:'' When trying to edit the page again, the HTML editor may essentially disable the header information. Check the source code to restore the proper header on the page.

== Java & Javascript ==
Java and Javascript are different things and not the same.

'''Javascript''' is a fairly simple scripting language, developed years ago by Netscape, and supported natively by virtually all web browsers. You can insert Javascript directly into HTML; no plug-ins or external applications are required for it to work, so long as Javascript support is enabled in the user's browser (and it usually is).

'''Java''' is a programming language developed by Sun microsystems. You can't insert Java directly into HTML. A Java Applet, which has been programmed using the Java language and compiled externally, can be embedded in a web page (like a video or Flash object), but whether it works or not depends on the end-user having an external Java client installed on his/her computer.

Some web sites also use '''Java server''' applications, but that's yet another animal.

Javascript is what makes "dynamic html" effects possible (drop menus, etc.)

Java applets on the web are more like miniature applications -- such as image editors, or of interactive media. In this way, it's again similar to Flash or Shockwave multimedia objects.

==See also==
[[Flash]]

Label FAQ

2012-03-26T10:47:46Z

Marycooch: pasted from 2.2 and removed stub

{{Label}}
==I am no longer able to edit a label. What can I do?==

If you add something to a label that Moodle doesn't like or recognise, it can sometimes disfigure your page such that you lose the label editing icon. To remove the offending item without having access to the editing icon:

# Log in to your Moodle
# Right click on your page to see the source code.
# Find where your label's code is(if it has text, look for the text)
# You should have something like ''class="activity label" id="module-310''. The number will be the number of the label you want to edit - so remember its number and then:
# Open a new tab or new window in your browser and type this in ''http://yourmoodle/course/modedit.php?update=310&return=0'' where the number is the number of the label you want to edit. It should take you straight to editor to edit the label.
# Delete the contents, save and start again

See also [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXIhDt5rCmc How to edit a label with no edit icon video] and PDF [http://groups.google.com/group/moodlersLA/files Moodle 1.9 How to fix corrupted Labels Moodle] - by Maryel Mendiola (PDF, 1.84 MB, Sep 2009)

[[Category:FAQ]]

File:overridesquiz.png

2012-03-26T10:30:17Z

Marycooch:

File:groupuseroverride.png

2012-03-26T10:30:04Z

Marycooch:

Quiz settings

2012-03-26T10:28:45Z

Marycooch: /* Site administration settings */ pasted from 2.2 docs

{{Quiz}}
Creating a new quiz is a two-step process. In the first step, you create the quiz activity and set its options which specify the rules for interacting with the quiz. In the second step you add questions to the quiz.
This page describes the options you can set for the quiz activity. The page [[Building Quiz]] describes how to set up the questions for the quiz.

'''Quiz options'''
There are a large number of options and your administrator should already have chosen the default values for most of them so that you will not have to modify them for the type of quiz that you use most often. The administrator may also have classified some of the settings as 'advanced' which means that they will be hidden from the set-up screen by default. This can help to keep the screen simpler. You can turn on the display of these advanced options by clicking on the '''Show advanced settings''' button. They will then remain visible until you click on '''Hide advanced settings'''.

==Quiz administration==
When you first set up your quiz from ''Add an activity>Quiz'', you will get the following settings, (which can also be changed later in the Edit Settings link of the Quiz administration settings block)

===General===
;Name
:This is the standard name field. This name will appear on the home page of the course, navigation menu and other places which will show or provide links to this quiz.

;Introduction
:Write an introduction for the quiz. A student will see the introduction immediately after clicking on the quiz name. The student will see this description before they click on the "Attempt quiz" link and thus before the quiz timer is started (if used). This is a good place to include any special instructions for taking the quiz like the number of attempts allowed, time limit or scoring rules.

;Open the quiz
:You can specify times when the quiz is accessible for people to make attempts. Before the opening time the quiz will be unavailable to students. They will be able to view the quiz introduction but will not be able to view the questions.

Note: You can make the quiz available at different times for different groups or users in the Group or User override sections of the Quiz Adminstration settings block.

;Close the quiz
:After the closing time, the students will not be able to start new attempts. Answers that the student submits after the quiz closing date will be saved but they will not be marked.

: Even after the quiz has closed students will still be able to see the quiz description and review their attempts. What exactly they will see depends on the settings you choose for review options (see below).

Note: The quiz closing time is the last access time AND the time when the quiz must be completed. If a time limit is set, regardless of whether there is time left on the timer, the quiz closing time determines when a student's attempt ends.

;Time limit
:By default, quizzes do not have a time limit, which allows students as much time as they need to complete the quiz. If you do specify a time limit, several things are done to try and ensure that quizzes are completed within that time:

# JavaScript support in the browser becomes mandatory - this allows the timer to work correctly.
# A floating timer window is shown with a countdown
# When the timer has run out, the quiz is submitted automatically with whatever answers have been filled in so far
# If a student manages to cheat and goes over the allotted time, no marks are awarded for any answers entered after the time ran out

Note: If a quiz closing time is set, a student's attempt will end on or before this time, regardless of whether there is time left on the timer. Thus, if a quiz closing time is set together with a time limit of say 3 hours, it is recommended that students are informed that they must begin their quiz attempt at least 3 hours before the quiz closing time.

Note: You can make the quiz available last a different period of time for different groups or users in the Group or User override sections of the Quiz Administration settings block (see below).

;Attempts allowed
:Students may be allowed to have multiple attempts at a quiz. This can help make the process of taking the quiz more of an educational activity rather than simply an assessment. If the quiz is randomized then the student will get a new version for each attempt. This is useful for practice purposes.

Note: You can change the allowed number of attempts for different groups or users in the Group or User override sections of the Quiz Adminstration settings block.

;Grading method
:When multiple attempts are allowed, there are different ways you can use the grades to calculate the student's final grade for the quiz.
* Highest grade - the final grade is the highest (best) grade in any attempt
* Average grade - the final grade is the average (simple mean) grade of all attempts
* First grade - the final grade is the grade earned on the first attempt (other attempts are ignored)
* Last grade - the final grade is the grade earned on the most recent attempt only

===Layout===

;Question order
:If 'Shuffled randomly' is selected, then the order of questions in the quiz will be randomly shuffled each time a student starts a new attempt at the quiz. The intention is to make it a little harder for students to copy from each other.

;New page
:For longer quizzes it makes sense to stretch the quiz over several pages by limiting the number of questions per page. When adding questions to the quiz, page breaks will automatically be inserted according to the setting you choose here. However, you will also be able to move page breaks around by hand later on the editing page.
:'''Note that changing this setting has no effect on questions you have already added to the quiz'''. The setting will only apply to questions you add subsequently. To change the page breaks in an existing quiz, you need to go to the quiz editing screen, tick the 'Show page breaks' checkbox, then use the repaginate control.

