Override permissions

Overrides are specific permissions designed to override a role in a specific context, allowing you to "tweak" your permissions as required.

Overrides may be used to "open up" areas by giving users extra permissions. For example, an override may be used to enable students to rate forum posts (see forum permissions for details).

Overrides may also be used to prevent actions, such as starting new discussions in an archived forum.

The interface for overriding permissions is similar to the one for defining roles, except only relevant capabilities are shown. Inherited permissions are highlighted.

Note: Prior to Moodle 1.9, the override permissions page was named "Override roles".

Permissions

Override permissions in Moodle 1.9

There are four capability settings:

Inherit

The default setting. If a capability is set to inherit, the user's permissions remain the same as they are in a less specific context, or another role where the capability is defined. For example, if a student is allowed to attempt quiz questions at the course level, their role in a specific quiz will inherit this setting.

Allow

This enables a user to use a capability in a given context. This permission applies for the context that the role gets assigned plus all lower contexts. For example, if a user is assigned the role of student in a course, they will be able to start new discussions in all forums in that course (unless a forum contains an override with a prevent or prohibit value for the capability).

Prevent

By choosing this you are removing permission for this capability, even if the users with this role were allowed that permission in a higher context.

Prohibit

This is rarely needed, but occasionally you might want to completely deny permissions to a role in a way that can NOT be overridden at any lower context.

Overriding permissions for selected students

Overriding does not create a new role. It modifies an existing role and affects all users assigned to that role in the context.

If you want to prevent only a few selected students from starting discussions in the forum, you cannot do it by overriding the student role, since doing so would affect all students. You need a new role. Unfortunately, you (as a teacher) cannot create one. Only the administrator can create new roles. The best solution is to ask the administrator to create a copy of the student role. Then, within the forum, override the copied role. Finally, assign the selected students to this role within the forum.

Enabling teachers to override permissions

By default, only administrators are able to override permissions. You can enable teachers to do so as follows:

1. Access Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles.
2. Edit the teacher role and change the capability moodle/role:override to allow.
3. Click the button "Save changes".
4. Click the tab "Allow role overrides" (in Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles).
5. Check the appropriate box to allow a teacher to override the student role.
6. Click the button "Save changes".

If preferred, a new role for overriding permissions may be created and selected teachers assigned to it.

See also

• Video showing how to enable teachers to override permissions
• Video showing how to override permissions in the course context