Stakeholders: Assignment Tracker

The following information is in reference to a previous post about a software idea for those in the education system. The idea centers around developing a system that may be accessed by smartphone users in the K-12 school system, with stakeholders as follows:

• Teachers:

Teachers would have the capability to post assignment details and due dates, as well as student grades. This would benefit teachers as they would have a way to ensure communication with parents regarding children's assignments. It would be unreasonable to ask a teacher to call each parent every night to let them know what was expected of the student. This system, however, would facilitate that communication.

• Parents: 

By having an easily accessible location to find out student assignments, parents can help ensure their children complete required tasks on time. Additionally, as teachers are able to post grades, parents receive communication regarding their child's performance in school at an earlier date than following traditional methods of waiting for report cards and parent/teacher conferences.

• Students:

One of the essential components of raising a child is training them to become more responsible for themselves. This software allows a parent to slowly let go of the reins, as the parent encourages their child to independently make sure they have completed all assignments. It also provides a transition, as students who are used to using software to manage task completion will find it simpler to use similar software on the job. Numerous companies employ digital methods of time and project management, and this facilitates an early introduction to those processes.

I originally felt this should be an app designed for mobile users, as the number of smartphones in the home, especially in impoverished neighborhoods, outweighs the number of computers. However, upon further consideration, I feel this software would better service the public as a web app, which can be accessed by consumers of all styles of digital media, computers and phones alike.

Additionally, while the MVP contains only the essentials listed above, and may even be boiled down to an even smaller set of essential components, the following is a list of other potential add-ons and upgrades to be considered in the future:

• Integrated calendar with other dates, such as extra-curricular activities practice/games/tournaments as well as school appointments such as parent/teacher conferences
• Alert system in case of emergencies at school
• Alert system in case of child absence
• Integrated discussion boards for students
• Integrated assignment submission
• Integrated activities and assignments