===Question behaviour===
{{New features}}
;How questions behave
* Deferred feedback - Students must enter an answer to each question and then submit the entire quiz, before anything is graded or they get any feedback.
* Adaptive mode and Adaptive mode (no penalties) - Allows students to have multiple attempts at the question before moving on to the next question. The question can adapt itself to the student's answer, for example by giving some hints before asking the student to try again.
*Manual grading - Used for essay questions (irrespective of what the quiz is set to) but you can now choose to have every question in the quiz manually graded, if you wish.
*Interactive mode - After submitting one answer, and reading the feedback, the student has to click a 'Try again' button before they can try a new response. Once the student has got the question right, they can no longer change their response. Once the student has got the question wrong too many times, they are just graded wrong (or partially correct) and get shown the feedback and can no longer change their answer. There can be different feedback after each try the student makes.
*Immediate feedback - Similar to interactive mode in that the student can submit their response immediately during the quiz attempt, and get it graded. However, they can only submit one response, they cannot change it later.
*Deferred feedback or Immediate feedback with Certainty-based marking (CBM) - With CBM, the student does not only answer the question, but they also indicate how sure they are they got the question right. The grading is adjusted by the choice of certainty, so that students have to reflect honestly on their own level of knowledge in order to get the best mark.

;Each attempt builds on the last
:If multiple attempts are allowed and this setting is set to Yes, then each new attempt contains the results of the previous attempt. This allows the student on the new attempt to concentrate on just those questions that were answered incorrectly on the previous attempt. If this option is chosen then each attempt by a particular student uses the same questions in the same order, independent of randomization settings. To show a fresh quiz on every attempt, select No for this setting.

===Review options===

This section controls what information students will be shown when they review their past attempts at the quiz, and during the attempt in adaptive mode. It is a maxtrix with check boxes.

The various pieces of information that can be controlled are:
; Responses : What the student entered in response to each question.
; Answers : The correct answer to each question is shown. (See note below)
; Feedback : The pieces of feedback that are specific to the student's response to each question.
; General feedback : The general feedback for the question, which does not depend on the student's response.
; Scores : Numerical information about the score the student received on each question.
; Overall feedback : The overall feedback for the whole attempt (see below).

For each of the above items, you can determine the timeframe when the students will see them:
; Immediately after the attempt : means within 2 minutes of the student clicking "submit all and finish".
; Later, while the quiz is still open : means after 2 minutes, but before the close date (if the quiz does not have a close date, this phase never ends).
; After the quiz is closed : means what it says (you never get here for quizzes without a close date).

:''Tip:'' Checking any of the boxes in the timeframe row, will reveal the test to the student. For example, to allow students to see their quiz immediately after taking it but not later, make sure none of the boxes in "Later" or "After" rows are checked. The student will be able to see their grade but not get into the quiz.

Note: Currently, the Answers display is a bit inconsistent between different question types. For example, the matching question type shows students which of their responses are correct, but does not tell them the right answer for the ones they got wrong. The short answer and multiple choices question types do tell the student what the correct answer is.

Users with the capability 'View hidden grades' [[Capabilities/moodle/grade:viewhidden|moodle/grade:viewhidden]] (typically teachers and administrators) are not affected by these settings and will always by able to review all information about a student's attempt at any time.

Note: In your list of review options, you must have 'The attempt' (the first option in the lists) selected before you can enable the options to show 'Whether correct', 'Specific feedback', 'General feedback', and 'Right answer'. If you choose not to let the students review the attempt, your only options are to display 'Marks' and 'Overall feedback'.

===Display===

;Decimal places in grades
:This option determines how many digits will be shown after the decimal point when the grade is displayed. A setting of 0 for example means that the grades are displayed as integers. This setting is only used for the display of grades, not for the display or marking of answers.

===Extra restrictions on attempts===

;Require password
:This field is optional.

:If you specify a password in here then participants must enter the same password before they are allowed to make an attempt on the quiz. This is useful to give only a selected group of students access to the quiz.

;Require network address
:This field is optional.

:You can restrict access for a quiz to particular subnets on the LAN or Internet by specifying a comma-separated list of partial or full IP address numbers. This is especially useful for a proctored (invigilated) quiz, where you want to be sure that only people in a certain room are able to access the quiz. For example: 192.168. , 231.54.211.0/20, 231.3.56.211

:There are three types of numbers you can use (you can not use text based domain names like example.com):

# Full IP addresses, such as 192.168.10.1 which will match a single computer (or proxy).
# Partial addresses, such as 192.168 which will match anything starting with those numbers.
# CIDR notation, such as 231.54.211.0/20 which allows you to specify more detailed subnets.

:Spaces are ignored.

;Browser security
:The options in this section offer various ways to try to restrict how students may try to 'cheat' while attempting a quiz. However, this is not a simple issue, and what in one situation is considered 'cheating' may, in another situation, just be effective use of information technology. (For example, the ability to quickly find answers using a search engine.)

::Note also that this is not just at problem of technology with a technical solution. Cheating has been going on since long before computers, and while computers make certain actions, like copy and paste, easier, they also make it easier for teachers to detect cheating - for example using the quiz reports. The options provided here are not fool-proof, and while they do make some forms of cheating harder for students, they also make it more inconvenient for students to attempt the quizzes, and they are not fool-proof.

:'''Full screen pop-up with some JavaScript security'''

:There is a limit to what the quiz, which runs on a web server, can do to restrict what the student sitting at their computer can do while attempting the quiz. However, this option does what is possible:

:* The quiz will only start if the student has a JavaScript-enabled web-browser.
:* The quiz appears in a fullscreen popup window that covers all the other windows and has no navigation controls.
:* The students are prevented, as far as is possible, from using facilities like copy and paste.

:'''Require the use of Safe Exam Browser'''

:This option will only appear if your administrator has enabled it in ''Settings > Site administration > Development > Experimental > Experimental settings''.

:[[Safe exam browser|Safe Exam Browser]] is a customised web browser that must be downloaded and installed on the computer that the student uses to attempt the quiz. It restricts student use more effectively than a pop up window option. Features include full screen, without web navigation options, shortcut keys including copy and paste are disabled and of course surfing the web during an exam.

===Overall feedback===
Overall feedback is shown to a student after they have completed an attempt at the quiz. The text that is shown can depend on the grade the student got.

For example, if you entered:

:Grade boundary: 100%
:Feedback: "Well done"
:Grade boundary: 40%
:Feedback: "Please study this week's work again"
:Grade boundary: 0%

Then students who score between 100% and 40% will see the "Well done" message, and those who score between 39.99% and 0% will see "Please study this week's work again". That is, the grade boundaries define ranges of grades, and each feedback string is displayed to scores within the appropriate range.

Grade boundaries can be specified either as a percentage, for example "31.41%", or as a number, for example "7". If your quiz is out of 10 marks, a grade boundary of 7 means 7/10 or better.

Note that the maximum and minimum grade boundaries (100% and 0%) are set automatically.

You can set as many or as few grade boundaries as you wish. The form allows you up to 5 ranges at first, but you can add more by clicking the "Add 3 fields to form" button underneath.

If you're getting confusing error messages about a boundary being out of sequence (when it's obviously *in* sequence), or "boundaries must be between 0% and 100%" (and they are) -- check that the Maximum Grade for this quiz is set to something greater than zero.

===Common module settings===
;Group mode
:Here you can choose whether the quiz should be organized by group. This only has an effect on the review screens of the teachers where it determines which groups of students they see.

;Visible to students
:Determines whether the quiz will be visible to students. If you are still in the process of setting up the quiz then it is highly advisable to leave this set to 'Hide'. Otherwise students might view or even attempt the quiz before it is tested and ready. This setting is common to all activities and can also be toggled by clicking on the eye icon behind the activity's name on the course page.

===Restrict access settings===
The [[Restrict_access_settings|Restrict access]] area becomes visible in Moodle activities and resource settings if [[Conditional_activities|Conditional Activities]] have been enabled.

