How to release resources to students at different times or in different groups

Applies to Moodle 3.11 from August 2022 onwards

How to: release a resource or activity to a particular group of students

Moodle's Restrict Access features allow you to release a resource or activity quite specifically, including to a specific group of students.

If you are creating a Forum, Wiki, Database or Glossary activity for groups, it makes sense to just set it as 'separate groups' as it will have the same effect. See An overview of how to use Groups and Groupings effectively

Note:  Using Restrict Access you or any Teacher or Editing Teacher will be able to see all the resources and activities in the module, but Students will only be able to see those restricted to their group or available to everyone, or within the dates you have set, or whatever restriction you have chosen to apply.

If you wish to restrict by group then you must enable groups in your module.

Setting up Groups in the Module

Enable groups in your module

1. Navigate to the module you want to work on.
2. Click the 'Actions Cogwheel'.
3. Under the Groups heading change "Group mode" to 'Separate groups' or 'Visible groups'.
4. Change "Force group mode" to 'Yes' if you want to ensure that groups are then enabled for each activity/resource you then add to the module (although this sets the default for ALL activities then created, this can be amended in each activity during creation).

"Separate groups" - means that all group members can access the activity, but they cannot see each others' contributions, only those from other students in the same group.

"Visible groups" - means that group members can see the contributions of other groups but cannot interact with them.

Restricting resource availability to a particular group(s)

Groups must be enabled in your module settings as above.

1. Create the resource as usual.
2. Click into the resource / activity and click the 'Edit settings cogwheel'  and select 'Edit settings'.
3. Scroll down the page and expand the Restrict access section.
4. Click on the Add restriction button.
5. The Add restriction... pop-up window will appear. Click on the Group button.

7. (You can choose to make the item available to students who MUST be in a group or those who MUST NOT).

8. Then select the relevant Group from the drop down menu.

9. If you leave the "Eye" icon open then students will see the resource and its restriction but not be able to access it (see below left).
If you click on the "Eye" icon (see below right) the students will not see the item at all until the restriction is met.

10. Click on the 'Add restriction' button.

NOTE

You can add more than one restriction and can use AND or OR.

Here is an example of multiple restrictions, making an activity available to two different groups at different times.

To Remove an Access Resource Restriction

Groups must be enabled in your module settings as above.

1. Click into the resource /activity.
2. Click the 'Actions cogwheel' and select on 'Edit settings'.
3. Scroll down the page and expand the Restrict access section.
4. To delete a restriction click on the 'X' to the right of the restriction.

This video is slightly outdated in its screenshots and will soon be replaced.