Tackling assignments with the assignment planning tool

A while back I wrote about an assignment support tool that we were working on. The idea here is to assist students in getting to grips with this little devil called procrastination; effectively, the planner presents itself as a tangible tool helping students in their struggle to get continuous assessment items handed in on time, by splitting the research/writing process into managable and carefully timed chunks. Each step directs users to resources that will support them, just-in-time, along the way.

The tool lives on Moodle and was quietly launched there the other day. The new term starts next week and I mentioned the planner during inductions. The feedback from students and lecturers alike was very encouraging indeed. Some students approached me directly and enquired further about the planner.

Below are three screenshots to give you some visual context here.

Once you've entered the submission date (in this case 15th October) and hit plan schedule, the following picture presents itself....

If all goes well and usage is high, the planner will be refined and customised versions targeted at particular audiences.