==Group and User overrides==

[[File:overridesquiz.png]]

Dates, timing and number of allowed attempts may be changed for individual users or groups by following the links ''Group Overrides'' or ''User Overrides'' in the Quiz Administration settings block. [[Media:groupuseroverride.png|Screenshot of settings]]

===Group overrides===
To change a quiz setting for a particular group, click the "add group override" button in ''Quiz Administration>Group overrides'', make the changes you wish and save or enter another override.

===User overrides===
To change a quiz setting for a particular user or users, click the "add user override"button in ''Quiz Administration>Group overrides'', make the changes you wish and save or enter another override.

==Site administration settings==

The quiz module has additional settings which may be changed by an administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Activity modules > Quiz''.

The add a new quiz page may be simplified by selecting a number of options to be hidden by default and only displayed when users click the "Advanced settings" button.

How questions behave can be configured in ''Settings>Site administration>Plugins>Question behaviours>Manage question behaviours''

[[de:Test anlegen]]
[[fr:Ajouter/modifier un test]]

Roles FAQ

2012-03-26T10:16:44Z

Marycooch: removed update template

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

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of program behavior. Moodle has 100s of 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
:Permissions are paired with each capability. There are four possible permission values: ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', ''Prohibit'' and ''Not set''/''Inherit''. (It is called not-set when defining roles and inherit when overriding permissions.)
;Role
:A named set of permissions that are associated with each capability. For example. the "Teacher" and "Student" roles come with the standard Moodle install.
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle. Contexts have a hierarchy. Examples of contexts include a course, activity module, or resource.

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

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.

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 do I not have my Course creator role when I also have a student role in my course?==
When you are assigned a role in a context,like a course, that role's permissions for every capability will take over in that context. You were probably given the course creator role in the system or category context, but then in the lower context of a course, you were enrolled as a student.

If you need to be a student a best practice is to create a phantom or test user, then enrol that user in the course as a student. Teachers and others who know the user name and password, can see the course from the student perspective.

On a deeper level, consider the "Master Teacher" who is made a teacher on the system level. If they are given a student role in a specific course, they "lose" many of their abilities to do things as a teacher in that course. However, it can get complicated when a student capability has a "Not set" permission and the teacher role has an "Allow" permission. Here the "student" maybe able to do things other students can not do. Thus the reason for the best practice mentioned above.

==Why do some users I know are in my course not appear in ''Participants''?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in the course category are technically not enrolled in the course and so will not appear in the Participants link in the [[Navigation block]] but can be found via ''Settings>Course administration>Users>Other users''

==When defining roles, what is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

Short answer: "Not set" means whatever permission was in effect when the user entered the context is still in effect. "Prevent" do not allow this capability in this context.

Best practice: when defining roles, you almost always want to use Allow or Not set.

==Can you give me some examples about permissions?==
When you logged into the site you were given the system role of Authenticated User. You are also enrolled in a course and given the student role. Let's look at a single capability called X (the capability could be to create a blog) to see how permissions work.

In the example below we are just talking about the permissions for a single capability in the course role of a Student and the system role of Authenticated user for 1 user.

* If Student permission is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user permission is '''Not set''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prevent''' , and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prevent''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prohibit''', and Authenticated user i '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prohibit''', then you are not allowed to do X.

==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 [[Capabilities/moodle/user:changeownpassword|moodle/user:changeownpassword]] = 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 choose "system" for the context type. Then assign the role to selected users in the System context via ''Settings>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 ''[[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownprofile|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 role archetype:Student from the role archetype 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 can be automatically assigned the role of Teacher in the newly-created course (the default in site settings). This is how a course creator gets her teaching abilities within a course.
* Since roles are independent of each other, ordering roles at Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles does not have any impact on capabilities or permissions. The only effect of ordering roles is how they are displayed in each context.
* When a Moodle site is upgraded with new capabilities, the "ARCHETYPE" role determines the initial permissions for those new capabilities.

==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 contact'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the standard teacher role and call it Instructor and only show that role as the course contact.
Or
* Create a new "dummy" role (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the guest role, call it Lead Teacher and make this the course contact. You may have 5 teachers in the course but only one name will appear as Lead Teacher. If nobody is assigned the role Lead Teacher, no course contact will show.
Or
*Names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|Course administration > edit settings]] "Role renaming" fields. For example, some courses the teacher wants the title "Professor", or "Chief" or "Mentor".
Or
*[[Language customization|Edit the language files]] and change any word you want.

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

#Access ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box(s) in the teacher row to set which role(s) teachers can override. Most likely it will just be the student role (you don't want teachers to be able to override admins!), so check the box where the teacher row intersects with the student column.
#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 ''Siite 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?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It isn't a reliable view however, as some features do not display correctly when viewed by a teacher who has switched their role to a student. For that reason it is always preferable where possible to have a "test" student log in to use.

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[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
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes
*[[Course requester role]] - for restricting users who can make course requests

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

See [[News forum]] for details.

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

Either:
#Access ''Site administration > Front Page > Users > Permissions> Assigned roles''
#Select the role you wish to add individual users to
#Select all or some of the users in the potential users list
#Use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

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

:Note: Setting the default front page role to student is not sufficient to enable logged-in users to participate in a Front Page "Choice activity". A permissions override should be used instead.

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

This is currently not possible. See MDL-30127 for details.

==What is the difference between the capabilities moodle/role:override and moodle/role:safeoverride?==

The capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] was added to Moodle as a way of enabling teachers to [[Override permissions|override permissions]] safely. The capability moodle/role:override allows a user to override all permissions, whereas moodle/role:safeoverride only allows a user to override capabilities that do not have major risks attached to them.

==How can I prevent students from editing their profile?==

If you only want students to be prevented from editing their profile, and not all users, you can create a new role, such as Restricted user as described in the [[Demo teacher role]], with moodle/user:editownprofile set to prevent, and assign it to all students in the system context.

Alternatively, you could change moodle/user:editownprofile to not set for the [[Authenticated user role]], then create a new role for teachers with moodle/user:editownprofile set to allow.

==Why can't I add teachers or students site wide in Moodle?==

You can but it is not a best practice. 'Settings > Site administration > Users> Permissions> Assign system roles'' .
*Teachers and students typically work in one or more individual courses. It is unusual for a student to be studying every single course on your Moodle and unusual for a teacher to be teaching every single course. Therefore, the default Moodle does use these as system wide roles. The Manager role might be one that makes sense to assign on a system or category context.
*Alternatively, you could create a new role based on the teacher or student and assign this in the System context. Then assign individuals to that role.

==How can I make a role available as a front page role?==

# Go to ''Settings > Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and edit the role
# For 'Context types where this role may be assigned' tick the Course checkbox
# Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the 'Save changes' button

== 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

2012-03-26T10:11:24Z

Marycooch: /* How can I prevent a user from changing their own password? */ pasting from 2.2 docs

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

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of program behavior. Moodle has 100s of 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
:Permissions are paired with each capability. There are four possible permission values: ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', ''Prohibit'' and ''Not set''/''Inherit''. (It is called not-set when defining roles and inherit when overriding permissions.)
;Role
:A named set of permissions that are associated with each capability. For example. the "Teacher" and "Student" roles come with the standard Moodle install.
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle. Contexts have a hierarchy. Examples of contexts include a course, activity module, or resource.

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

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.

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 do I not have my Course creator role when I also have a student role in my course?==
When you are assigned a role in a context,like a course, that role's permissions for every capability will take over in that context. You were probably given the course creator role in the system or category context, but then in the lower context of a course, you were enrolled as a student.

