Use New Spectator Role (Course Role) – 4000.4

The Spectator course role gives institutions a flexible, read-only option for course access. Use this role for auditors, observers, or external reviewers who need to review course content without making changes or accessing administrative features. This role supports secure, non-intrusive access to course materials and improves oversight and collaboration. 

The Spectator role applies at the course level and grants read-only access to all course content. Users with this role cannot edit, delete, grade, or change course settings. 

The role uses the same permission checks as the Viewer system role but only applies to courses where the user is enrolled as a Spectator. Spectator users do not have access to administrator privileges or system-wide data. 

Assign the Spectator role from the Role Management page using the course role selector. Administrators manage which courses a Spectator can access and for how long through enrollments. 

Common uses include: