# 4. Notification Preferences

User Type: **Student**
Source: *Mi Digital Academy - Education CRM Features Document*

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## 4. Notification Preferences

### 4.1 Notification Channel Preferences
**What it does:** Lets the Student choose which channels (in-app, email, SMS, push) they receive notifications on, and per category (learning reminders, assessment results, subscription, promotional). These preferences govern how the platform delivers notifications to the Student without changing what is notified.

**Sub-features:**
- Toggle channels: in-app, email, SMS, push (per channel)
- Per-category channel selection (learning, assessment, subscription, promotional)
- "All on" / "All off" quick actions per category
- Preference applies to new notifications from the point of change
- Channel availability shown (e.g., SMS only if a phone is verified)
- Preference visibility in the profile summary
- Preference change event logging
- Audit logging of the notification channel preferences

**Student User Journey:**
1. Student opens Profile → "Notification preferences" and sees the categories (Learning, Assessment, Subscription, Promotional) with channel toggles.
2. Student turns off SMS for the Promotional category while keeping email and in-app on.
3. Student turns off push for the Learning category (prefers in-app only).
4. The platform confirms the changes; new notifications now follow the updated channels.
5. Student uses "All off" for Promotional to stop all promotional notifications.
6. Student opens Profile → "Change history" and confirms the preference changes are recorded with timestamps.

**Rules & Edge Cases:**
- A channel can only be enabled if it is available (e.g., SMS requires a verified phone; push requires the app installed).
- At least one channel should remain on for critical categories (assessment results, subscription); the platform warns if the Student turns all off.
- A preference change applies to new notifications from the point of change; already-sent notifications are unaffected.
- The preferences are visible in the profile summary.
- Preference changes are logged with the old and new values and the timestamp.
- The notification channel preferences are audit-logged with the account, the values, and the timestamp.

### 4.2 Notification Category Preferences
**What it does:** Lets the Student enable or disable entire notification categories (learning reminders, assessment results, progress reports, subscription & billing, promotional, social). Disabling a category stops all notifications in that category across all channels. Critical categories cannot be fully disabled.

**Sub-features:**
- Enable/disable categories: learning, assessment, progress, subscription, promotional, social
- Disabling a category stops all its notifications across all channels
- Critical categories (assessment results, subscription) cannot be fully disabled
- Per-category "quiet hours" (no non-critical notifications in a time window)
- Preference applies to new notifications from the point of change
- Category visibility in the profile summary
- Preference change event logging
- Audit logging of the notification category preferences

**Student User Journey:**
1. Student opens Profile → "Notification preferences" → "Categories" and sees all categories with on/off switches.
2. Student turns off the Promotional category; all promotional notifications stop.
3. Student tries to turn off the Assessment category; the platform explains it is critical and cannot be fully disabled, but offers quiet hours instead.
4. Student sets quiet hours for non-critical notifications from 10 PM to 6 AM.
5. The platform confirms; non-critical notifications are now suppressed during quiet hours.
6. Student opens Profile → "Change history" and confirms the changes are recorded with timestamps.

**Rules & Edge Cases:**
- Disabling a category stops all its notifications across all channels.
- Critical categories (assessment results, subscription & billing) cannot be fully disabled; only quiet hours apply.
- Quiet hours suppress non-critical notifications within the window; critical notifications still deliver.
- A preference change applies to new notifications from the point of change.
- The category preferences are visible in the profile summary.
- Preference changes are logged with the old and new values and the timestamp.
- The notification category preferences are audit-logged with the account, the values, and the timestamp.

### 4.3 Digest and Reminder Scheduling
**What it does:** Lets the Student choose how often they receive digest summaries (daily, weekly) and schedule study reminders. The platform bundles non-critical notifications into digests at the chosen frequency and sends study reminders at the Student's preferred time, respecting quiet hours.

**Sub-features:**
- Choose digest frequency: daily, weekly, or off
- Digest bundles non-critical notifications (progress, recommendations, social)
- Schedule a daily study reminder at a preferred time
- Reminder respects quiet hours and the study time preference
- Change digest frequency or reminder time at any time
- Preference applies to new digests and reminders from the point of change
- Preference visibility in the profile summary
- Preference change event logging
- Audit logging of the digest and reminder scheduling

**Student User Journey:**
1. Student opens Profile → "Notification preferences" → "Digests & reminders".
2. Student sets the digest frequency to "Weekly" (every Monday) and a daily study reminder for 6 PM.
3. The platform confirms; non-critical notifications are now bundled into a weekly digest, and a study reminder is sent daily at 6 PM.
4. Student changes the reminder time to 7 PM to match their study window; the reminder time updates.
5. Student sets the digest to "Off"; non-critical notifications are delivered individually (subject to category preferences).
6. Student opens Profile → "Change history" and confirms the changes are recorded with timestamps.

**Rules & Edge Cases:**
- The digest frequency is one of: daily, weekly, or off.
- The digest bundles only non-critical notifications; critical ones are always delivered immediately.
- The study reminder respects quiet hours and the Student's study time preference.
- A preference change applies to new digests and reminders from the point of change.
- The preferences are visible in the profile summary.
- Preference changes are logged with the old and new values and the timestamp.
- The digest and reminder scheduling is audit-logged with the account, the values, and the timestamp.