[Proposal] Notifications for LMS and Studio

[ali-hugo]

Abstract

We propose introducing a notifications feature to both the LMS and to Studio, with the primary goal of keeping learners and course teams informed about platform changes and community updates, and making it easier to gather feedback from users. This feature would help to facilitate some of the goals of Learner Grouping (i.e. enable more flexible communication across the platform).

Detailed Product Proposal

https://openedx.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/OEPM/pages/4734648329/Proposal+Notifications+for+LMS+and+Studio

Context & Background (in brief, if a Product Proposal is linked above)

Currently, the LMS and Studio lack a way to inform users about platform updates, upcoming releases, or opportunities to engage with the community. As a result, course teams and learners may be unaware of changes, miss out on new features, feel disconnected from the community, and miss opportunities to provide feedback for improvement.

Scope & Approach (in brief, if a Product Proposal is linked above)

Goals

• Introduce a notifications feature in both the LMS and Studio via a plugin slot.
• Ensure users stay updated on software changes, new features, and community news.
• Create a consistent notification experience across the platform for better usability.
• Use an admin-controlled system (via WordPress RSS feed) to manage and publish notifications.
• Lay the groundwork for future enhancements, such as tailored notifications for different learner groups.

Value & Impact (in brief, if a Product Proposal is linked above)

Use Cases

1. As Open edX, I want a flexible and consistent notification system that delivers easy-to-read updates, keeps course teams informed about platform changes and community events, encourages user feedback, and can be easily expanded for future communication needs.

2. As an Instance Manager, I want to receive relevant updates in my admin interface to stay informed about important platform news. I also want the ability to disable notifications based on my instance’s needs.

3. As an Instructor, I want to receive concise and relevant notifications about platform updates, new features, and community news to enhance my course management, provide feedback to improve the platform, and stay engaged with the community.

4. As a Learner, I want to receive brief and relevant notifications about new features and community updates so I can stay informed, improve my learning experience, and give feedback to improve the platform.

Milestones and/or Epics

TBD

Named Release

TBD

Timeline (in brief, if a Product Proposal is linked above)

TBD based on proposal feedback and input

Proposed By

OpenCraft

Additional Info

No response

[github-actions]

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