Visitors and Residents Continuum

Personal Digital Practices

After mapping my digital practices, I realized that my behavior online is not fixed. I shift between being a visitor (just accessing information) and a resident (actively interacting and creating) depending on what I need to do.

Technology is not just a tool for me — it is part of my daily life and identity.

I use Notion and Google Calendar to stay organized

I use CapCut and Lightroom for my creative work

I use platforms like Instagram and TikTok to express myself as a content creator

These tools help me become more productive while also shaping who I am online.

Overall, this activity helped me understand that my digital behavior is flexible and context-based. I move between visitor and resident roles depending on my purpose, showing that digital practices exist on a continuum rather than in fixed categories.

Features I Want MyPortal to Have

1. Recently Opened Feature

MyPortal already shows recently accessed courses, but it does not track specific materials like modules, readings, or activities. In my experience, I often switch between subjects and pages, and having to navigate back manually slows down my workflow.

This shows that while the feature exists, it does not fully support continuity of use. Extending it to remember exact pages would improve efficiency and align better with how students actually study.

2. Notifications

MyPortal already provides push notifications through its mobile app and email, especially for upcoming deadlines. However, based on my experience, notifications are more focused on due dates rather than new assignment uploads.

This means that if a new task is posted without an immediate deadline or announcement from the professor, it can be easily overlooked. Since notifications also depend on how instructors use the platform, the experience becomes inconsistent across courses.

A more effective system would include automatic alerts for newly uploaded activities, not just deadlines just like Google Classroom to ensure that students are informed as soon as content becomes available.

3. Dashboard

MyPortal includes an “upcoming events” timeline, but it mainly displays information without helping users prioritize tasks.

In contrast, platforms like Notion or Google Classroom organize tasks into clear categories such as “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Completed.” This makes it easier to understand what needs attention at a glance.

Improving task categorization and visual hierarchy would turn the dashboard into a decision-support tool, not just an information display.

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