We are all familiar with the standard Course Calendar, where assignment due dates are automatically added. However, at my institution, we structure our assignments as Challenges that develop over a period of time, rather than just a single deadline.
Currently, the calendar only highlights the "end point." It would be a significant UX improvement if students could visualize the entire duration of a challenge—perhaps with a continuous horizontal bar or span—rather than just a single icon on the due date.
Why this matters:
- Visual Clarity: A "period view" allows for better workload planning.
- Reduced Stress: Students can see when they should be working on a task, not just when they are running out of time.
- Modernization: The calendar tool hasn't seen major functional or visual enhancements in quite a while. Shifting the focus toward a more visual, timeline-based approach would make the tool much more powerful for learning.
My proposal is to move beyond a simple list of deadlines and turn the calendar into a true strategic planning tool.