If you need to be a student a best practice is to create a phantom or test user, then enrol that user in the course as a student. Teachers and others who know the user name and password, can see the course from the student perspective.

On a deeper level, consider the "Master Teacher" who is made a teacher on the system level. If they are given a student role in a specific course, they "lose" many of their abilities to do things as a teacher in that course. However, it can get complicated when a student capability has a "Not set" permission and the teacher role has an "Allow" permission. Here the "student" maybe able to do things other students can not do. Thus the reason for the best practice mentioned above.

==Why do some users I know are in my course not appear in ''Participants''?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in the course category are technically not enrolled in the course and so will not appear in the Participants link in the [[Navigation block]] but can be found via ''Settings>Course administration>Users>Other users''

==When defining roles, what is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

Short answer: "Not set" means whatever permission was in effect when the user entered the context is still in effect. "Prevent" do not allow this capability in this context.

Best practice: when defining roles, you almost always want to use Allow or Not set.

==Can you give me some examples about permissions?==
When you logged into the site you were given the system role of Authenticated User. You are also enrolled in a course and given the student role. Let's look at a single capability called X (the capability could be to create a blog) to see how permissions work.

In the example below we are just talking about the permissions for a single capability in the course role of a Student and the system role of Authenticated user for 1 user.

* If Student permission is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user permission is '''Not set''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prevent''' , and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prevent''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prohibit''', and Authenticated user i '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prohibit''', then you are not allowed to do X.

==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 [[Capabilities/moodle/user:changeownpassword|moodle/user:changeownpassword]] = 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 choose "system" for the context type. Then assign the role to selected users in the System context via ''Settings>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 ''[[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownprofile|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 role archetype:Student from the role archetype 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 can be automatically assigned the role of Teacher in the newly-created course (the default in site settings). This is how a course creator gets her teaching abilities within a course.
* Since roles are independent of each other, ordering roles at Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles does not have any impact on capabilities or permissions. The only effect of ordering roles is how they are displayed in each context.
* When a Moodle site is upgraded with new capabilities, the "ARCHETYPE" role determines the initial permissions for those new capabilities.

==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 contact'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the standard teacher role and call it Instructor and only show that role as the course contact.
Or
* Create a new "dummy" role (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the guest role, call it Lead Teacher and make this the course contact. You may have 5 teachers in the course but only one name will appear as Lead Teacher. If nobody is assigned the role Lead Teacher, no course contact will show.
Or
*Names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|Course administration > edit settings]] "Role renaming" fields. For example, some courses the teacher wants the title "Professor", or "Chief" or "Mentor".
Or
*[[Language customization|Edit the language files]] and change any word you want.

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

#Access ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box(s) in the teacher row to set which role(s) teachers can override. Most likely it will just be the student role (you don't want teachers to be able to override admins!), so check the box where the teacher row intersects with the student column.
#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 ''Siite 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?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It isn't a reliable view however, as some features do not display correctly when viewed by a teacher who has switched their role to a student. For that reason it is always preferable where possible to have a "test" student log in to use.

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[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
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes
*[[Course requester role]] - for restricting users who can make course requests

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

See [[News forum]] for details.

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

Either:
#Access ''Site administration > Front Page > Users > Permissions> Assigned roles''
#Select the role you wish to add individual users to
#Select all or some of the users in the potential users list
#Use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

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

:Note: Setting the default front page role to student is not sufficient to enable logged-in users to participate in a Front Page "Choice activity". A permissions override should be used instead.

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

This is currently not possible. See MDL-30127 for details.

==What is the difference between the capabilities moodle/role:override and moodle/role:safeoverride?==

The capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] was added to Moodle as a way of enabling teachers to [[Override permissions|override permissions]] safely. The capability moodle/role:override allows a user to override all permissions, whereas moodle/role:safeoverride only allows a user to override capabilities that do not have major risks attached to them.

==How can I prevent students from editing their profile?==

If you only want students to be prevented from editing their profile, and not all users, you can create a new role, such as Restricted user as described in the [[Demo teacher role]], with moodle/user:editownprofile set to prevent, and assign it to all students in the system context.

Alternatively, you could change moodle/user:editownprofile to not set for the [[Authenticated user role]], then create a new role for teachers with moodle/user:editownprofile set to allow.

==Why can't I add teachers or students site wide in Moodle?==

You can but it is not a best practice. 'Settings > Site administration > Users> Permissions> Assign system roles'' .
*Teachers and students typically work in one or more individual courses. It is unusual for a student to be studying every single course on your Moodle and unusual for a teacher to be teaching every single course. Therefore, the default Moodle does use these as system wide roles. The Manager role might be one that makes sense to assign on a system or category context.
*Alternatively, you could create a new role based on the teacher or student and assign this in the System context. Then assign individuals to that role.

==How can I make a role available as a front page role?==

# Go to ''Settings > Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and edit the role
# For 'Context types where this role may be assigned' tick the Course checkbox
# Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the 'Save changes' button

== 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

2012-03-26T10:05:18Z

Marycooch: /* Why are there differences in the users listed as course participants and users assigned roles in a course? */ pasting from 2.2

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

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of program behavior. Moodle has 100s of 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
:Permissions are paired with each capability. There are four possible permission values: ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', ''Prohibit'' and ''Not set''/''Inherit''. (It is called not-set when defining roles and inherit when overriding permissions.)
;Role
:A named set of permissions that are associated with each capability. For example. the "Teacher" and "Student" roles come with the standard Moodle install.
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle. Contexts have a hierarchy. Examples of contexts include a course, activity module, or resource.

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

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.

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 do I not have my Course creator role when I also have a student role in my course?==
When you are assigned a role in a context,like a course, that role's permissions for every capability will take over in that context. You were probably given the course creator role in the system or category context, but then in the lower context of a course, you were enrolled as a student.

If you need to be a student a best practice is to create a phantom or test user, then enrol that user in the course as a student. Teachers and others who know the user name and password, can see the course from the student perspective.

On a deeper level, consider the "Master Teacher" who is made a teacher on the system level. If they are given a student role in a specific course, they "lose" many of their abilities to do things as a teacher in that course. However, it can get complicated when a student capability has a "Not set" permission and the teacher role has an "Allow" permission. Here the "student" maybe able to do things other students can not do. Thus the reason for the best practice mentioned above.

==Why do some users I know are in my course not appear in ''Participants''?==

Users assigned roles in a higher context, for example users assigned the role of teacher in the course category are technically not enrolled in the course and so will not appear in the Participants link in the [[Navigation block]] but can be found via ''Settings>Course administration>Users>Other users''

==When defining roles, what is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

Short answer: "Not set" means whatever permission was in effect when the user entered the context is still in effect. "Prevent" do not allow this capability in this context.

Best practice: when defining roles, you almost always want to use Allow or Not set.

==Can you give me some examples about permissions?==
When you logged into the site you were given the system role of Authenticated User. You are also enrolled in a course and given the student role. Let's look at a single capability called X (the capability could be to create a blog) to see how permissions work.

In the example below we are just talking about the permissions for a single capability in the course role of a Student and the system role of Authenticated user for 1 user.

* If Student permission is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user permission is '''Not set''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prevent''' , and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prevent''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prohibit''', and Authenticated user i '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prohibit''', then you are not allowed to do X.

