Roles and rights

Last modified by Carina Enke on 16.01.2024

The learning platform offers a wide range of configuration options to assign so-called roles and rights, which can be individually coordinated and combined.

 

Roles and rights in the learning platform

The complex roles and rights system of the learning platform extends across the following levels:

  • System level
  • Combination of user and content level
  • Content level

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Roles and their meaning

Main roles

The learning platform generally differentiates between four main roles:

  • Guest
  • Registered user
  • Author
  • System administrator

In addition to these four main roles, it is also possible to assign more specific roles:

  • Group administrator
  • User administrator
  • Learning resource administrator
  • Group tutor

According to their assigned role, users will receive specific rights which allow them to act within the institution released for them. 

Role

Rights of the role

Guest

  • No registration required
  • Limited access to the learning platform
  • Shared learning content can be viewed (course status: BARG)
  • Learning activities are not possible
  • Registration via self-registration
  • Assignment of a user name
  • Read access to the learning platform
  • Shared learning content can be viewed (course status: BARG)
  • Learning activities are only possible to a limited extent (e. g. writing forum posts)
  • Customisable home page
  • Individual storage space

(Registered) user

  • Registration by an associated institution
  • Assignment of a user name
  • Read access to the learning platform
  • Shared learning content of the institution can be viewed
  • Learning activities are possible
  • Customisable home page
  • Individual storage space
  • Groups can be created

Author

  • Cf. (registered) user
  • Course creation and management of own courses
  • Participant management in learning groups
  • Assessment and evaluation of participant posts

System administrator

All rights of all roles

Group administrator

Rights to manage groups analogous to the system administrator rights for this area

User administrator

Rights to manage existing users analogous to the system administrator rights for this area

Learning resource administrator

Rights to manage learning resources analogous to the system administrator rights for this area

"Rights to manage learning resources" here refers to all editing functions of a learning resource, e. g. of a course, but not to the course view. This means a learning resource administrator will see the course view in the same way as a learner. In the case of visibility and access restrictions, these rules will therefore also apply to a learning resource administrator, depending on the configuration.

Tutor (learning group)

  • Rights to manage a course-related learning group (a more specific list of functions can be found on the Tutor of a group help page
  • No access to the course editor
  • No access to data archiving

The group management right extends the user role. In the case of general visibility and access rules for course elements, e. g. "Blocked for learners", users with the right to manage groups will therefore not be affected and may potentially see course elements in the course view or have access to these elements' content. The Internal course area for a limited user group help page describes a possible solution for a scenario in which group tutors should not have access to specific course information.

User administrators can assign the "author" system role individually for several institutions (attributes) in the settings for each user. This supports the scenario that an author can also find other authors (from the other institution configured in their system role) for their own learning resources and assign them as owners.

The "author" system role can also be set automatically by the system when configured values are transmitted (e. g. via Shib login). If you wish to activate this function for your institution, we will be happy to assist you.

Right groups

Besides the roles listed above, it is also possible to grant registered users without author rights access to certain administrative course areas. This is done via right groups.

These administrative areas may include:

  • Administration of a course's group management
  • Administration of a course's assessment management
  • Administration of a course's content
  • etc.

These rights can be assigned individually to participants by an author.

Visibility and access

Access to learning content can be individually regulated as required. You can generally limit content for everyone in terms of

  • Visibility and
  • Access

or you can impose certain conditions:

  • Time period
  • Group membership
  • Assessment (passed, score, mark, etc.)
  • User attributes (department, name, email, institution, etc.)
  • User type (author, user, etc.)

Of course, these general and specific limitations can also be combined.