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Scheduling Subteam Overview

The Scheduling Subteam is responsible for one of the most critical pillars of the platform: automated scheduling and calendar integration. Their work ensures that students and tutors can seamlessly book, reschedule, and manage sessions with minimal friction. This subteam plays a foundational role in creating a reliable, intelligent system that handles all aspects of appointment coordination behind the scenes.

Key Responsibilities​

Automated Booking Logic​

Objective: Design and implement the core booking workflow with intelligent matching algorithms.

Core Features​

  • Create algorithms that match student and tutor availability, factoring in preferred time ranges, location constraints, and blackout periods
  • Support first-come-first-serve logic, as well as prioritized or tiered booking when needed
  • Enable buffer times between sessions to prevent scheduling conflicts and allow for breaks
  • Implement conflict detection and resolution systems

Calendar UI Integration​

Objective: Provide intuitive calendar interfaces for both students and tutors.

Frontend Tasks​

  • Build responsive calendar UI components for visualizing open time slots, booked sessions, and availability windows
  • Support intuitive user actions like dragging to select time ranges, clicking to view details, and quick booking
  • Handle time zone differences automatically to avoid miscommunications across global users
  • Create booking confirmation modals and forms
  • Implement real-time calendar updates and event display

Backend Tasks​

  • Connect frontend calendar to backend booking APIs
  • Implement time zone normalization across the system
  • Handle booking state management and session coordination

Third-Party Calendar Sync​

Objective: Seamlessly integrate with existing calendar systems to reduce scheduling friction.

Integration Features​

  • Sync with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Apple Calendar to display external commitments
  • Push scheduled sessions to users' calendars automatically
  • Manage API tokens securely and keep calendar events in sync with the platform in real time
  • Implement bidirectional calendar sync with conflict resolution
  • Handle OAuth setup and secure token management

Recurring Appointments​

Objective: Support ongoing tutoring relationships with automated recurring bookings.

Recurring Features​

  • Set up repeating sessions with customizable rules (e.g., every Tuesday at 5 PM)
  • Manage edge cases like skipped weeks (e.g., during holidays)
  • Allow users to pause or end a recurring schedule without affecting past sessions
  • Handle recurring session modifications and management
  • Support bulk scheduling operations and batch processing

Tutor Panel (Needs expansion and further planning)​

Objective: Provide tutors with comprehensive session management tools.

Current Planned Features​

  • Ensure tutors have their external calendar and internal portal synced
  • Allow for session control: accepting, declining, rescheduling sessions
  • Include options for saving and viewing student notes for each student
  • Provide an inbox system to directly send students emails or messages
  • Display upcoming sessions, earnings, and student information
  • Implement tutor availability management and session scheduling tools

Backend Requirements​

  • Implement tutor session control APIs (accept/decline/reschedule)
  • Build comprehensive student notes system (save/retrieve/manage/search)
  • Design and implement tutor-student relationship tracking
  • Create tutor inbox and messaging system

Expected Deliverables​

By the end of the development cycle, the Scheduling Subteam is expected to deliver:

Calendar System​

  • A responsive calendar component for tutors and students, displaying both available and booked slots
  • Intuitive booking interface with drag-and-drop functionality
  • Real-time updates and conflict resolution

Backend Infrastructure​

  • Smart matching logic between student and tutor availability
  • Time zone normalization ensuring users always see accurate local times
  • Robust recurring and one-off appointment logic
  • Comprehensive error handling and logging systems

Rescheduling & Cancellation System​

  • Smart suggestions for alternative times when conflicts arise
  • Automated notifications to both parties for schedule changes
  • Seamless update handling for external calendar events
  • Cancellation and rescheduling workflows with proper state management

Notification System​

  • Email reminders configurable by users
  • Optional SMS/text reminders (pending Twilio integration)
  • Session reminder system with automated scheduling
  • Comprehensive notification management interface

External Integration​

  • Full integration with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Apple Calendar APIs
  • Bidirectional sync ensuring platform events appear in external calendars
  • Webhook handling for real-time external calendar updates
  • Secure token management and refresh logic

Advanced Features​

  • Holiday handling and schedule exceptions
  • Complex booking scenario conflict resolution
  • Analytics and reporting for scheduling patterns
  • Bulk operations for administrative efficiency

Collaboration with Other Teams​

The Scheduling Subteam works closely with the following teams:

  • Content Interface Team: For embedding scheduling components within the lesson interface and ensuring smooth session transitions
  • Payments Team: To coordinate session billing, handle cancellation policies, and manage payment-related scheduling constraints
  • Curriculum Team: For aligning session scheduling with curriculum pacing and lesson dependencies

Success Metrics​

The success of the Scheduling Subteam will be measured by:

  • Booking Success Rate: Percentage of attempted bookings that complete successfully
  • Calendar Sync Reliability: Uptime and accuracy of external calendar integrations
  • User Satisfaction: Feedback scores on scheduling ease and reliability
  • Conflict Resolution Efficiency: Time taken to resolve scheduling conflicts
  • System Performance: Response times for booking operations and calendar loading

Technical Architecture​

Database Schema​

  • Sessions, availability, time slots, and recurring appointment patterns
  • Tutor-student relationship tracking and session history
  • Integration tokens and external calendar sync status

API Structure​

  • RESTful endpoints following service → controller → route pattern
  • Comprehensive input validation and error handling
  • Real-time capabilities for live calendar updates

External Integrations​

  • Google Calendar API, Outlook Graph API, Apple Calendar
  • Twilio for SMS notifications
  • Email service integration for automated reminders

Quick Summary​

Mission: Create seamless, intelligent scheduling that eliminates booking friction for students and tutors.

Key Responsibilities​

Automated Booking Logic:

  • Smart availability matching between students and tutors
  • Conflict detection and buffer time management
  • First-come-first-serve and prioritized booking systems

Calendar UI Integration:

  • Responsive calendar components with intuitive booking flows
  • Real-time updates and time zone handling
  • Drag-and-drop scheduling and visual availability display

Third-Party Calendar Sync:

  • Google, Outlook, and Apple Calendar integration
  • Bidirectional sync with external calendar systems
  • Secure token management and real-time webhook handling

Recurring Appointments:

  • Flexible recurring session setup and management
  • Holiday and exception handling
  • Bulk operations and schedule modifications

Tutor Panel:

  • Comprehensive session management and control
  • Student notes system and communication tools
  • Earnings tracking and availability management

Notification System:

  • Email and SMS reminders with user preferences
  • Automated scheduling notifications
  • Comprehensive notification management interface