Every click, hover, navigation sequence, and question asked inside the Knowledge Explorer is a behavioral signal that reveals the learner's cognitive and non-cognitive characteristics — without a single explicit test.
Based on the Learner Behavior Tracking & Assessment Framework — a comprehensive specification for transforming interaction data into deep learner insight.
Stealth assessment embeds measurement invisibly within the learning experience itself, removing the artificial distinction between "learning" and "being tested."
Traditional assessments interrupt learning — a learner stops exploring, answers a quiz, then resumes. Stealth assessment eliminates that interruption. The learning environment is the assessment. Every act of exploration reveals what the learner knows, how they think, and how they engage.
The Knowledge Explorer is uniquely positioned as a stealth assessment platform because learners interact with a rich, multi-modal environment where every action is a meaningful choice: which node to click first, whether to ask for simpler explanations or deeper detail, how they formulate questions, whether they explore prerequisites before central concepts, and how they navigate between adjacent ideas.
Organized across 18 interaction contexts, every observable action within KE is captured, timestamped, and used as evidence in learner models.
| # | Behavior | Assessment Signal |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Select domain / subdomain / concept | Prior knowledge scope; familiarity with terminology |
| 4 | Type custom domain/concept (not from suggestions) | Self-directed learning; specific gap awareness |
| 5 | Add additional context before generation | Prior knowledge depth; existing mental model |
| 6–9 | Switch to "Describe Problem" mode; analyze & select candidate | Problem awareness; real-world motivation; conceptual discrimination |
| 11 | Click "Generate Map" | Full input payload reveals conceptual framing |
| 12 | Change LLM provider | Technical sophistication; awareness of AI options |
| 13 | Wait duration during generation | Patience; expectation management |
| # | Behavior | Assessment Signal |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Click concept nodes (blue rectangles) | Conceptual interest; prior knowledge |
| 16 | Click skill nodes (green pills) | Application orientation; practical learner |
| 17 | Click prerequisite nodes (purple hexagons) | Foundation-seeking; recognizes dependency |
| 18 | Click edges (relationship lines) | Relational thinking; seeks connections |
| 19–20 | Hover over nodes / edges (without clicking) | Hesitation; consideration depth |
| 21 | Drag nodes to reposition | Spatial reasoning; desire for personal organization |
| 22–24 | Zoom in/out; pan canvas | Focus: detail-oriented vs. big-picture thinker |
| 25 | Change layout algorithm | Visual learning preference; structural curiosity |
| 26–29 | Node visit sequence; revisits; navigation paths | Breadth-first = surveying; depth-first = focused; random = disoriented |
| 27 | Dwell on map overview before first click | Strategic planning vs. impulsive behavior |
| # | Behavior | Assessment Signal |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | Dwell time reading node description | Processing depth; reading speed |
| 31 | Dwell time reading edge description | Relational thinking; attention to connections |
| 32 | Click "Explore in New Tab" | Curiosity depth; desire to go deeper into periphery |
| 33 | View map statistics | Meta-awareness of structure; analytical disposition |
| 34 | Time before taking any action | Reflection vs. impulsive exploration |
| # | Behavior | Assessment Signal |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | View Definition | Foundational learning; beginner orientation |
| 36 | Show Prerequisites | Self-assessment; metacognitive awareness |
| 37 | See Example | Concretization need; abstract-to-concrete processing |
| 38 | Practice Question | Active retrieval; self-testing; strong learning strategy |
| 39 | Guided Practice (skill) | Application orientation; hands-on learner |
| 40 | Step-by-Step Tutorial (skill) | Procedural learning; scaffolding preference |
| 42 | Review Concept (prerequisite) | Gap recognition; builds foundations first |
