RealTime Refresh Discussion and Tasks Messaging Web Inbox

Owned by Kara Michelle Liu
Last updated: Aug 18, 2023 by Felicia Mizgorski
6 min read

We would like Discussions to happen in real time. We would like to have Task appear as quickly as possible-- can we send tasks faster?

No Design link is necessary

 

  1. Real-Time Updates: Real-time updates mean that messages will appear in your inbox as soon as they are received or generated, without any delay imposed by a fixed schedule. This offers several advantages:

    a. Instant Communication: Users will be able to see and respond to new messages immediately after they are sent, allowing for faster communication and decision-making.

    b. Timely Responses: By receiving messages in real time, you can respond promptly, which is especially important for time-sensitive matters or urgent communication.

    c. Improved User Experience: Real-time updates enhance the overall user experience by reducing frustration caused by waiting for updates and providing a seamless and engaging interaction.

  2. Technical Implementation: To achieve real-time updates for your inbox, you may need to make changes to your system architecture and infrastructure. Here's an overview of the technical aspects involved:

    a. Web Sockets: One common approach to achieving real-time updates is by using web sockets. Web sockets allow two-way communication between a client (e.g., your inbox interface) and a server, enabling the server to push new messages to the client as soon as they arrive.

    b. Push Notifications: Another method is to implement push notifications. When a new message arrives, the server can send a push notification to the user's device, prompting them to open the inbox and view the message.

    c. Data Synchronization: Ensure that the server and client are synchronized in real time. This may involve updating the client's view of the inbox as soon as a new message is received on the server.

    d. Scalability: Real-time systems can place increased demands on your infrastructure. Ensure that your architecture is designed to handle the potential increase in message traffic without sacrificing performance.

  3. User Expectations: With the transition to real-time updates, users' expectations may change. They will likely anticipate immediate responses and may become accustomed to the new level of responsiveness. Therefore, it's important to communicate any changes to users and manage their expectations effectively.

  4. Privacy and Security: As you transition to real-time updates, consider the implications for privacy and security. Ensure that your system remains secure and compliant with relevant regulations, especially if you are dealing with sensitive or confidential information.

 

All Tab---

User Story:

  • As a educator or admin user viewing the All Tab in my inbox, I want to see a list of all discussions, tasks, and alerts, so I can have a centralized view of all my communication and to-dos as they come through in real time without having to refresh.

 

UI:

  • User sees inbox totals increase in real time as any of the categories of messages come in.

 

Acceptance Criteria:

  • See also: All Tab

  • The number of the contents for the All tab will increase as new messages come in as they happen in real time.

  • The most recent content item will appear first on the list and the remaining will follow from the most recent to the least recent.

  • Given a Discussion item, Task item and/or Alerts item comes in, they are counted in both the All tab and the category tab of the message.

 

Discussion Tab--show discussion area mention areas where the discussion is present.

User Story:

  • As an educator viewing the discussion tab of my inbox, I want to see a list of all discussions I am involved in so I can take part in ongoing discussions with my colleagues in real time without having to refresh the page.

 

 

 

UI:

  • User 1 writes in the discussion for an item and selects send.

 

 

  • User 2 sees inbox totals increase in real time as new discussion messages come in.

 

Acceptance Criteria:

  • See also: Discussion Tab

  • The number of the contents for the Discussion tab will increase as new messages come in as they happen in real time without having to refresh the page.

  • The most recent content item will appear first on the list and the remaining will follow from the most recent to the least recent.

  • Given a Discussion item comes in, the number for the Discussions tab and All tab will increase.

 

Tasks Tab---once a day -research decreasing

User Story:

  • As an educator viewing the the task tab of my inbox, I want to see a list of all Tasks I need to complete as they are sent to me in real time, so that I know what items need my attention without having to refresh the page.

UI:

  • User sees inbox totals increase in real time as new Tasks messages come in.

 

Acceptance Criteria:

  • See also: Task Tab

  • The number of the contents for the Task tab will increase as new messages come in as they happen in real time.

  • The most recent content item will appear first on the list and the remaining will follow from the most recent to the least recent.

  • Given a Task item comes in, the number for the Task tab and All tab will increase.

 

 

 

Student Center Portal

User Story:

  • As a student user viewing the inbox, I want to see a list of all discussions and tasks in real time, so I can have a centralized view of my communication and to-dos without having to refresh the page.

 

UI:

  • Student user sees increases within their inbox in real time as new Discussion and/or Task is sent.

 

 

Acceptance Criteria:

  • See also: Student Center Portal

  • The number of the contents for the Task tab and the All tab will increase as new messages come in as they happen in real time.

  • The number of the contents for the Discussion tab and the All tab will increase as new messages come in as they happen in real time.

  • The most recent content item will appear first on the list and the remaining will follow from the most recent to the least recent for the All, Tasks and Discussions Tabs.

 

Family/ Caregiver

User Story:

  • As a family member/caregiver user viewing the inbox, I want to see a list of all discussions and tasks in real time, so I can have a centralized view of my communication and documents involving my student without having to refresh the page.

 

UI:

  • Family / Caregiver sees increases within their inbox in real time as new Discussions and/or Tasks are sent.

 

 

Acceptance Criteria:

  • See also: Family / Caregiver Portal

  • The number of the contents for the Task tab and the All tab will increase as new messages come in as they happen in real time.

  • The number of the contents for the Discussion tab and the All tab will increase as new messages come in as they happen in real time.

  • The most recent content item will appear first on the list and the remaining will follow from the most recent to the least recent for the All, Tasks and Discussions Tabs.