Two Ways To Create New Tasks
1. From the Task List, select a Course and then click '+Add new Task'.
2. Click the purple +Task button in the upper right.
Entering Task Details
When creating a new task, a dialog will open where you can enter information about the task.
Enter the name of the task, select the course it is associated with, any details, and subtasks that are associated with the course.
This helps organize the tasks into logical groups for sorting and editing. For example categories might be 'Problem Sets', 'Reading', 'Weekly Quiz'.
If your task involves reading, you can create a Reading Source that is used in the course. For example, they could be books such as 'Calculus Textbook' or 'Harry Potter'. They could also be things like 'Single Spaced PDF' or 'Double Spaced PDF' or 'Online Reading'.
The purpose of creating reading sources is twofold. The first is to allow you to sort tasks by specific sources. The second is to allow you to estimate the time each reading source assignment will take to read.
Set the date when the task is due.
Start Days Ahead
Enter the number of days ahead that you want to start on the task. For example, a reading may be due in two weeks but you only plan to start working on it a few days before. Shovel will only calculate the study time you have within those three days so your study plan is accurate.
Reading Source Time Per Page
Shovel can estimate the time it will take to complete a reading task by using a time per page estimate. For example, Harry Potter might be 3 minutes per page. Economics 101 might be 5 minutes per page. You learn what these are by simply reading a page.
Time per page defaults to 5 minutes, but can be changed to anything you wish.
Set an estimated time for the task. This helps you create an accurate study plan.
Shovel compares this number with the study time you have available so you know if you have time to get the task done on time.
If the task is a reading, it will automatically calculate the time by multiplying the number of pages by the estimated time per page for the particular reading source.
For non-reading tasks, simply enter the time you think it will take. For example, watching a class video of a specific duration, or you might estimate doing a Problem Set at 3 hours, and then update your estimate as you actually do one.
Many tasks repeat on a consistent basis. For example, you may have a Problem set due in class every Thursday. Click the Repeat Task icon and this dialog will appear.