| 43 | Diagnostic Check (prerequisite) | Metacognitive sophistication; verifies understanding |
| 44 | Why It Matters (prerequisite) | Meaning-seeking; deep learning orientation |
| 45 | Deep Dive (prerequisite) | Mastery pursuit; not satisfied with surface knowledge |
| 46 | Explain Relationship (edge) | Relational understanding; seeks "why" not just "what" |
| 47 | Show Formal Definition (edge) | Technical sophistication; precision-seeking |
| 48 | Common Misconceptions (edge) | Error prevention; error-aware; sophisticated learner |
| # | Behavior | Assessment Signal |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | Dwell time before first reply | Processing depth; careful reading vs. skimming |
| 50–51 | Compose & send follow-up questions | Comprehension depth; inquiry sophistication |
| 52 | "More detail" clicks | Insufficient initial understanding |
| 53 | "Simpler" clicks | Cognitive overload; scaffolding needed |
| 54 | "Got it" clicks | Self-reported comprehension checkpoint |
| 55 | Click suggested follow-up prompt | Guided learning; needs scaffolding for questions |
| 56 | "Regenerate" clicks | Quality dissatisfaction; critical evaluation |
| 57 | Math input / LaTeX composition | Technical sophistication; formal notation fluency |
| 58–59 | Conversation turns; inter-message latency | Engagement depth; cognitive processing time |
| 60–61 | Close modal; scroll behavior in chat | Session satisfaction; content revisiting |
| # | Behavior | Assessment Signal |
|---|---|---|
| 63–65 | Select presets; add custom instructions; skip vs. customize | Self-awareness of level and learning context |
| 67 | Answer a question (option selected) | Knowledge state; difficulty calibration |
| 68 | Change answer before submitting | Uncertainty; second-guessing; partial knowledge |
| 69 | Time per question | Fast+correct = fluent; slow+correct = effortful; fast+wrong = guessing |
| 70 | Peek at explanation before answering | Using test as learning tool; help-seeking |
| 71–72 | Read explanation after answering; dwell time | Learning from errors; growth mindset |
| 73 | Question navigation pattern | Linear = methodical; jumping = strategic or anxious |
| 74 | Skip questions | Identifies specific knowledge gaps |
| 75 | Score by difficulty tier | Recall (easy) vs. application (medium) vs. synthesis (hard) |
| 77 | Assessment retakes | Persistence; score improvement = learning; no change = stuck |
| 79 | Abandon assessment | Frustration; overwhelm; disengagement signal |
| # | Behavior | Assessment Signal |
|---|---|---|
| 82 | Time reading scenario before first question | Comprehension effort; careful reading |
| 83 | Context item selection (which concepts seen as related) | Relational awareness; conceptual mapping ability |
| 84 | Question formulation quality | Higher-order thinking; understanding of concept boundaries |
| 85 | Number of questions asked | Curiosity persistence; engagement depth |
| 86 | AI-evaluated question quality score | Deep vs. shallow understanding |
| 87 | Own questions vs. suggested prompts ratio | Inquiry independence; autonomous thinking |
| # | Behavior | Assessment Signal |
|---|---|---|
| 129 | Open WTB modal | Engagement with troubleshooting mode; causal thinking orientation |
| 130–131 | Select presets (Engineering/Biological/Social/etc.) vs. skip preferences | Domain preference; self-awareness of learning context |
| 132 | Dwell time reading breakdown scenario before first action | Comprehension effort; careful reading vs. rushing to diagnose |
| 133 | Expand evidence clues (type + order + total expanded) | Evidence-gathering strategy; systematic vs. selective reading |
| 134 | Ask diagnostic investigation questions (turn count, clues read at time of asking) | Investigative depth; ability to formulate targeted diagnostic queries |
| 135 | Switch to diagnosis mode (investigation turns + clues expanded at switch) | Readiness calibration; how much evidence gathered before committing |
| 136–137 | Compose & submit root cause diagnosis (text length, composition time, wentDirectToDiagnose) | Causal reasoning quality; overconfidence if direct without investigation |
| 138 | Diagnosis accuracy verdict (correct / partial / incorrect + reasoning depth) | Direct measure of Apply/Analyze Bloom's levels; mechanism vs. symptom identification |