==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 [[Capabilities/moodle/user:changeownpassword|moodle/user:changeownpassword]] = 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 ''[[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownprofile|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 role archetype:Student from the role archetype 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 can be automatically assigned the role of Teacher in the newly-created course (the default in site settings). This is how a course creator gets her teaching abilities within a course.
* Since roles are independent of each other, ordering roles at Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles does not have any impact on capabilities or permissions. The only effect of ordering roles is how they are displayed in each context.
* When a Moodle site is upgraded with new capabilities, the "ARCHETYPE" role determines the initial permissions for those new capabilities.

==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 contact'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the standard teacher role and call it Instructor and only show that role as the course contact.
Or
* Create a new "dummy" role (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the guest role, call it Lead Teacher and make this the course contact. You may have 5 teachers in the course but only one name will appear as Lead Teacher. If nobody is assigned the role Lead Teacher, no course contact will show.
Or
*Names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|Course administration > edit settings]] "Role renaming" fields. For example, some courses the teacher wants the title "Professor", or "Chief" or "Mentor".
Or
*[[Language customization|Edit the language files]] and change any word you want.

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

#Access ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box(s) in the teacher row to set which role(s) teachers can override. Most likely it will just be the student role (you don't want teachers to be able to override admins!), so check the box where the teacher row intersects with the student column.
#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 ''Siite 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?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It isn't a reliable view however, as some features do not display correctly when viewed by a teacher who has switched their role to a student. For that reason it is always preferable where possible to have a "test" student log in to use.

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[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
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes
*[[Course requester role]] - for restricting users who can make course requests

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

See [[News forum]] for details.

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

Either:
#Access ''Site administration > Front Page > Users > Permissions> Assigned roles''
#Select the role you wish to add individual users to
#Select all or some of the users in the potential users list
#Use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

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

:Note: Setting the default front page role to student is not sufficient to enable logged-in users to participate in a Front Page "Choice activity". A permissions override should be used instead.

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

This is currently not possible. See MDL-30127 for details.

==What is the difference between the capabilities moodle/role:override and moodle/role:safeoverride?==

The capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] was added to Moodle as a way of enabling teachers to [[Override permissions|override permissions]] safely. The capability moodle/role:override allows a user to override all permissions, whereas moodle/role:safeoverride only allows a user to override capabilities that do not have major risks attached to them.

==How can I prevent students from editing their profile?==

If you only want students to be prevented from editing their profile, and not all users, you can create a new role, such as Restricted user as described in the [[Demo teacher role]], with moodle/user:editownprofile set to prevent, and assign it to all students in the system context.

Alternatively, you could change moodle/user:editownprofile to not set for the [[Authenticated user role]], then create a new role for teachers with moodle/user:editownprofile set to allow.

==Why can't I add teachers or students site wide in Moodle?==

You can but it is not a best practice. 'Settings > Site administration > Users> Permissions> Assign system roles'' .
*Teachers and students typically work in one or more individual courses. It is unusual for a student to be studying every single course on your Moodle and unusual for a teacher to be teaching every single course. Therefore, the default Moodle does use these as system wide roles. The Manager role might be one that makes sense to assign on a system or category context.
*Alternatively, you could create a new role based on the teacher or student and assign this in the System context. Then assign individuals to that role.

==How can I make a role available as a front page role?==

# Go to ''Settings > Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and edit the role
# For 'Context types where this role may be assigned' tick the Course checkbox
# Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the 'Save changes' button

== 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

2012-03-26T10:00:18Z

Marycooch: /* Do roles have an inheritance relationship? */ pasting from 2.2 docs

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

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of program behavior. Moodle has 100s of 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
:Permissions are paired with each capability. There are four possible permission values: ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', ''Prohibit'' and ''Not set''/''Inherit''. (It is called not-set when defining roles and inherit when overriding permissions.)
;Role
:A named set of permissions that are associated with each capability. For example. the "Teacher" and "Student" roles come with the standard Moodle install.
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle. Contexts have a hierarchy. Examples of contexts include a course, activity module, or resource.

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

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.

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 do I not have my Course creator role when I also have a student role in my course?==
When you are assigned a role in a context,like a course, that role's permissions for every capability will take over in that context. You were probably given the course creator role in the system or category context, but then in the lower context of a course, you were enrolled as a student.

If you need to be a student a best practice is to create a phantom or test user, then enrol that user in the course as a student. Teachers and others who know the user name and password, can see the course from the student perspective.

On a deeper level, consider the "Master Teacher" who is made a teacher on the system level. If they are given a student role in a specific course, they "lose" many of their abilities to do things as a teacher in that course. However, it can get complicated when a student capability has a "Not set" permission and the teacher role has an "Allow" permission. Here the "student" maybe able to do things other students can not do. Thus the reason for the best practice mentioned above.

==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.

==When defining roles, what is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

Short answer: "Not set" means whatever permission was in effect when the user entered the context is still in effect. "Prevent" do not allow this capability in this context.

Best practice: when defining roles, you almost always want to use Allow or Not set.

==Can you give me some examples about permissions?==
When you logged into the site you were given the system role of Authenticated User. You are also enrolled in a course and given the student role. Let's look at a single capability called X (the capability could be to create a blog) to see how permissions work.

In the example below we are just talking about the permissions for a single capability in the course role of a Student and the system role of Authenticated user for 1 user.

* If Student permission is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user permission is '''Not set''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prevent''' , and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prevent''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prohibit''', and Authenticated user i '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prohibit''', then you are not allowed to do X.

==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 [[Capabilities/moodle/user:changeownpassword|moodle/user:changeownpassword]] = 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 ''[[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownprofile|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 role archetype:Student from the role archetype 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 can be automatically assigned the role of Teacher in the newly-created course (the default in site settings). This is how a course creator gets her teaching abilities within a course.
* Since roles are independent of each other, ordering roles at Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles does not have any impact on capabilities or permissions. The only effect of ordering roles is how they are displayed in each context.
* When a Moodle site is upgraded with new capabilities, the "ARCHETYPE" role determines the initial permissions for those new capabilities.

==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 contact'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the standard teacher role and call it Instructor and only show that role as the course contact.
Or
* Create a new "dummy" role (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the guest role, call it Lead Teacher and make this the course contact. You may have 5 teachers in the course but only one name will appear as Lead Teacher. If nobody is assigned the role Lead Teacher, no course contact will show.
Or
*Names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|Course administration > edit settings]] "Role renaming" fields. For example, some courses the teacher wants the title "Professor", or "Chief" or "Mentor".
Or
*[[Language customization|Edit the language files]] and change any word you want.

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

#Access ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box(s) in the teacher row to set which role(s) teachers can override. Most likely it will just be the student role (you don't want teachers to be able to override admins!), so check the box where the teacher row intersects with the student column.
#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 ''Siite 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?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It isn't a reliable view however, as some features do not display correctly when viewed by a teacher who has switched their role to a student. For that reason it is always preferable where possible to have a "test" student log in to use.

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[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
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes
*[[Course requester role]] - for restricting users who can make course requests

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

See [[News forum]] for details.

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

Either:
#Access ''Site administration > Front Page > Users > Permissions> Assigned roles''
#Select the role you wish to add individual users to
#Select all or some of the users in the potential users list
#Use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

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

:Note: Setting the default front page role to student is not sufficient to enable logged-in users to participate in a Front Page "Choice activity". A permissions override should be used instead.

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

This is currently not possible. See MDL-30127 for details.

