Login as Student (Impersonation)

Impersonation allows authorised administrators to log in and navigate Nimbu exactly as a specific student would see it - using the same interface, the same content, and the same access level as that student's account. This is a support tool, intended for diagnosing access issues, verifying the student experience, and assisting students who are unable to troubleshoot their own account.

Because impersonation grants full access to a student's account, it is a sensitive capability with strict permission requirements and an automatic activity log.

What's Covered in This Article

This article explains the impersonation feature, how to use it, and what safeguards are in place.

• What Impersonation Is: How the feature works and what access it provides.
• When to Use It: Appropriate use cases for support and troubleshooting.
• Permission Required: Who can access this feature and how it is granted.
• How to Login as a Student: Step-by-step instructions.
• Activity Tracking During Impersonation: What is logged and what actions are restricted.

What Impersonation Is

The Login as Student feature also referred to as impersonation allows an administrator to temporarily access Nimbu from inside a student's account. While impersonating a student, the administrator sees exactly what that student sees: their enrolled classes, units, content, results, and progress indicators.

Impersonation does not create a separate session or a copy of the student's account. The administrator is accessing the live account directly, which means any actions taken during the session may affect the student's actual data.

When an administrator enters an impersonation session:

• The platform switches to the student's full interface and navigation.
• All content, class access, and restrictions appear as they would for that specific student.
• A persistent indicator is displayed on screen to confirm that the session is an impersonation, not a genuine student login.

When to Use It

Impersonation is intended for legitimate support and administrative purposes. Common scenarios include:

• Troubleshooting access issues: A student reports that content is locked, missing, or displaying incorrectly. Logging in as the student allows you to see the exact state of their account and confirm whether the issue is specific to their profile or a broader platform issue.
• Verifying the student experience: Before a class launches, an administrator can log in as an enrolled student to confirm that content is visible, activation has taken effect, and the learning journey displays correctly.
• Supporting a student remotely: When a student is unable to locate content or complete a step and written instructions are not resolving the issue, impersonation allows support staff to navigate to the correct screen and document the steps.
• Checking notification and result delivery: Confirm that a result, resubmission request, or activation notification is visible on the student's end.

Important: Impersonation should only be used for genuine support purposes. All activity during an impersonation session is logged.

Permission Required

The Login as User permission is required to access the impersonation feature. This permission is part of the Admin role but is treated as sensitive - it is off by default when the Admin role is first assigned and must be explicitly enabled.

Security Note: Only the organisation owner can grant the Login as User permission to other administrators. Standard administrators cannot enable this permission for themselves or for others.

To check or request this permission:

• Administrators can view their own permissions under Settings > Users by locating their own profile.
• If the permission needs to be granted, the organisation owner must edit the relevant admin's profile and enable Login as User under the User Management permission group.

How to Login as a Student

Once the Login as User permission is enabled on your account, you can access impersonation from the student's profile.

1. Navigate to the Student Registry and locate the student's profile.
2. Open the student's profile by clicking their name.
3. Click the Login as Student button on their profile page.
4. The platform will switch to the student's interface. A persistent banner or indicator is displayed at the top of the screen confirming you are in an impersonation session, along with the student's name.
5. Navigate the platform as the student would - reviewing their classes, units, content access, results, and progress.
6. To end the session, click Click here in the impersonation banner to return to your own administrator account.

Note: You do not need the student's password to use impersonation. The feature grants direct access without requiring login credentials.

Activity Tracking During Impersonation

All impersonation sessions are automatically recorded in Nimbu's activity log. This ensures there is a clear audit trail of when an admin accessed a student's account, providing accountability and protecting both the student and the organisation.

What is logged:

• The administrator who initiated the impersonation session
• The student account that was accessed
• The date and time the session started and ended

Actions to avoid during impersonation:

Because the administrator is inside a live student account, certain actions will directly affect the student's record. Administrators should not:

• Submit or complete assessments or observations on the student's behalf
• Accept a unit result on the student's behalf
• Modify the student's profile information from within the impersonation session
• Take any action that could alter the student's academic progress or compliance record

If administrative changes to a student's data are needed, such as updating enrolment status or adjusting a result - these should be made through the standard admin interface, not through impersonation.

Tip: If you need to demonstrate a workflow to a student, take note of the steps during the impersonation session and share written instructions with the student rather than completing the actions for them.

Related Articles

• Understanding Permissions
• Activity Logs (Reports)