Ops: Managing Enrollments

Enrolment is the process of linking a user to a specific course. Moodle offers multiple ways to handle this. For operational efficiency, we typically use Manual Enrolment for staff/teachers and Self-Enrolment for student cohorts.

1. Accessing Enrolment Management

To manage who can access a specific course, you must be inside that course.

1. Navigate to the specific course.
2. Click the Participants tab in the secondary navigation bar (under the course title).
3. From the dropdown menu on the left (usually labeled "Participants"), select Enrolment methods.

2. Which Method to Use?

Method	Best For...	Pros & Cons
Manual Enrolment	Teachers, TAs, or small groups of students (e.g., late joiners).	✅ Precise: You control exactly who gets in. ❌ Slow: Requires adding users one by one or searching for them.
Self-Enrolment	The main student body (e.g., 50+ students).	✅ Efficient: Students join by themselves using a password. ❌ Security: Requires sharing a password securely.

3. Method A: Manual Enrolment

This is the default method. You search for a user in the system and add them to the course.

Steps to Enrol a User

1. Go to the course and click the Participants tab.
2. Click the Enrol users button (top right).
3. In the pop-up window:
   • Select users: Search by name or email. You can select multiple users at once.
   • Assign role:
     • Select Student for learners.
     • Select Non-editing teacher for TAs/Tutors.
     • Select Teacher for the lead instructor.
   • Show more...: (Optional) Set an enrolment duration if access should expire automatically.
4. Click Enrol users to finish.

4. Method B: Self-Enrolment (with Keys)

This method allows students to enrol themselves into the course by entering a simplified password known as an Enrolment Key. This is the standard procedure for starting a new semester.

Step 1: Enable Self-Enrolment

1. Go to Participants → Select Enrolment methods from the dropdown.
2. Look for "Self enrolement (Student)".
3. If the eye icon is closed (crossed out), click it to Enable (open eye).

Step 2: Configure the Key

1. Click the Gear icon ⚙️ (Edit) next to "Self enrolment".
2. Configure the following settings:
   • Custom instance name: Give it a clear name, e.g., "Student Entry 2026".
   • Allow existing enrolments: Yes.
   • Allow new enrolments: Yes.
   • Enrolment key: CRITICAL. Enter a secure password (e.g., `PreMaster2026!`).
     • Click the pencil/eye icon to reveal and check what you typed.
     • This is the key you will give to students.
   • Use group enrolment keys: No (unless you are using advanced group sorting).
   • Default assigned role: Ensure this is set to Student.
   • Enrolment duration: (Optional) E.g., 365 days.
   • Notify before enrolment expires: No.
3. Click Save changes.

Step 3: Student Instructions

Once set up, send the following instructions to your students:

"Please log in to Moodle, find the course [Course Name], and when prompted, enter the Enrolment Key: [Your Key]."

5. Managing Participants (Unenrolling & Editing)

Daily maintenance of course members.

Editing Roles

If you accidentally added a Teacher as a Student:

1. Go to the Participants list.
2. Find the user.
3. In the Roles column, click the Pencil icon ✎.
4. Click the 'X' to remove "Student".
5. Type or select "Teacher" from the dropdown.
6. Click the Save icon 💾 (Disk) to confirm.

Removing (Unenrolling) a User

If a student drops the class or was added by mistake:

1. Go to the Participants list.
2. Find the user.
3. Click the Trash can icon 🗑️ in the Status column.
4. Confirm by clicking Unenrol.
5. Note: This removes their grades from the gradebook view, but data is usually preserved in history if they are re-enrolled later.