How to Use a Digital Planning App to Track Assignments and Deadlines during Online Courses?

Digital Planning App to Track Assignments and Deadlines

College students, taking and attending online courses, have to study on their own and as per their schedule of study. They have to attend the online classes which are scheduled, taking place as the online lectures and sessions.

During the online virtual sessions, students have to attend live lectures, delivered by the tutor, participate in video conferences, and complete and submit assignments, related to the coursework. As per the instructions of the tutor, they may be asked to remain in touch with the tutors, peers, and other students. (1)

Though the base of the online course evaluation is eventually the exam, assignments play a major role in the final evaluation. To keep track of the various dates of assignments, such as the last date, the submission date, and so on, the online tutors have to take extra care. So, for this purpose, almost all the tutors and educators use any of the available digital apps to track the assignments and their deadlines.

To keep track of the assignments, their due deadlines, and submission dates, some suggestions are presented below:

Choosing the Right Digital Planner for Assignment Tracking
Use the Modified Calendar App like Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook
How to Use the Calendar App for Planning?
Addition of Reminders to Each Due Date
Application of Different Color Codes for Different Courses
Need to Sync Data between Different Devices
Important Tips during the Planning Process
Prioritize the Different Tasks of the Course and Assignments
Review Planning Process Regularly, after Set Intervals
Plan to Allocate Appropriate Time for the Studies as Well
Keep Your Schedule a Little Flexible

1. Choosing the Right Digital Planner for Assignment Tracking

In a previous article, 65 Computers, Mobile Apps and Physical Planners to Work for Online Course Assignments and Workload about the different digital tools, available for online students, choose the right one. The best method is to select anyone, try it for gamification, and analyze the results.

While searching for the best digital tools for assignment tracking, I went through the website of ‘Trango Tech’ where I found a few apps for the purpose. Some of them are tried by me myself and found satisfactory. These are:

Click Up
Todoist
Any.do
Trello
Proof Hub
Notion
Things 3
Google Calendar
Friday
Zen Day

Microsoft Outlook
nTask
My Daily Planner
Habitica
Tick Tick
Ever 2
Planner Pro
Fantastical 2
Clockify
Two Bird

Choose any of these and gamify with it before applying it for a serious job. If found satisfactory, apply them for the task. (2)

Make certain to select an app that can be accessed from different mobile devices of different brands, and desktop computers. If you cannot access your study stuff, available on any other device, your efficiency will suffer to a great extent.

Keep these tips in view while choosing the right digital app as a planning tool:

Choose the one with appropriate platform compatibility.
Check its user interface features whether these are easy and user-friendly.
Are its features customizable easily?
Integrate it with other planning tools to check its integration with those under your use.
Check whether the reminder, notification, alarms and other such systems are available in it.
Is cloud syncing of data and its digital backup working?
Can it be used for collaboration with other team members and groups?
Can it be accessed while you are offline?
Is it within your budget restraints?
Get reviews from other users of this Planner before decision.

2. Use the Modified Calendar App like Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook

If you don’t know how to update the apps with coding, better it is to use the calendar apps like Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook which are easier to use and modify according to your requirements.

After you select the most appropriate digital tool to keep track of your assignment and its submission deadlines, better it is to apply a separate calendar for each of your online courses. This will allow you to concentrate your attention on one course at a time, without mixing up the different dates and reminders.

If you are applying a single app to keep track of assignments of more than one course, it may confuse you, creating critical errors in recognizing that can damage your academic grades.

3. How to Use the Calendar App for Planning?

Entry of Due Dates and Activities

After the selection of the most appropriate app for the planning of the assignments, their submission dates, and their deadlines, now is the time to add all the necessary data to it.

Now, first of all, add due dates related to the assignment, such as submission dates and deadlines. Then add the exam dates of different courses in the different apps.

Don’t forget to add the details of each course, such as the topic and description of the assignment and other additional information or notes. Also add the name, contact details, and other details of the course instructor.

Don’t forget to bifurcate each assignment into different parts for easy management. Now assign the most appropriate date for the completion of that part of the assignment. Allocate a time block for completion of each assignment of each course.

To enter the due dates and activities in the planner, follow the simple instructions:

Open the Calendar app on your mobile device or computer.
View and Select the due date upon which you want to add some activity.
Search for an option to set an event, activity, or appointment. A ‘New’ button identifies this new event.
Now, enter the details of the activity, event, appointment, location, start and end time. Under it, enter some description, if needed.
After entering the name and details of the activity, select and set the date for the activity and timing.
Better it is to enter the Reminder Alerts as well.
And at the end, save the event and its details.

4. Addition of Reminders to Each Due Date

Allocate separate reminder types to separate parts of the assignments. Now, prioritize the completion of each part of the assignment according to its level of difficulty, its critical importance in the assignment, and its role in the overall assignment planning.

Use separate reminder types, such as ringtone, voice message, or display notifications for separate parts of the assignment. If possible, use different color shades for each display reminder. You may also apply images to be used as reminders. These display reminders may appear on the home screen of mobile devices or computer screens.

Benefits of Adding Reminders to the Digital Planning Tool

Reminders keep you aware of the arrival or upcoming deadline for submission of assignments, discussion forum dates, digital online conference dates, project completion dates, quizzes/tests, and exams. They save you from last-minute rushes as well.
Helps you to overcome the bad habit of procrastination.
Helps you to manage better time planning.
Makes you more productive and habitual in focusing on work and study.
Makes you habitual to work according to fixed schedules.
It makes you to be aware of being on settled and scheduled locations.
Makes you to work according to routine work.
Completion of work on time reduces your stress level.
It helps you to track and achieve your set goals and targets.