==What is the difference between the capabilities moodle/role:override and moodle/role:safeoverride?==

The capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] was added to Moodle as a way of enabling teachers to [[Override permissions|override permissions]] safely. The capability moodle/role:override allows a user to override all permissions, whereas moodle/role:safeoverride only allows a user to override capabilities that do not have major risks attached to them.

==How can I prevent students from editing their profile?==

If you only want students to be prevented from editing their profile, and not all users, you can create a new role, such as Restricted user as described in the [[Demo teacher role]], with moodle/user:editownprofile set to prevent, and assign it to all students in the system context.

Alternatively, you could change moodle/user:editownprofile to not set for the [[Authenticated user role]], then create a new role for teachers with moodle/user:editownprofile set to allow.

==Why can't I add teachers or students site wide in Moodle?==

You can but it is not a best practice. 'Settings > Site administration > Users> Permissions> Assign system roles'' .
*Teachers and students typically work in one or more individual courses. It is unusual for a student to be studying every single course on your Moodle and unusual for a teacher to be teaching every single course. Therefore, the default Moodle does use these as system wide roles. The Manager role might be one that makes sense to assign on a system or category context.
*Alternatively, you could create a new role based on the teacher or student and assign this in the System context. Then assign individuals to that role.

==How can I make a role available as a front page role?==

# Go to ''Settings > Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and edit the role
# For 'Context types where this role may be assigned' tick the Course checkbox
# Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the 'Save changes' button

== 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

2012-03-26T09:56:33Z

Marycooch: /* How do I copy a custom role from one Moodle site to another */ pasting from 2.2 docs

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

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of program behavior. Moodle has 100s of 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
:Permissions are paired with each capability. There are four possible permission values: ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', ''Prohibit'' and ''Not set''/''Inherit''. (It is called not-set when defining roles and inherit when overriding permissions.)
;Role
:A named set of permissions that are associated with each capability. For example. the "Teacher" and "Student" roles come with the standard Moodle install.
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle. Contexts have a hierarchy. Examples of contexts include a course, activity module, or resource.

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

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.

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 do I not have my Course creator role when I also have a student role in my course?==
When you are assigned a role in a context,like a course, that role's permissions for every capability will take over in that context. You were probably given the course creator role in the system or category context, but then in the lower context of a course, you were enrolled as a student.

If you need to be a student a best practice is to create a phantom or test user, then enrol that user in the course as a student. Teachers and others who know the user name and password, can see the course from the student perspective.

On a deeper level, consider the "Master Teacher" who is made a teacher on the system level. If they are given a student role in a specific course, they "lose" many of their abilities to do things as a teacher in that course. However, it can get complicated when a student capability has a "Not set" permission and the teacher role has an "Allow" permission. Here the "student" maybe able to do things other students can not do. Thus the reason for the best practice mentioned above.

==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.

==When defining roles, what is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

Short answer: "Not set" means whatever permission was in effect when the user entered the context is still in effect. "Prevent" do not allow this capability in this context.

Best practice: when defining roles, you almost always want to use Allow or Not set.

==Can you give me some examples about permissions?==
When you logged into the site you were given the system role of Authenticated User. You are also enrolled in a course and given the student role. Let's look at a single capability called X (the capability could be to create a blog) to see how permissions work.

In the example below we are just talking about the permissions for a single capability in the course role of a Student and the system role of Authenticated user for 1 user.

* If Student permission is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user permission is '''Not set''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prevent''' , and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prevent''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prohibit''', and Authenticated user i '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prohibit''', then you are not allowed to do X.

==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 [[Capabilities/moodle/user:changeownpassword|moodle/user:changeownpassword]] = 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 ''[[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownprofile|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 can be automatically assigned the role of Teacher in the newly-created course (the default in site settings). This is how a course creator gets her teaching abilities within a course.
* Since roles are independent of each other, ordering roles at Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles does not have any impact on capabilities or permissions. The only effect of ordering roles is how they are displayed in each context.
* When a Moodle site is upgraded with new capabilities, the "ARCHTYPE" role determines the initial permissions for those new capabilities.

==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 contact'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the standard teacher role and call it Instructor and only show that role as the course contact.
Or
* Create a new "dummy" role (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the guest role, call it Lead Teacher and make this the course contact. You may have 5 teachers in the course but only one name will appear as Lead Teacher. If nobody is assigned the role Lead Teacher, no course contact will show.
Or
*Names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|Course administration > edit settings]] "Role renaming" fields. For example, some courses the teacher wants the title "Professor", or "Chief" or "Mentor".
Or
*[[Language customization|Edit the language files]] and change any word you want.

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

#Access ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box(s) in the teacher row to set which role(s) teachers can override. Most likely it will just be the student role (you don't want teachers to be able to override admins!), so check the box where the teacher row intersects with the student column.
#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 ''Siite 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?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It isn't a reliable view however, as some features do not display correctly when viewed by a teacher who has switched their role to a student. For that reason it is always preferable where possible to have a "test" student log in to use.

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[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
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes
*[[Course requester role]] - for restricting users who can make course requests

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

See [[News forum]] for details.

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

Either:
#Access ''Site administration > Front Page > Users > Permissions> Assigned roles''
#Select the role you wish to add individual users to
#Select all or some of the users in the potential users list
#Use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

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

:Note: Setting the default front page role to student is not sufficient to enable logged-in users to participate in a Front Page "Choice activity". A permissions override should be used instead.

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

This is currently not possible. See MDL-30127 for details.

==What is the difference between the capabilities moodle/role:override and moodle/role:safeoverride?==

The capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] was added to Moodle as a way of enabling teachers to [[Override permissions|override permissions]] safely. The capability moodle/role:override allows a user to override all permissions, whereas moodle/role:safeoverride only allows a user to override capabilities that do not have major risks attached to them.

==How can I prevent students from editing their profile?==

If you only want students to be prevented from editing their profile, and not all users, you can create a new role, such as Restricted user as described in the [[Demo teacher role]], with moodle/user:editownprofile set to prevent, and assign it to all students in the system context.

Alternatively, you could change moodle/user:editownprofile to not set for the [[Authenticated user role]], then create a new role for teachers with moodle/user:editownprofile set to allow.

==Why can't I add teachers or students site wide in Moodle?==

You can but it is not a best practice. 'Settings > Site administration > Users> Permissions> Assign system roles'' .
*Teachers and students typically work in one or more individual courses. It is unusual for a student to be studying every single course on your Moodle and unusual for a teacher to be teaching every single course. Therefore, the default Moodle does use these as system wide roles. The Manager role might be one that makes sense to assign on a system or category context.
*Alternatively, you could create a new role based on the teacher or student and assign this in the System context. Then assign individuals to that role.

==How can I make a role available as a front page role?==

# Go to ''Settings > Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and edit the role
# For 'Context types where this role may be assigned' tick the Course checkbox
# Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the 'Save changes' button

== 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

2012-03-26T09:54:16Z

Marycooch: /* How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities? */

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

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of program behavior. Moodle has 100s of 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
:Permissions are paired with each capability. There are four possible permission values: ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', ''Prohibit'' and ''Not set''/''Inherit''. (It is called not-set when defining roles and inherit when overriding permissions.)
;Role
:A named set of permissions that are associated with each capability. For example. the "Teacher" and "Student" roles come with the standard Moodle install.
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle. Contexts have a hierarchy. Examples of contexts include a course, activity module, or resource.

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

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.

