Managing access permissions

docendo distinguishes between read and write access permissions to resources.

Read access permission to a resource grants:

• previewing the resource
• finding it with the search function
• importing the resource in the course editor (if the resource is a course, section or question)
• adding the resource to a section, glossary entry, table or question (if it is a media resource)

Write access permission to a resource grants:

• all permissions gained by having read access to it
• editing the resource and its metadata
• creating new versions of the resource
• managing the access permissions of the resource

Screenshot: Context menu / edit access permissions

Screenshot: List of defined access permissions

Depending on the configuration of your docendo server, there may be an instance-wide general read permission for all users to all resources. This specifically is useful to boost sharing and re-using of resources. If this general read permission is not set and you want to share a resource, you explicitly have to create an access permission.

To do so, go to the Resource Browser, locate the resource you want to share and from the actions menu of the resource, select the symbol (see topmost screenshot). You will then see the list of currently defined access permissions of this resource, which initially will be empty. This list enables you to edit or remove existing access permissions later on (see screenshot to the right). In order to create a new access permission, click on the icon above the list. This will open the access permission editor.

Screenshot: Access permission editor

When creating an access permission to a resource, you have the options to

1. set whom to grant access. This can either be a group of users or a specific user. The editor will show a drop-down list of all groups to choose from. If you want to grant permission to a specific user, you will have to know the corresponding user ID.
2. set what to grant (write access or not). Read access is assumed fix, otherwise you wouldn't want to create a permission.
3. let this permission be recursively created for all resources contained in the one you are currently granting access to. This of course only makes sense for resources that may contain other resources (e.g. courses or sections). For other resources (like media resources) this option has no effect.