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05 Course Element Functions with Regard to User Roles and Publication Status

Last modified by Anna Paul-Hasenfuss on 22.01.2025

The following tables compare the range of functions for a course and its course elements with individual user roles. It is assumed that these are not subject to any additional or specific visibility or access restrictions. To use the whole range of functions described in the tables, the external user has to be logged into the platform and consequently be in an active user session.

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Icon_grüner Haken.png

The course element content or functional area is visible and usable according to the instructions.

Icon_Glühbirne.png

The course element or functional area is partially available according to the instructions.

Icon_Minus.png

The course element content or functional area is not visible, the function is not available.

Publicly available course content (BARG)

 

Publication status Icon_BARG.png"Public – visible to everyone" (BARG)
 

Publication status Icon_BARG_E.png"Public – visible to everyone and external users" (BARG|E)

Course element or functional area

Guest user

External user

External user

Test, Self-test

Icon_grüner Haken.png A test course element can be started. Assessment results are not displayed on the course element page.

Icon_grüner Haken.png  A test course element can be started. Assessment results are only displayed on the course element page if the user is enrolled in a learning group of the course.

Scorm, CP, Media library, Flashcard set, Virtual classroom

Icon_grüner Haken.png The course element content is visible and can be started.

File discussions, Forum

Icon_grüner Haken.png The course element content is visible and can be used. Both user roles can write, edit, reply to and quote posts, as well as mark them as favourite and as best post.

Message, Bibliography, LTI tool, Link list, Internal page

Icon_grüner Haken.png The course element content is visible.

Blog

Icon_grüner Haken.png The course element content is visible, and the blog (RSS link) can be copied.

Wiki

Icon_Glühbirne.png The content of the wiki is visible, but the pages cannot be edited by guests.

They can only participate in discussions (write, edit, reply to and quote posts, as well as mark them as favourite and as best post) and view the version history of a wiki page.

Icon_grüner Haken.png External users can use all functions.

Icon_grüner Haken.png External users can use all functions.

Folder (all rights free)

Icon_Glühbirne.png The content of the folder is visible. However, users cannot upload or create files. Unlike registered users.

Icon_grüner Haken.png External users can use all functions like a standard user.

Forum

Icon_Glühbirne.png Users can only read existing forum posts.

Icon_grüner Haken.png External users can read existing forum posts and write new ones.

Icon_grüner Haken.png Existing forum posts can be read and new ones be written.

Profile, Enrolment, Task, Survey, Topic assignment, Assignment of dates, Portfolio task, E-mail

Icon_Minus.png The content is not visible to the user. The following message is displayed: "The course element "[Title]" is not open for guests. Please log in to gain access."

Icon_Minus.png The content is not visible to the user. The following message is displayed: "The course element "[Title]” is not open for external users."

Icon_grüner Haken.png External users can use all functions like a standard user. However, for some functions, this user must also be enrolled in a learning group of the course.

Course calendarIcon_Glühbirne.png Guests or external users can see the calendar area, but not configured course or group appointments. Exceptions are group appointments with the option ‘Visible to everyone in the course’.Icon_grüner Haken.pngThe course calendar is visible to external users. The visibility of registered course and group appointments is the same as for a standard user.
Course element subscriptions and course progressIcon_Minus.pngThese functions are not visible to guests.Icon_grüner Haken.pngBoth functions are available for external users.Icon_grüner Haken.pngBoth functions are available.
Performance resultIcon_Minus.pngThis area is not visible to guests.Icon_grüner Haken.pngThis area is available for external users.Icon_grüner Haken.pngThis area is available for external users.

Course content for registered users (BAR)

 

Publication StatusIcon_BAR.png "Public - visible to registered users" (BAR)

Publication StatusIcon_BAR_E.png"Public - visible to registered and,  additionally, external users" (BAR|E)

Course element or functional area

Guest user

External user

Guest user

External user

Test, Self-test

Icon_Minus.png All course elements in a course with the publication status BAR are not accessible to users with the role of guest or external user. 

Icon_Minus.png All course elements in a course with the publication status BAR+E are not accessible to users with the Guest role.

 

Icon_grüner Haken.pngA course element Test can be started. Assessment results are only displayed on the course element page if the user is registered in a learning group for the course.

Scorm, CP, Media library, Flashcard set, Virtual classroom

Icon_grüner Haken.pngThe content of the course element is visible and can be started.

File discussions, Forum

Icon_grüner Haken.pngThe content of the course element is visible and usable. Both user roles can write, edit, reply to and quote posts as well as mark them as favourites and best post.

Message, Bibliography, LTI tool, Link list, Internal page

Icon_grüner Haken.pngThe content of the course element is visible,

Blog

Icon_grüner Haken.png Content is visible, blog (RSS link) can be copied.

Wiki, Folder (all rights free)

Icon_grüner Haken.png All functions can be used.

Forum

Icon_grüner Haken.png Existing forum posts can be read and new ones be written.

Profile, Enrolment, Task, Survey, Topic assignment, Assignment of dates, Portfolio task, E-mail

Icon_grüner Haken.pngAll functions can be used.

Icon_grüner Haken.png In the course element Task, all functions can be used just like a standard course user. This also applies to the PeerReview function.

Course calendar

Icon_grüner Haken.pngThe course calendar is visible to external users. Registered course and group appointments are visible to standard users.

Course element subscriptions and course progress

Icon_grüner Haken.pngBoth functions are available.

Performance result

Icon_grüner Haken.pngThis area is available for external users.

Information

Note on assigning external users to a group: Due to data protection reasons, external users cannot be assigned to a group in group management. You will find external users (of the same institution) via the search function, but you will receive an error message after attempting to assign them. You should therefore always allow external users to enrol themselves in a group (enrolment course element). Further information on the ‘External user’ role can be found on the page External user role.