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 do I not have my Course creator role when I also have a student role in my course?==
When you are assigned a role in a context,like a course, that role's permissions for every capability will take over in that context. You were probably given the course creator role in the system or category context, but then in the lower context of a course, you were enrolled as a student.

If you need to be a student a best practice is to create a phantom or test user, then enrol that user in the course as a student. Teachers and others who know the user name and password, can see the course from the student perspective.

On a deeper level, consider the "Master Teacher" who is made a teacher on the system level. If they are given a student role in a specific course, they "lose" many of their abilities to do things as a teacher in that course. However, it can get complicated when a student capability has a "Not set" permission and the teacher role has an "Allow" permission. Here the "student" maybe able to do things other students can not do. Thus the reason for the best practice mentioned above.

==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.

==When defining roles, what is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

Short answer: "Not set" means whatever permission was in effect when the user entered the context is still in effect. "Prevent" do not allow this capability in this context.

Best practice: when defining roles, you almost always want to use Allow or Not set.

==Can you give me some examples about permissions?==
When you logged into the site you were given the system role of Authenticated User. You are also enrolled in a course and given the student role. Let's look at a single capability called X (the capability could be to create a blog) to see how permissions work.

In the example below we are just talking about the permissions for a single capability in the course role of a Student and the system role of Authenticated user for 1 user.

* If Student permission is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user permission is '''Not set''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prevent''' , and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prevent''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prohibit''', and Authenticated user i '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prohibit''', then you are not allowed to do X.

==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 [[Capabilities/moodle/user:changeownpassword|moodle/user:changeownpassword]] = 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 ''[[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownprofile|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 can be automatically assigned the role of Teacher in the newly-created course (the default in site settings). This is how a course creator gets her teaching abilities within a course.
* Since roles are independent of each other, ordering roles at Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles does not have any impact on capabilities or permissions. The only effect of ordering roles is how they are displayed in each context.
* When a Moodle site is upgraded with new capabilities, the "ARCHTYPE" role determines the initial permissions for those new capabilities.

==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 contact'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the standard teacher role and call it Instructor and only show that role as the course contact.
Or
* Create a new "dummy" role (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the guest role, call it Lead Teacher and make this the course contact. You may have 5 teachers in the course but only one name will appear as Lead Teacher. If nobody is assigned the role Lead Teacher, no course contact will show.
Or
*Names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|Course administration > edit settings]] "Role renaming" fields. For example, some courses the teacher wants the title "Professor", or "Chief" or "Mentor".
Or
*[[Language customization|Edit the language files]] and change any word you want.

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

#Access ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box(s) in the teacher row to set which role(s) teachers can override. Most likely it will just be the student role (you don't want teachers to be able to override admins!), so check the box where the teacher row intersects with the student column.
#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 ''Siite 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?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It isn't a reliable view however, as some features do not display correctly when viewed by a teacher who has switched their role to a student. For that reason it is always preferable where possible to have a "test" student log in to use.

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[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
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes
*[[Course requester role]] - for restricting users who can make course requests

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

See [[News forum]] for details.

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

Either:
#Access ''Site administration > Front Page > Users > Permissions> Assigned roles''
#Select the role you wish to add individual users to
#Select all or some of the users in the potential users list
#Use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

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

:Note: Setting the default front page role to student is not sufficient to enable logged-in users to participate in a Front Page "Choice activity". A permissions override should be used instead.

==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.

Note: It seems this functionality is no longer working in Moodle 2.0. See MDL-30127 for details.

==What is the difference between the capabilities moodle/role:override and moodle/role:safeoverride?==

The capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] was added to Moodle as a way of enabling teachers to [[Override permissions|override permissions]] safely. The capability moodle/role:override allows a user to override all permissions, whereas moodle/role:safeoverride only allows a user to override capabilities that do not have major risks attached to them.

==How can I prevent students from editing their profile?==

If you only want students to be prevented from editing their profile, and not all users, you can create a new role, such as Restricted user as described in the [[Demo teacher role]], with moodle/user:editownprofile set to prevent, and assign it to all students in the system context.

Alternatively, you could change moodle/user:editownprofile to not set for the [[Authenticated user role]], then create a new role for teachers with moodle/user:editownprofile set to allow.

==Why can't I add teachers or students site wide in Moodle?==

You can but it is not a best practice. 'Settings > Site administration > Users> Permissions> Assign system roles'' .
*Teachers and students typically work in one or more individual courses. It is unusual for a student to be studying every single course on your Moodle and unusual for a teacher to be teaching every single course. Therefore, the default Moodle does use these as system wide roles. The Manager role might be one that makes sense to assign on a system or category context.
*Alternatively, you could create a new role based on the teacher or student and assign this in the System context. Then assign individuals to that role.

==How can I make a role available as a front page role?==

# Go to ''Settings > Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and edit the role
# For 'Context types where this role may be assigned' tick the Course checkbox
# Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the 'Save changes' button

== 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]]

Question creator role

2012-03-26T09:50:39Z

Marycooch: /* Role assignment */ updating for 2

{{Roles}}The role of '''Question creator''' may be used to enable students to create [[Questions|questions]] for use in [[Quiz module|quizzes]].

''Warning'': Capabilities with [[Risks|XSS risks]] associated to them are allowed for the role of question creator. Thus, this role should be assigned with care.

==Role set-up==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Click the button "Add a new role".
#Give the role a name e.g. "Question creator", short name and description.
#Choose "course" for the context type.
#Change the following capabilities to allow:
#*[[Capabilities/moodle/question:add|moodle/question:add]]
#*[[Capabilities/moodle/question:editmine|moodle/question:editmine]]
#*[[Capabilities/moodle/question:viewmine|moodle/question:viewmine]]
#*[[Capabilities/moodle/question:usemine|moodle/question:usemine]]
#*[[Capabilities/moodle/question:movemine|moodle/question:movemine]]
#Click the button "Create this role".

==Role assignment==
[[Image:Course admin block inc questions link.png|frame|Course administration block with questions link]]
#Go to ''Settings>Course administration>Users>enrolled users''
#Choose the question creator role to assign.
#Select a user in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add it to the existing users list. Multiple users may be selected by holding down the Apple or Ctrl key whilst clicking on the users' names.

Users assigned the role of question creator will be able to access the question creation interface via the questions link in the course administration block.

==Using questions in a quiz==
[[Image:Question created and last saved details.png|thumb|Question created and last saved details]]
A teacher can assign students the role of question creator for a short period of time, then unassign them and use the students' questions in a quiz. Details of who created / last saved each question can be found at the bottom of each question editing page.

[[Category:Questions]]

[[ja:問題作成者ロール]]

Question creator role

2012-03-26T09:49:29Z

Marycooch: pasting from 2.2 docs

{{Roles}}The role of '''Question creator''' may be used to enable students to create [[Questions|questions]] for use in [[Quiz module|quizzes]].

''Warning'': Capabilities with [[Risks|XSS risks]] associated to them are allowed for the role of question creator. Thus, this role should be assigned with care.

==Role set-up==

#Access ''Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Click the button "Add a new role".
#Give the role a name e.g. "Question creator", short name and description.
#Choose "course" for the context type.
#Change the following capabilities to allow:
#*[[Capabilities/moodle/question:add|moodle/question:add]]
#*[[Capabilities/moodle/question:editmine|moodle/question:editmine]]
#*[[Capabilities/moodle/question:viewmine|moodle/question:viewmine]]
#*[[Capabilities/moodle/question:usemine|moodle/question:usemine]]
#*[[Capabilities/moodle/question:movemine|moodle/question:movemine]]
#Click the button "Create this role".

