A Task is a container within a Module for organizing content and activities—whether that's information to reference, discussions to join, or work to complete. Tasks are on Task Boards, where advisors and learners can see what needs to be done, track progress, and collaborate.
Contents
Task Basics
What Makes a Task?
Every task has:
Title and Description — The task name and context for learners
Due Date (optional) — When the work is due
Workflow — The evidence lifecycle (To-Do, In Progress, Submitted, Needs Review, Complete)
Evidence (optional) — Files, links, text, or logged time that learners submit
Learning Targets (optional) — Competencies or standards you want to assess
Columns — Organization containers on the Task Board (e.g., "Week 1," "Reading," "Lab Work")
Tasks can do much more—see below for how to add features like Actions, Variants, and assessment.
Create a Task
Start from any Module's Task Board:
Click + Add Task (or + Add Task to Column if you're in a specific column)
Add a Title and Description
Set a Due Date (optional)
Choose whether learners Submit Evidence
Click Save
The task appears on the board immediately. You can drag it to rearrange, and edit it anytime by clicking the task title.
Edit Task Details
Click on any task to open its details pane. Here, you can:
Change the title or description
Update the due date — Adjust the calendar or use quick options (Today, Tomorrow, Next Week, etc.)
Enable/disable evidence submission — Decide if learners will submit work on this task
Add learning targets — Align competencies for assessment
Mark as assessed — Enable task-level assessment (see How to Assess Tasks)
Add Task Actions — Define steps learners take to complete the task (see Task Actions)
Add Variants — Create task versions for different learners or groups (see Add Variants)
Once you save, changes appear immediately on the board and in learner views.
Designing for individuals or teams? See Individual vs. Team Tasks to understand how learner organization affects task structure and which editing strategies work best for each scenario.
Beyond the Basics
Task Actions
Define concrete steps learners take to complete a task. Task Actions make it explicit what "done" looks like—and can automatically mark tasks complete when learners finish.
Available actions:
Submit Evidence — Learner uploads a file, links to a document, or writes text
Watch a Video — Learner watches a video to the end
Coming soon: Visit a Link, Read a PDF, Add to Discussion
Why use Task Actions?
Clarity — Learners see exactly what they need to do (not just a description)
Automatic tracking — Mark tasks complete automatically when all actions are done
Combine multiple steps — "Watch the video AND submit a reflection"
Examples:
Watch a tutorial video → auto-complete the task
Submit evidence AND participate in the discussion → move to complete
Read a PDF AND take a quiz → both must be done before auto-completion
Add Variants
Create versions of a task for different learners or groups. A variant can have a different due date, different targets, different instructions—or all of the above. Variants stay grouped with the original task, so tracking is simple.
Use variants when:
A learner needs extra time on one task (individual due date change)
Different groups are doing slightly different activities (same task, different instructions)
Struggling learners need scaffolding while others pursue enrichment (differentiated task versions)
Assessment
Mark a task as "assessed" and align it to learning targets. When learners submit evidence, you can assess their work right on the task and see results rolled up to the module level.
Task Evidence Workflow
Every task with evidence has a workflow. Learners move work through states—To-Do, In Progress, Submitted, Needs Review, Complete—and advisors can comment, assess, and provide feedback at each step.
Copy & Reuse
Duplicate a task within the same module or across different modules. Great for reusing your best practices and materials without starting from scratch.
See Your Tasks
Task Board View — The default layout. See all tasks organized into columns. Drag tasks to move them between columns or adjust their order.
Evidence View — See all submitted evidence for all learners in a grid. Filter by due date, column, or learner. Click into any evidence to review and assess.
Calendar View — See tasks by due date on a calendar. Advisors can drag tasks to the calendar to set or change due dates.
Workflow View (Learners) — Learners see their tasks organized by status: To-Do, In Progress, Submitted, Needs Review, Complete. They can drag tasks between columns to update their own status.
Common Patterns
A task with multiple learners, but different due dates? Use Add Variants to adjust the due date per learner or group without creating duplicate tasks.
A task where some learners do Activity A and others do Activity B? Use Add Variants to change the task description, instructions, or targets per variant.
A task that should auto-complete when learners finish? Add a Task Action (Submit Evidence, Watch a Video) and enable auto-completion. The task moves straight from In Progress to Complete.
A task with multiple required steps? Combine Task Actions—e.g., "Watch the video AND submit your reflection." The task won't auto-complete until all actions are done.
A flipped classroom where learners watch first, then discuss? Create two tasks: Task 1 has a "Watch a Video" action (auto-completes). Task 2 is the discussion (separate task, separate discussion action coming soon).
A task you want to assess against a rubric? Mark the task as "assessed," align learning targets, and (optionally) customize target criteria to match your rubric.
A task that connects to another module (e.g., a resource module)? Use Connected Modules to put a module card on the task board. Learners see both task and module progress in one place. Learn more: Connected Modules
Quick Reference
I want to... | Do this |
Define clear steps for a task | Add Task Actions (Watch Video, Submit Evidence, etc.) |
Auto-complete when learners finish | Add Task Actions > enable "Auto-completion" |
Combine multiple required steps | Add multiple Task Actions to one task (all must be complete) |
Change the due date for one learner | Add Variants > adjust Due Date per variant |
Give different instructions per group | Add Variants > edit task description per variant |
Let learners submit work | Open task > Toggle "Submit Evidence" on |
Assess learner work on this task | Mark as "assessed" > align learning targets |
See all evidence submitted | Task Board > Evidence View |
Create a copy of this task for another module | Click task > 3-dot menu > Copy Task |
Group related tasks | Put them in the same column |
See progress across multiple modules | Use Connected Modules to link related modules |
Next Steps
New to Headrush? Start with What is a Module? to understand how tasks fit into the bigger picture.
Want to dive deeper? Explore Task Actions, Variants, Assessment, or Evidence Workflow as linked above.
Organizing your board? See Task Boards to learn about columns, views, and filters.