Internal course area for a limited user group

Last modified by Carina Enke on 18.01.2024

 Step-by-step: Making course content only visible to selected users, regardless of user roles

Scenario

You need an internal course area to make certain information only visible to and accessible by a specific group of users. Many users in your course already have extended rights. For example, there are students with the right to supervise the group.

In this case, it is not sufficient to limit the visibility of the course element for the required internal course area with the "Blocked for learners" option. Users with extended rights, such as group administrators, are not affected by this restriction and will still be able to see the course element.

 

Solution

To create a course area that is only visible to a targeted group of users, you have the following options:

  • Use a specific group in the course if all group tools (forum, folder, wiki etc.) are sufficient for your scenario. The content will then be available in the group area.

  • Use a structure course element restricted to the specific group if the group tools are not sufficient for your scenario and you need further course elements. Limit the visibility of the structure course element to the group and additionally enable the option "Apply rules also for author, owner and tutor". The content will then appear directly in the course navigation for the authorised users.

    Open sample configuration ...

    1

    Open the course. Switch to the group management and create a group in which you will later record the authorised users.

    Kurseditor - Sichtbar für spezifische Gruppe.png

    2

    Switch to the course editor and create a structure course element.

    3

    In the Visibility tab, enable the Depending on group option and select the newly created group. In addition, enable the option Apply rules also for author, owner and tutor.

    This configuration corresponds to the expert rule 

    ( inLearningGroup("Gruppe intern") )

    with "Gruppe intern" being the title of the concerned group.

    4

    Save your entries and publish the course.

Please note that all restrictions apply only to the course view and do not affect the view in the course editor. All users with rights for the course editor can see all course elements in the editor view.

To exclude these users as well, you can use an additional course, which will only be released for the desired users and integrated into the original course using a course course element. Access to the content will then be blocked by the restricted course access.