5. Application of Different Color Codes for Different Courses

For easier and more convenient management of each online course and its related assignment, apply the separate color code to separate courses. A separate color code must also be utilized for each assignment. If convenient, use different color shades for each part and task of the assignment for easier recognition.

The visual color distinction will make it easier to distinguish between different courses and their related assignments. This clue will help you to make it easier to distinguish between courses and help you quickly identify upcoming deadlines.

6. Need to Sync Data between Different Devices

An important task for you to perform is to sync all those devices that are under your usage, such as your desktop, and mobile devices of different brands and tablets. This will make it easier for you to perform on different devices or to update your schedule, performance, tasks, and receipt or dispatch of your data to your instructor, peers, group, or another device from anywhere.

Benefits of Syncing Data between Different Devices

Uniform information with accurate data facilitates you to work on uniform and accurate data at an accurate time.
Syncing data in different devices saves you time as you may work differently on different devices at the same time.
Syncing data at the same time in different devices at different locations is possible.
Allow collaboration between different groups, group members, forums, and between peers and students.
Zero Error functioning is possible.
Working on different devices, at different locations and the different timing is possible.
Syncing data between owners of different devices causes improvement in communication.
Update at the same time between different devices and people is possible.
Despite being away from each other and with different devices, good work and decisions can be made.
While different members of the group are away from each other, customized and personalized decisions and functions are possible.
Chances of loss of data are reduced to almost zero level.
If specialized tools are under use at different locations or by different people, syncing allows collaboration to work better.

Important Tips during the Planning Process

During the planning process, you must take care of few important steps which must not be missed or ignored otherwise whole the planning process may be spoiled.

These tips are:

1. Prioritize the Different Tasks of the Course and Assignments

Give priority to mark the important tasks and that must be performed before the other tasks. This priority will help you to focus your attention on those tasks that need to be completed before other tasks as their completion will facilitate the completion of other tasks. After due priority, top-priority tasks can be completed on the due time and date.

Benefits of Prioritizing the Different Tasks

As prioritizing helps to focus more attention to the higher-priority tasks, it results in higher level of productivity.
It reminds you that more time is needed for some important job, so, you must take care of that job.
Prioritizing some jobs and tasks can help you to achieve those goals even before time.
After giving some priority to some task, it can be completed at a time, reducing unnecessary stress.
When you have prioritized some task, it facilitates you to make decision-making a little easier.
When some important task is prioritized, the work on it can be enhanced with more concentration.
When some jobs are completed in time and are prioritized, the satisfaction of completion greatly improves the balance between work and life.
When the important tasks are given due attention, it improves the available resource utilization.

2. Review Planning Process Regularly, after Set Intervals

The review process is the most appropriate step to check and evaluate your set targets. Better it is to review your performance at the time of each reminder. Rather, you must take the reminder as a signal to check and review your performance.

Normally, you must devote some time each day or every week to review your set targets, particularly the completion of the assignments so that the deadlines to submit the assignments can be met successfully. The regular review process can prevent your last-minute rushes and haphazard completion of the assignments that can damage your grades.

3. Plan to Allocate Appropriate Time for the Studies as Well

In your schedule planning for the online coursework, divide your available time between the different academic and non-academic activities. Again, in academic activities, divide your time between assignment writing/completion and study.

Time to allocate for study is a little more important as a good level of study is essential for your success in surprise quizzes, tests, and exams. Don’t forget that your final evaluation in the online course depends upon the final exam.

So, bifurcate your allocated time for the academic activities between the assignment writing/completion and studies.

Are you prioritizing enough time during online coursework?

First of all, prioritize the goals, set by yourself: In these priorities, give due time to your academic and learning goals.
Prioritize to allocate appropriate time to learn to manage your available time for the achievement of the study schedule.
Give longer time to self-awareness process if you are satisfied with your assignment completion level.
It is up to you to decide to give due priority to the quality of the assignments or the quantity of the assignment work.
It is important to give due breaks during the studies or between work on the assignments. Breaks are a must thing to avoid burnout.
Self-evaluation of your progress in study or assignment work is also an important priority that must not be ignored during the planning process.
If you find yourself tired during the studies, self-care must be given due priority during the planning phase. Rest, little exercise, and relaxing processes are a must during the studies.
If you feel a little helpless during the studies, seek the support from your friends, class/course fellows, family members, or the peers.

4. Keep Your Schedule a Little Flexible

In life, always be ready for unexpected events as well. So, always be flexible to devote some blocks of time to emergencies, such as ailments, family affairs, or other unexpected events in life that may disrupt your academic schedule.

Why keep your planning a little flexible during the online course?

Be ready to adapt to unexpected and sudden events during your lifetime and during the coursework.
Technological updates must also be given priority during the study periods and learning process.
Learn to evaluate your learning style and working pace. If you are aware of your weaknesses, give the necessary priorities to keep flexibility and extra effort in your study and academic timetable.
Always be ready to give due weightage to any course adjustments and changes at any time and in the planning process, such changes must always be prioritized.
Try your best to give work-life adjustment and balance and give due priority to such flexibility to such balance.
I think; prevention from burnout must be given top priority in planning process as it is directly related to your overall mental health and well-being.
While planning for the academic achievements, due priority must be given to enhance the motivation to achieve academic success in time and with best grades.