User policies

Location: Administration > Users > Permissions > User policies (in Moodle 1.7 onwards)

Default role for all users

The default role for all users should normally be set to Authenticated user. If it is set to Student then the result is that all students are enrolled on all courses.

Note: The default role for all users should never be set to Guest, except in Moodle 1.7, as this version does not have an authenticated user role.

Auto-login guest

If not set, then visitors must click the "Login as a guest" button before entering a course which allows guest access.

Note: If auto-login guest is set, the guest login button also needs to be set to show (via Administration > Users > Authentication), even though visitors won't necessarily use it.

Roles that are not synchronised to metacourses

Metacourses combine enrolments from multiple courses. You will probably want users to have the same role in the metacourse as in the normal courses. If not, select the roles which should not be synchronised.

Hide user fields

The following user fields appear on users' profile pages. Certain user fields are also listed on the course participants page. You can increase student privacy by hiding selected user fields.

Description, city/town, country, web page, ICQ number, Skype ID, Yahoo ID, AIM ID, MSN ID, last access, My courses (in Moodle 1.9.4 onwards) and first access and groups (in Moodle 1.9.5 onwards)

User fields on users' profile pages are hidden from all users with the capability moodle/user:viewhiddendetails not set.
User fields on the course participants page are hidden from all users with the capability moodle/course:viewhiddenuserfields not set.

Allow users without the assign roles capability to switch roles

The moodle/role:assign capability requirement for users to switch roles may be removed in Moodle 1.9.5 onwards.

Documentation