How to Switch Roles in Brightspace

Relevant to: faculty and staff

This article contains information considered accurate at the time of publishing. Technology updates, changes in University security practices, policies and procedures may effect the information in this article - updates to articles are scheduled on a periodic basis and will address any required changes.

Introduction

It can be helpful to view a course from different users' perspectives. Brightspace offers a way to switch roles that allows you to do just that.

The role(s) you can switch to depend on your own role in the system. Instructors can switch to the role of a SUNY Empire student; deans and associate department chairs (ADCs) can switch to the roles of a SUNY Empire student, instructor or department admin.

Definitions

• Role: A role stores a set of permissions. Assigning permissions to a role dictates what users in that role are able to see and do in the system. For example, someone with a "student" role can only see their own grades; someone with an "instructor" role can see the grades of all the students in the course.
• Org Unit: Org units define the structure of an organization. By default, Brightspace contains org unit types for course offerings, course templates, departments, semesters, and the organization.
• Cascading Role: If a role is cascading, a user enrolled in any org unit in that role is automatically enrolled in all other org units beneath it. For example, if you enroll a user in the science department in a cascading role, the user is automatically enrolled in all course templates, course offerings, and groups and sections under that department. Cascading roles are normally used for site administration.
• Non-Cascading Role: If a role is non-cascading, a user enrolled in any org unit in that role is only enrolled in that org unit. They are not enrolled in any org units beneath it.

How to Switch Roles: Instructors

SUNY Empire has set up a non-cascading role, "ESC - Student," to let instructors view their courses as a student would. You can switch to that role as follows:

1. From the course homepage, go to the minibar and click on your user name.
2. In the drop-down menu, select "View as ESC - Student (Non-Cascading)."
3. The page will refresh, and you will be able to see and navigate the course as a student would.
4. To switch back to your role as instructor, click on your user name in the minibar and click the "X" next to "Viewing as ESC - Student (Non-Cascading)."

How to Switch Roles: Deans and Associate Department Chairs

1. From the course homepage, go to the minibar and click on your user name.
2. In the drop-down menu you'll a link, "View as ESC - (some role)".
3. If it is the role you want to switch to, select it. The page will refresh, and you will be able to see and navigate the course in that role.
4. If it is not the role you want, select the link just below it, "Change." The menu will expand, showing you a list of the roles you have access to. Select the role you want. The page will refresh, and you will be able to see and navigate the course in that role.
5. To switch back to your own role as dean or ADC, click on your user name in the minibar and click the "X" next to "Viewing as ESC - (some role)."