This guide provides a summary and links to explain how students are enrolled on Moodle modules either automatically or manually, what the roles they are allocated allow them to do, and what changes can be made via the Participants page.
Moodle permissions are generally hierarchical, i.e. a Student has all the permissions of a Student Observer. A role is assigned to a user in a context - that context could be an activity, a module, a category or the whole site. Student enrolment is done at a module level.
Module, activity
This is a module role for students.
Students can upload assignments, post messages on forums, participate in other activities and access resources on the modules they are enrolled on. They cannot edit (add, change or delete) the contents of modules.
Students are automatically enrolled on their relevant modules via their Module Diets on SITS. This is only way that students should be given access to SITS modules. Enrolment on Programme Spaces is normally managed by a business rule. If a student leaves, they are marked as withdrawn on SITS and this triggers them to be unenrolled from the Moodle module.
All students are enrolled on the Learning with Moodle module.
Module
This is a module role for students.
Students who need to be given ad-hoc or temporary access to a module (e.g. if auditing lectures or providing notetaking support for a student) should be given Student Observer role. Student Observers can view content (except hidden content), including lecture capture recordings, in a module. They are not regarded as actual students on the module.
Student Observers are enrolled by staff in the Programme Administrator role.
E-Learning Admin role reserved for Educational Technologists.
Category
This is a category-level role for Educational Technologists. E-Learning Admins can create PlaySpaces, and assign category-level enrolments to new E-Learning Administrators and to staff with lower-level Moodle permissions.
Category-level E-Learning Admins are responsible for the enrolment of new E-learning Administrators. E-Learning Admins are only enrolled on the Moodle categories required for them to complete their role.
E-Learning Administrator training, including responsibilities around the protection of personal student information is covered as part of the Digital Education team's induction process.
Module, category.
This is a school role for Course Officers and other administrative staff.
This role will not be given to Unitemps who are current City St George's students.
Programme Administrators are automatically enrolled on all modules in their category or sub-category and can edit (add, change or delete) the content of these modules.
This role can enrol other staff and students on modules, ensuring that students are not manually enrolled on SITS modules. This role can unenrol students by updating SITS. This role can also use the log-in feature to log-in as a student to troubleshoot technical issues. For this reason, staff with this role must receive training on how to use this role effectively before they are enrolled to it and they should be clear of their responsibilities to protect personal student information.
This role is enrolled directly on modules so provides access to star modules and to filter modules by academic year in the Module overview block. Users with this role will have to manage notifications from modules. Your name and email displays to lecturers and students via module Participants.
Requests for category level or module-level Programme Administrator enrolment should be logged via the Programme Administrator enrolment request via IT Self Service Portal. This provides access to the Programme Administrator Training module. Staff in the E-Learning Administrator role will enrol staff as a Programme Administrator on the relevant category.
Please note, enrolment to this role is subject to successful completion of the training module, and requires confirmation of allocation to the role by a senior member of the School team.
In addition to the online Programme Administrator training, you can log a request in IT Self Service Portal to arrange 1-1 training session.
Category.
This is a category level role for administrative staff who do not need access to star modules or to filter by academic year.
This role will not be given to Unitemps who are current City St George's students.
Programme Administrators can edit (add, change or delete) the content of modules within a category. This role is not directly enrolled on modules..
This role can enrol other staff and students on modules, ensuring that students are not manually enrolled on SITS modules. This role can unenrol students by updating SITS. This role can also use the log-in feature to log-in as a student to troubleshoot technical issues. For this reason, staff with this role must receive training on how to use this role effectively before they are enrolled to it and they should be clear of their responsibilities to protect personal student information.
Staff in this role have access to search for modules within a category, but they cannot star modules they use on a regular basis or filter by academic year.
Requests for category level or module-level Programme Administrator enrolment should be logged via the Programme Administrator enrolment request via IT Self Service Portal. This provides access to the Programme Administrator Training module. Staff in the E-Learning Administrator role will enrol staff as a Programme Administrator (Category only) on the relevant category.
Please note, enrolment to this role is subject to successful completion of the training module, and requires confirmation of allocation to the role by a senior member of the School team.
In addition to the online Programme Administrator training, you can log a request in IT Self Service Portal to arrange 1-1 training session.
Module
This was a module-level role to indicate key module contacts to students. This role was then used to provide a lower level of admin access to professional services staff. LEaD and IT are reviewing this role in academic year 2023-24 as it has been used for purposes that were not initially intended
This role is to be used in association with programme or school level Programme Admin access.
Course Officer role does not enable student enrolment. To manage student enrolment you require programme or school level Programme Admin access.
Course Officer role cannot:
Staff in the role of Programme Administrators can enrol themselves and others as Course Officers on a module.
Please note, enrolment to this role is subject to successful completion of the Programme Admin training module, and requires confirmation of allocation to the role by a senior member of the School team.
In addition to the online Programme Administrator training, you can log a request in IT Self Service Portal to arrange 1-1 training session.
Activity, module, category
This is a module role for academic staff.
Lecturers can edit (add, change or delete) content in modules they are enrolled on, provide grades and feedback on assignments, and communicate with students via tools such as News Forums and Quickmail.
If a lecturer attempts to enrol a user to a student role on a module, there is the risk that the student will instead be enroled as a lecturer. Please contact your course office to manage any student enrolments.
Lecturer enrolments are rolled over each year. New Lecturers should be enrolled onto the relevant modules by Course Office staff with the Programme Administrator role.
Register for a New to Moodle (Academic) workshop or log a request in IT Self Service Portal to arrange 1-1 training for a new Lecturer.
Additionally, your Educational Technology School Liaison Team will be in touch with new staff to provide an overview of LEaD services.
Activity, module, category
This is a module role for academic staff or teaching assistants such as PhD students.
Teaching assistants can give grades and feedback on assignments and can edit (add, change or delete) the contents of modules.
Teaching Assistants should be enrolled onto the relevant modules by staff with category or module level Programme Administrator role or staff with Lecturer role.
Teaching Assistant role cannot:
Register for a New to Moodle (Academic) workshop or log a request in IT Self Service Portal to arrange 1-1 training for a new Lecturer.
Additionally, your Educational Technology School Liaison Team will be in touch with new staff to provide an overview of LEaD services.
Module
This is a module role for External Examiners. External Examiners can view module content and activities including student participation in activities.
This role can view and edit (add, change or delete) assignment submissions, grades and feedback in Moodle Assignment and Quiz. The role can view assignment submissions, grades and feedback and can edit (add, change or delete) grades and feedback in Turnitin assignment and Video assignment, and preview quizzes.
External Examiners should be manually unenrolled from Moodle modules on completion of their external review.
Module, category
This is a module role for academic staff.
This role provides the same permissions as the Lecturer role in Moodle, but you also get access to some new features. Pilot role can edit (add, change or delete) content in modules they are enrolled on, give grades and feedback on assignments, and communicate with students via tools such as News Forums and Quickmail. New Moodle functionality is released to staff in the Pilot role.
Pilot role cannot enrol students onto modules.
Please log a request on IT Self Service Portal using the Pilot Role on Moodle Form, with information on module codes you are teaching on to request access to this role. Staff in the E-Learning Administrator role will enrol you to the Pilot role.
Log a request in IT Self Service Portal to arrange 1-1 training for how to use the pilot functionality
module, category
This is a category or module role for staff. You must request permission of the module leader prior to being enrolled as a Staff Observer on a colleague’s module.
Staff who require category-level access to modules for auditing or review purposes, or staff who need to review individual modules, should be given Staff Observer role. This should be discussed and agreed with academics so that they are aware who can view their modules and why these staff have access.
Staff Observers are enrolled by staff in the Programme Administrator role. If a Staff Observer needs access to category please contact LEaD via the IT Self Service Portal. If a Staff Observer needs access to over 20 modules that are not in a category, please contact LEaD via the IT Self Service Portal and we can help you with enrolment.
Please note that LEaD cannot help with the maintenance of enrolments of staff observers (i.e. enrolling a whole department as staff observers on a module and managing ongoing enrolment and unenrolment).