1. Introduction to Roles

A role is a label for a user's status in a specific context. In other words, it establishes what they can do on the site, and where. Teacher, Student and Manager are examples of roles.

A context is a "space" in your site, such as a course, an activity, a block, etc.

Roles can be assigned in different contexts across your site. For example, when teachers or students are enrolled, they are assigned those roles within the course context. This means wherever they are in the course, they will have that role and its associated permissions.

Roles can also be assigned across the entire site, known as system roles. eThink's Client Admin role, which you are likely using, is an example of a system role for administrators at your institution. 

Here are the different contexts where roles can be assigned:

  • System - the whole site
  • User - another user
  • Category - a whole course category
  • Course - a single course
  • Module - an activity module
  • Block - a block

The most commonly used roles on your site are likely:

  • Client Admin: System wide editing teacher role with added permissions for site administration.
  • Teacher: Can do anything within a course, including changing the activities and grading students.
  • Non-Editing Teacher: Can teach in courses and grade students, but may not alter activities.
  • Student: Generally have fewer privileges within a course.
  • Observer: Individuals with this role can view courses, but cannot add or modify any course content. Usually applied at the category or site level.
  • Guest: Has minimal privileges and usually can not enter text anywhere. Typically used to grant access to individual courses.