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It can be difficult to know, for sure, how your student's are experiencing your course and seeing your content.
The Switch role to... function is helpful, but has limitations. For example, when you have switched to a student role view, you cannot verify grading after completing a quiz or assignment. Also, group and grouping restrictions cannot be tested.
Thankfully, the University of Alberta developed a plugin called the DemoStudent block. This block is installed on VCC's Moodle LMS, and allows an instructor to have their own personal pretend student user enrolled in the course. This "demo student" can then be used by the instructor to test all course functionality to a very realistic degree.
How to Add a DemoStudent to your course
To use this plugin, you must first add the DemoStudent block to your course. Simply turn editing on within your course, then select DemoStudent View from the Add a block list.
Once the block has been added to the course, you will see it in the right-hand column among any other blocks. Click on the Create a DemoStudent button. This will create a new student named DemoStudent [YourSurname]. For example, an instructor named Maria Jones would get a new user named "DemoStudent Jones". You can see your new DemoStudent in your course's Participants list.
Once the new DemoStudent is created, you can add it to groups and/or groupings, and submit assignments or quiz attempts as that user.
In your regular Teacher role, you will be able to grade those student attempts as well, and as the DemoStudent, you can see the grades in the user's Grades page.
To see instructions with pictures, have a look at the University of Alberta's knowledgebase article. (Thank you, UofA!)
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Be aware that when grades are added to the DemoStudent, these grades are included in the class averages. Unenrolling the DemoStudent will remove these grades if you do not want them included in the averages.
- Whenever you exit the DemoStudent view, you will need to log back in to your employee account using your employee login credentials.