The scheduling assistant allows the user to set a time and date for their next session and choose their preferred method of being reminded.
All SelfHelpWorks courses are broken down into sessions which are available to the user consecutively over a span of weeks (every course has a different estimated length). Sessions are built upon one another strategically, and each session plays its own role in the cognitive training process that enables sustained behavioral change.
The scheduling assistant appears at the completion of a session and prompts the user to set a time and date for their next session. This is meant to do two main things:
- It allows the user to schedule a session based on their availability and preference.
- It gives the user a greater sense of autonomy within the course experience and establishes a conscious, choice-driven authority that raises their sense of responsibility.
RECOMMENDED SCHEDULE-DATES
There is a time span in which the user is encouraged to schedule their next session called a window-of-recommendation. This window is between the first day that the next session is available and the five days following. There is a minimum amount of time the user must wait before taking their next session, and this wait time varies per-session, per-course. The minimum wait time is as little as one day and, in some cases, as long as one week. This time between sessions is important for two reasons:
- The user needs time to complete assignments.
- Certain brain-training elements in our courses take time to transpire cognitively in the user.
Any day selected within the window of recommendation is color-coded green. If the user selects a day that is between six and thirteen days after the availability date, it is color-coded orange. Selecting a day that is between two and three weeks from the availability date is color-coded red and a message is given that encourages an earlier scheduled date for a greater chance of success in the program. The user cannot schedule a session longer than three weeks from the availability date.
Once a session is scheduled, all the remaining sessions are tentatively shifted to their corresponding dates and the user can see when - if they stay on this scheduled track - they will finish the course.
Setting a reminder
After scheduling a session, the user will be given the option to receive a session-reminder in one of two ways:
- The user can receive an email from SelfHelpWorks that they can put into their own calendar.
- The user can receive a notification either through email or their mobile device (if they are already linked to the mobile app). In this case they will get a reminder at the time of the scheduled session.
In summary
The scheduling assistant is a tool designed to cultivate a mindset of responsibility, authority and mindfulness in the user, which is consistent with the overriding aims of all the SelfHelpWorks courses. By allowing the user to choose the times and dates of their sessions and by setting and receiving reminders, they are taking a more active role in their own experience.