==Role assignment==
[[Image:Course admin block inc questions link.png|frame|Course administration block with questions link]]
#Follow the Assign roles link in the course administration block.
#Choose the question creator role to assign.
#Select a user in the potential users list, and use the left-facing arrow button to add it to the existing users list. Multiple users may be selected by holding down the Apple or Ctrl key whilst clicking on the users' names.

Users assigned the role of question creator will be able to access the question creation interface via the questions link in the course administration block.

==Using questions in a quiz==
[[Image:Question created and last saved details.png|thumb|Question created and last saved details]]
A teacher can assign students the role of question creator for a short period of time, then unassign them and use the students' questions in a quiz. Details of who created / last saved each question can be found at the bottom of each question editing page.

[[Category:Questions]]

[[ja:問題作成者ロール]]

Roles FAQ

2012-03-26T09:47:08Z

Marycooch: /* Are there any example roles? */ pasting changes from 2.2 docs

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

;Capability
:A configurable aspect of program behavior. Moodle has 100s of 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
:Permissions are paired with each capability. There are four possible permission values: ''Allow'', ''Prevent'', ''Prohibit'' and ''Not set''/''Inherit''. (It is called not-set when defining roles and inherit when overriding permissions.)
;Role
:A named set of permissions that are associated with each capability. For example. the "Teacher" and "Student" roles come with the standard Moodle install.
;Context
:A functional area of Moodle. Contexts have a hierarchy. Examples of contexts include a course, activity module, or resource.

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

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.

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 do I not have my Course creator role when I also have a student role in my course?==
When you are assigned a role in a context,like a course, that role's permissions for every capability will take over in that context. You were probably given the course creator role in the system or category context, but then in the lower context of a course, you were enrolled as a student.

If you need to be a student a best practice is to create a phantom or test user, then enrol that user in the course as a student. Teachers and others who know the user name and password, can see the course from the student perspective.

On a deeper level, consider the "Master Teacher" who is made a teacher on the system level. If they are given a student role in a specific course, they "lose" many of their abilities to do things as a teacher in that course. However, it can get complicated when a student capability has a "Not set" permission and the teacher role has an "Allow" permission. Here the "student" maybe able to do things other students can not do. Thus the reason for the best practice mentioned above.

==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.

==When defining roles, what is the difference between Prevent and Not set?==

Short answer: "Not set" means whatever permission was in effect when the user entered the context is still in effect. "Prevent" do not allow this capability in this context.

Best practice: when defining roles, you almost always want to use Allow or Not set.

==Can you give me some examples about permissions?==
When you logged into the site you were given the system role of Authenticated User. You are also enrolled in a course and given the student role. Let's look at a single capability called X (the capability could be to create a blog) to see how permissions work.

In the example below we are just talking about the permissions for a single capability in the course role of a Student and the system role of Authenticated user for 1 user.

* If Student permission is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user permission is '''Not set''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Not set''', and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prevent''' , and Authenticated user is '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prevent''', then you are allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Prohibit''', and Authenticated user i '''Allow''', then you are not allowed to do X.
* If Student is '''Allow''', and Authenticated user is '''Prohibit''', then you are not allowed to do X.

==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 [[Capabilities/moodle/user:changeownpassword|moodle/user:changeownpassword]] = 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 ''[[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownprofile|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 can be automatically assigned the role of Teacher in the newly-created course (the default in site settings). This is how a course creator gets her teaching abilities within a course.
* Since roles are independent of each other, ordering roles at Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles does not have any impact on capabilities or permissions. The only effect of ordering roles is how they are displayed in each context.
* When a Moodle site is upgraded with new capabilities, the "ARCHTYPE" role determines the initial permissions for those new capabilities.

==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 contact'' select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the standard teacher role and call it Instructor and only show that role as the course contact.
Or
* Create a new "dummy" role (no capabilities) with those names and assign them to teachers along with the real roles. select the alternative name for teacher that you wish to be displayed in the course description when courses are listed. For example, copy the guest role, call it Lead Teacher and make this the course contact. You may have 5 teachers in the course but only one name will appear as Lead Teacher. If nobody is assigned the role Lead Teacher, no course contact will show.
Or
*Names for different roles in a course may be changed in the [[Course settings|Course administration > edit settings]] "Role renaming" fields. For example, some courses the teacher wants the title "Professor", or "Chief" or "Mentor".
Or
*[[Language customization|Edit the language files]] and change any word you want.

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

#Access ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles''.
#Edit the teacher role and change the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] to allow.
#Click the button "Save changes".
#Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in ''Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'').
#Check the appropriate box(s) in the teacher row to set which role(s) teachers can override. Most likely it will just be the student role (you don't want teachers to be able to override admins!), so check the box where the teacher row intersects with the student column.
#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 ''Siite 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?==

This feature is intended for teachers so that they can see how their course appears for students. It isn't a reliable view however, as some features do not display correctly when viewed by a teacher who has switched their role to a student. For that reason it is always preferable where possible to have a "test" student log in to use.

==Are there any example roles?==

Yes, as follows:

*[[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
*[[Question creator role|Question creator]] - for enabling students to create questions for use in quizzes
*[[Course requester role]] - for restricting users who can make course requests

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

See [[News forum]] for details.

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

Either:
#Access ''Site administration > Front Page > Users > Permissions> Assign roles''
#Select the role you wish to add individual users to
#Select all or some of the users in the potential users list
#Use the left-facing arrow button to add them to the existing users list

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

:Note: Setting the default front page role to student is not sufficient to enable logged-in users to participate in a Front Page "Choice activity". A permissions override should be used instead.

==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.

Note: It seems this functionality is no longer working in Moodle 2.0. See MDL-30127 for details.

==What is the difference between the capabilities moodle/role:override and moodle/role:safeoverride?==

The capability [[Capabilities/moodle/role:safeoverride|moodle/role:safeoverride]] was added to Moodle as a way of enabling teachers to [[Override permissions|override permissions]] safely. The capability moodle/role:override allows a user to override all permissions, whereas moodle/role:safeoverride only allows a user to override capabilities that do not have major risks attached to them.

==How can I prevent students from editing their profile?==

If you only want students to be prevented from editing their profile, and not all users, you can create a new role, such as Restricted user as described in the [[Demo teacher role]], with moodle/user:editownprofile set to prevent, and assign it to all students in the system context.

Alternatively, you could change moodle/user:editownprofile to not set for the [[Authenticated user role]], then create a new role for teachers with moodle/user:editownprofile set to allow.

==Why can't I add teachers or students site wide in Moodle?==

You can but it is not a best practice. 'Settings > Site administration > Users> Permissions> Assign system roles'' .
*Teachers and students typically work in one or more individual courses. It is unusual for a student to be studying every single course on your Moodle and unusual for a teacher to be teaching every single course. Therefore, the default Moodle does use these as system wide roles. The Manager role might be one that makes sense to assign on a system or category context.
*Alternatively, you could create a new role based on the teacher or student and assign this in the System context. Then assign individuals to that role.

==How can I make a role available as a front page role?==

# Go to ''Settings > Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and edit the role
# For 'Context types where this role may be assigned' tick the Course checkbox
# Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the 'Save changes' button

== See also ==

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

[[Category:FAQ]]

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