Lesson 4: Configuring user authentication methods

User authentication is the process of verifying a user’s identity. In Moodle, this is typically done by asking the user to provide a username and password. However, Moodle supports a variety of authentication methods, and as an administrator, you can configure which methods are available on your site.

Here are some of the authentication methods that Moodle supports:

Manual Accounts: This is the default authentication method. Users are created and authenticated manually by the administrator.

Self Registration: With this method, users can create their own accounts. The accounts can be confirmed via email to ensure that the email address is valid.

LDAP Server: If your organization has an LDAP server, you can use it to authenticate users. This allows users to log in to Moodle with the same username and password they use for other systems in your organization.

External Database: You can authenticate users against an external database. This can be useful if you already have a database of users for another system.

OAuth 2 Services: Moodle supports OAuth 2 for user authentication. This allows users to log in using their Google, Microsoft, or Facebook accounts.

To configure authentication methods, go to ‘Site administration’ > ‘Plugins’ > ‘Authentication’ > ‘Manage authentication’. From here, you can enable or disable authentication methods, change their settings, and control the order in which they are used.

In the next module, we will delve into course management, where we’ll learn about creating and managing courses, configuring course settings and formats, and more. Stay tuned!