Before you continue reading this post, please recall when you just launched one of the Canvas mobile apps (Student, Teacher, or Parent), and you were not so happy with how much time it takes (or how complex it is) to reach the screen or function you wanted to see or use. If the question resonates with you, just drop a comment and tell us about it.
Even without knowing all your contexts, I can maybe safely say that this happens in cases that you repeat frequently, like checking the new grades, submitting assignments, and grading.
Hypothesis
My hypothesis is that we, regular users, want to have quick access to the frequently used features and specific links, and we would like to see summarized/aggregated information.
That is why the title: “Start here”. What if there is a place where you have all the needed actions/links/etc. in one place? Shortcuts that save you time in repeating the same actions over and over. So, we brainstormed a new feature called “Start here” where all the relevant info and links are collected for you.
One picture is worth a thousand words, so let’s see what I am talking about:
As you see on the screenshot the new feature would take place as a floating button on the bottom. This button would be visible right after the app starts and logged in. As we tap on the button, the “action sheet” appears where you have quick access to the features through the list items. This list might contain the following items:
Teacher:
- SpeedGrader
- New announcement
- Student view
- Send a message
Student:
- Grades summary
- Submit an assignment
- Missing assignments summary
- Bookmarks
- Send a message
We assume these features are important; please share if you think differently.
Note: Don’t worry if you can’t find any of the features above in the apps. Some of them do not exist on both platforms yet. Some of them do not exist at all yet.
I must emphasize this is a feature idea, which might be implemented based on your feedback too, so please be active and share what you think.
The content in this blog is over six months old, and the comments are closed. For the most recent product updates and discussions, you're encouraged to explore newer posts from Instructure's Product Managers.