User Roles & Permissions

UALS implements a three-tier role system for class management that balances flexibility, security, and accountability. Understanding these roles is critical for effective collaboration.

The Three Roles

👤 Original Creator

The teacher who initially created the class. This role is permanently assigned and never changes, even after ownership transfers.

Immutable Audit Trail Historical Record

👑 Current Owner

The teacher with full administrative control over the class. This role can be transferred to another teacher, but only with their explicit acceptance.

Full Control Transferable Administrative

✏️ Content Expert

Teachers invited to collaborate on content creation and editing. They have content-only access and cannot modify class settings or invite others.

Content Only Class-Specific Invited Role

Detailed Permission Breakdown

Original Creator Permissions

Key Characteristic: This role is for record-keeping and accountability only. The creator field is immutable and preserved in all xAPI statements.

Listed as creator in class metadata
Preserved in xAPI audit trail
Visible in class history
No automatic permissions after ownership transfer
Cannot edit unless also owner or content expert
Cannot manage class settings unless also owner

Current Owner Permissions

Key Characteristic: Full control over all aspects of the class.

Edit all cached content (Knowledge Explorer, Socratic Playground, SBCAT)
View and modify assessment items, correct answers, and explanations
Invite content experts to collaborate
Remove content experts from the class
Transfer ownership to another teacher
Modify class settings (title, description, enrollment code)
View student enrollment and analytics
Delete or archive the class

Content Expert Permissions

⚠️ Security Notice: Content experts see everything including assessment answers and explanations. Only invite trusted collaborators!

Edit all cached content for the specific class
View and modify assessment items
See correct answers and distractors
Edit answer explanations
Create new content versions
Access content editor for Knowledge Explorer
Access content editor for Socratic Playground
Access content editor for SBCAT assessments
Cannot invite other content experts
Cannot modify class settings
Cannot transfer ownership
Cannot view student analytics (without separate permission)
Cannot delete or archive the class

How Roles Are Assigned

Original Creator - Automatic at Class Creation

When you create a new class, you are automatically designated as the Original Creator. This assignment is permanent and stored in the xAPI statement with extension fields:

JSON

{
  "http://uals.app/class/creator-email": "teacher@school.edu",
  "http://uals.app/class/creator-name": "Dr. Jane Smith"
}

Current Owner - Initially Same as Creator

When you create a class, you start as both Creator and Owner. The owner can change through ownership transfer, but the creator never changes.

JSON

{
  "http://uals.app/class/teacher-email": "teacher@school.edu",
  "http://uals.app/class/teacher-name": "Dr. Jane Smith"
}

Content Expert - Invited by Owner

The current owner can invite content experts by entering their email address. The invited expert will see the class appear in their "Content Expert Invitations" section.

JSON

{
  "http://uals.app/class/content-experts": "[\"expert1@school.edu\",\"expert2@university.edu\"]"
}

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Teacher Leaves Institution

Situation: Dr. Smith created a class but is leaving the school. She wants Dr. Johnson to take over.

Solution:

Dr. Smith initiates ownership transfer to Dr. Johnson's email
Dr. Johnson sees pending transfer on dashboard and accepts
Dr. Johnson becomes the new owner with full control
Dr. Smith remains listed as Original Creator for records
Dr. Smith loses all owner permissions immediately
Optional: Dr. Johnson can re-invite Dr. Smith as content expert if needed

Scenario 2: Collaborative Content Development

Situation: Prof. Anderson owns a Computer Science class and wants Prof. Williams (subject matter expert) to help improve assessment items.

Solution:

Prof. Anderson opens class details and clicks "Invite Content Expert"
Enters Prof. Williams' email and submits
Prof. Williams sees invitation on their dashboard
Prof. Williams clicks "Edit Content" and reviews/edits assessment items
Prof. Anderson retains full owner permissions
Both can see each other's edits through version history

Scenario 3: Removing a Collaborator

Situation: A content expert's contract ends and they should no longer have access to class content.

Solution:

Class owner opens class details modal
Clicks "Show Content Experts" to expand the list
Clicks the "Remove" button next to the expert's email
Confirms the removal
Expert immediately loses content editing access
Expert's email removed from contentExperts array in xAPI
Class no longer appears in expert's invitation list

Scenario 4: Former Owner Becomes Content Expert

Situation: Dr. Lee transferred ownership to Dr. Kim but still wants to contribute content improvements.

Solution:

Dr. Lee transfers ownership to Dr. Kim (loses all permissions)
Dr. Kim accepts ownership
Dr. Kim invites Dr. Lee as content expert
Dr. Lee regains content editing access (but not administrative control)
Dr. Lee remains Original Creator in system records

Permission Matrix

Quick reference table for all three roles:

Permission	Creator	Owner	Expert
Edit cached content	❌	✅	✅
View assessment answers	❌	✅	✅
Modify class settings	❌	✅	❌
Invite content experts	❌	✅	❌
Remove content experts	❌	✅	❌
Transfer ownership	❌	✅	❌
View student analytics	❌	✅	❌
Delete/archive class	❌	✅	❌
Listed in audit trail	✅	✅	✅
Role is transferable	❌	✅	N/A

Best Practices

💡 For Class Owners

Only invite content experts you trust completely
Review the content experts list periodically and remove inactive members
Communicate clearly with experts about their role and responsibilities
Use ownership transfer only when permanent handoff is needed
Before transferring, ensure the new owner accepts the responsibility

⚠️ For Content Experts

Remember you can see assessment answers - maintain academic integrity
Coordinate with the class owner before making major content changes
Use version control features to track your edits
Respect the owner's pedagogical approach and goals
If you need more permissions, discuss ownership transfer with current owner

🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming creator role grants editing permissions after ownership transfer
Sharing content expert access with unauthorized individuals
Transferring ownership without communicating with the new owner first
Forgetting to remove content experts who no longer need access
Confusing "creator" with "owner" - they are different roles!

Technical Implementation

For developers: Role information is stored in xAPI LRS statements with the following extension fields:

xAPI Statement Extensions

{
  "extensions": {
    "http://uals.app/class/creator-email": "original@school.edu",
    "http://uals.app/class/creator-name": "Dr. Original Creator",
    "http://uals.app/class/teacher-email": "current@school.edu",
    "http://uals.app/class/teacher-name": "Dr. Current Owner",
    "http://uals.app/class/content-experts": "[\"expert1@school.edu\",\"expert2@university.edu\"]",
    "http://uals.app/class/ownership-transfer-pending": null
  }
}

Permission checks in backend code:

JavaScript

async function canEditClassContent(userEmail, classId) {
  const classData = await getClassData(classId);

  const classOwnerEmail = classData.teacherEmail;
  if (classOwnerEmail && userEmail === classOwnerEmail) {
    return true;
  }

  const contentExperts = classData.contentExperts || [];
  if (contentExperts.includes(userEmail)) {
    return true;
  }

  return false;
}