Note: You are currently viewing documentation for Moodle 2.3. Up-to-date documentation for the latest stable version is available here: Forum permissions.

Forum permissions

From MoodleDocs
Revision as of 14:13, 18 July 2008 by chris collman (talk | contribs)

Template:ForumsIt is possible to change different permission capabilities for a specific role or assign a user a specific role, that already has the desired capabilities. This can be done in the context of a course and/or a specific forum by the Roles function introduced in Moodle 1.7.

By default, a teacher can "Locally assign roles" to specific students. For example, give them a "non-editing teacher" role in a forum to act as a moderator. However, only administrators are able to override permissions for a role. Instructions on enabling teachers to override permissions can be found in Override permissions.

Locally assign roles

  1. Click on the Forum update this forum button.jpg button
  2. Select the "Locally assign roles" tab
  3. Select the non-editing teacher role link (this sets every Forum permission to allow, except "throttling")
  4. High lite students in the right column and use the move arrow to put them in the left column (example here)
  5. Click on the settings tab
  • Some teachers will assign all members of the forum (or forum group) the non-editing teacher role to increase the potential for interaction within that forum.
  • Some sites administrators will create a specific site wide role that include all standard student permissions, plus the Rate posts "allow" permission. They make this role available for teachers to use in "Locally assign roles".
Locally assigned roles tab showing 3 students as non-editing teachers

Overriding permissions

The process for changing any of the capabilities listed below and is the same and will be done via the Override role function. Only administrators or teachers who have been given permission to override roles will be able to use these instructions.

Changing the capabilities of the student role in a forum

General instructions

Course override

  1. In the course administration block, click on Assign Roles.
  2. Click on the "Override roles" tab link.
  3. Select the Student role link.
  4. Scroll to the Forum section, about 3/4 of the way down the page.
  5. Find the permission you wish to change and click on the radio button (usually "allow")
  6. Click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

Specific forum override

  1. After the forum has been created, the teacher should use the "Update this Forum" button to see the "Override Permissions" tab.
(In pre 1.9 versions, Access the Assign roles page via the Roles tab in editing forum page, then follow the "Override roles" link.)
  1. Clicking on the "Student" link will take them to a role permissions screen that is specific to Forum activities.
  2. Find "Rate posts" and click on the "allow" radio button
  3. Click on "Save changes" button



Forum capabilities list

This is a list of permissions that can be controlled in a Forum context.

Some types of forum capabilities

No discussions, but replies are allowed

The mod/forum:startdiscussion override may be used to set up a forum in which only teachers are to be allowed to start new discussions.

Note: By default, only administrators are able to override permissions. Instructions on enabling teachers to override permissions can be found in Override permissions.

No discussions, no replies

An override may be used to close/archive a forum so that students may no longer start new discussions, nor add replies, but may still read all the discussions.

  1. Access the Assign roles page via the Roles tab in editing forum page, then follow the "Override roles" link. (In Moodle 1.9 onwards, click the "Override permissions" tab in the editing forum page.)
  2. Select the Student role.
  3. Set the capabilities mod/forum:startdiscussion and mod/forum:replypost to prevent.
  4. Click the "Save changes" button.

Note: By default, only administrators are able to override permissions. Instructions on enabling teachers to override permissions can be found in Override permissions.

Enabling students to rate posts

By default, only administrators and teachers can rate posts. The best practice is for the teacher to use a role override function to enable students to rate posts. The override can be for the course or for a specific forum.

It is also possible to assign individuals a role for a specific forum, using the "Locally assigned roles" tab via the "Update this Forum" button link. For example, two specific students might be given the "teacher" role in a specific forum.


See also

Using Moodle forum discussions: