Co-Creation: Empowering Students

with Roles and Overrides in

Clark Shah-NelsonCoordinator of Online Education

SUNY Delhi: nelsoncs@delhi.edu

http://delhitools.net/2-3-98

Online Coordinator

• Began December 2006• Past experience teaching with

– E-Education (Jones) (1999-2001)– eCollege (2001-2007)

• Past experience admin/support for:– Blackboard (2006)

• Position described working with WebCT and SLN…

• Growth:

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Courses Students

Spring 2006Spring 2007Spring 2008Spring 2009

SUNY Delhi Online Courses and Enrollments

The Plan

• Bit of history/definition of roles

• Administrator settings

• Teachers: assigning roles

• Teachers: override

• Show the possibilities, inspire you

Image: flickr.com/photos/pamramsey

The Definition: Roles• Roles: what users are able to do/not do

– For example: • Teachers can add activities (forum) to a course.• Students can reply to a forum.• Students cannot reply to a news forum.• Teachers cannot administer the Moodle site.• Guests cannot submit an assignment.

Image: flickr.com/photos/delhionline

Roles: The Old Paradigm

• System-wide roles: (non-editable!)– Admin– Teacher– Student– Guest

• Multiple logins for multiple roles:– Clark-admin– Clark-teacher– Clark-student

Image: flickr.com/photos/jiazi

Newer Paradigm

• Ability to assign different (non-editable) roles to same user - by course– Course 1: instructor– Course 2: student– Course 3: guest

Image: flickr.com/photos/delhionline

The Latest: Roles and Capabilities

• Editable, by user AND by context– (ie. context: forum, role: student

or context: quiz, role: teacher)– Assign a student as “non-editing teacher” on 1

particular assignment or a set of activities– Override capabilities for role “student” or for

context “forum”– Add 1 capability to 1 student

(unlimited time on a quiz…)

Image: flickr.com/photos/wendalicious

From http://docs.moodle.org

Image: flickr.com/photos/avlxyz

Disclaimer:• Your Moodle may differ.• Administrator must have enabled certain

settings:– Users > Permissions > Define Roles– > Allow Role Assignments – > Allow Role Overrides

• Practice in a sandbox course!• Use your local support for assistance

Image: flickr.com/photos/kthread

Moodle’s Default Roles

Image: flickr.com/photos/bcmom

Admin: Allow Role Assignments:

• Who gets to assign roles to whom…

Teacher: Assigning

Roles: Whole Course

Image: flickr.com/photos/headsclouds

Assigning Roles by Context(Locally assigned roles)

• Forum: Make a student also be an instructor for only that activity

Admin: Allow Role Overrides

• Who can assign overrides…

Teacher: Overrides (Update Activity)

• Inherit• Allow• Prevent• Prohibit

(see more here:) http://docs.moodle.org/en/Manage_roles

Forum Overrides:

• Only certain functions, not all

• Limited to what you see (otherwise: code)

• Click on any to see definition on docs.moodle.org

Activity/Block Overrides

The Results:

• More ability for instructor to determine workings of course, what students are able to do or not

• Guide on the Side vs. Sage on the Stage• More ability to set up course activities for

students to co-construct, co-create• More ability to give students advanced

responsibilities, enhanced functionalities

“Editing Student” Role

• More ability to participate in their own learning environment, beyond discussion forum postings, assignment uploads, and wikis:– Add activities and blocks– Add resources and files– Add questions and self-checks or peer quizzes– Participatory, constructivistic, enhanced cognitive

and social presence

Web 2.0

• Enhanced ability for students to create and share resources and activities within Moodle AND embed content from Web 2.0 sites into Moodle.

The End

Questions?

Thank you!

Clark Shah-Nelson, SUNY Delhi

nelsoncs@delhi.edu

http://delhitools.net/2-3-98