Overview
Proserva's notification system keeps learners and instructors informed about course activity through two channels: in-app notifications (the bell icon in the top navigation) and email notifications for high-priority events. The system tracks read status, supports deduplication, and provides both real-time toasts and a persistent notification feed.
Notification Channels
In-App Notification Bell
Located in the top right of every page.
Shows an unread count badge when there are new notifications.
Clicking opens a dropdown feed of recent notifications, each linking directly to the relevant content (message, assignment, discussion, etc.).
Users can mark all as read from the dropdown.
Some notifications appear as on-screen toasts for immediate visibility without opening the bell.
Email Notifications
Sent for high-priority events: grades returned, direct messages received, assignment submissions (to instructors).
Emails include the message content or grade summary, so they're readable from a phone notification without logging in.
Designed so users who aren't actively logged into Proserva still stay informed.
What Triggers Notifications
Event | Who Gets Notified | In-App | |
Discussion reply / lesson comment | The person who was replied to | ✅ | — |
Direct message received | Message recipient | ✅ | ✅ |
New message in group chat | All thread participants | ✅ | ✅ |
Student submits assignment | Assigned instructor | ✅ | — |
Instructor returns grade | Student | ✅ | ✅ |
Course announcement posted | All enrolled students | ✅ | — |
Student enrolled in course | Student (welcome) | ✅ | ✅ |
Course completion / certificate issued | Student | ✅ | ✅ |
Admin role or permission change | Affected user | ✅ | — |
Deadline Awareness
Due dates are always visible to students in their course outline alongside each lesson. Proserva provides several mechanisms for deadline communication:
In-course display: due dates appear next to lesson names in the course outline. Students see dates relevant to their session/cohort.
Session-specific dates: for scheduled courses with multiple cohorts, each cohort sees its own due dates.
Relative due dates: instructors can use offsets like "10 days after course start" for rolling enrollment or self-paced courses.
Pacing milestones: in self-paced courses, due dates are suggested targets, not hard deadlines. Students aren't locked out for submitting after a milestone.
Proactive reminders: use announcements or broadcast messages to remind cohorts of upcoming deadlines. The platform does not currently send automated push reminders for approaching due dates — instructors drive deadline communication.
Smart Notification Handling
Deduplication: if the same event would fire multiple identical notifications within a 15-minute window, the system suppresses duplicates. This prevents notification storms from rapid-fire actions (e.g., an instructor quickly grading multiple assignments back-to-back).
Read tracking: the system records which notifications have been viewed, and the unread badge reflects only unseen items.
User-typed vs. system-generated: the platform distinguishes between notifications triggered by another user's action (a message, a comment) and automated system notifications (course completion, certificate issuance), allowing for different handling and prioritization.
Managing Notifications
Click the notification bell to view recent notifications. Each item links directly to the relevant content.
Use Mark All as Read to clear the badge.
Email notifications include direct links to the relevant course, assignment, or message — users can go straight from email to the right place in Proserva.
Notification preferences are managed at the platform level. Contact your Proserva administrator for configuration questions.