| 139 | Retry diagnosis vs. continue to discussion | Metacognitive calibration; persistence after failure |
| 140–141 | Post-verdict discussion turns; close WTB (session duration, phase at close) | Post-diagnosis conceptual integration; depth of follow-through |
| # | Behavior | Assessment Signal |
|---|---|---|
| 142 | Open Wonderment modal | Orientation toward inquiry-based learning |
| 143–146 | Select inquiry lens presets; add custom instructions; toggle fresh generation | Metacognitive awareness of own learning preferences; preference for novelty |
| 147–148 | View observations list; dwell before selecting | Reflective reading — long dwell = careful consideration of which curiosity resonates |
| 149 | Write own custom observation (compositionMs) | Independence signal — self-directed inquiry; has existing curiosity the AI didn't surface |
| 150 | View academic reframing of observation | Exposure to disciplinary framing; field label provides vocabulary scaffolding |
| 151 | Select genius question (type + geniusDwellMs) | Question type reveals thinking preference; long dwell = deliberate; "paradox" and "inversion" types correlate with higher-order thinking |
| 152 | Navigate back to genius questions (with draft) | Metacognitive self-correction — critical self-assessment; intellectual honesty |
| 153 | Compose and submit answer (compositionMs) | Long composition = genuine engagement; short = low effort or overconfidence |
| 154–155 | Read critics' panel (criticsDwellMs); request synthesis | Long criticsDwellMs = open to critique; rushing = seeking validation not learning |
| 156 | Read synthesis and wonderment moment (synthesisDwellMs) | Conceptual integration signal — longest dwell indicates concept has been genuinely reframed |
| 157–158 | Restart / close (phase at close, didReachSynthesis) | Drop-off phase identifies most difficult or disengaging step; completion = full inquiry arc traversed |
| # | Behavior | Assessment Signal |
|---|---|---|
| 92 | Slide dwell time | Content processing; long on complex slides = careful reading |
| 93 | Lecture slide navigation (linear vs. backtracking) | Didn't understand on first pass = re-processing need |
| 94 | Complete lecture (all slides) | Commitment to structured content |
| 96 | Abandon lecture midway | Content mismatch; boredom; frustration |
| 99–100 | Resource type filter; click external link | Learning modality: video=visual, article=textual, tutorial=hands-on |
| 103–104 | "Suggest Learning Order"; "Where Should I Start?" | Orientation need; self-regulation level |
| 105 | Follow vs. deviate from suggested path | Compliance vs. self-directed exploration |
| 107 | Mark nodes complete | Self-monitoring; progress tracking disposition |
| 108 | Complete out of order (before prerequisites) | Knowledge overconfidence; skips foundations |
| # | Behavior | Assessment Signal |
|---|---|---|
| 109–112 | Open/switch/close tabs; concurrent tab count | Comparative learning; simultaneous concept exploration |
| 115 | Total session duration | Overall engagement depth |
| 116 | Return visit patterns | Commitment; sustained motivation; spaced repetition |
| 117–118 | Dashboard visits; expand domains | Metacognitive reflection; progress awareness |
| 121 | "Learn Again" re-engagement | Spaced repetition awareness; optimal strategy |
| 122 | View "How Am I Doing?" analytics | Self-monitoring; metacognitive engagement |
| 125–128 | Class enrollment; curriculum adherence; pace | Social context; structured vs. self-directed learning |
Raw behavioral data feeds into a stack of learner models, each measuring a different dimension of the learner's profile. Together they form a complete, dynamic picture of the learner.
Each interaction is tagged with the cognitive or non-cognitive characteristic it indicates. Together they paint a complete learner portrait — without a single explicit test.
All models converge into a single, continuously updated JSON profile — a comprehensive representation of the learner's current state, trajectory, and characteristics.
Ranked by assessment value and implementation effort, based on the percentage of behavioral data already being captured in the current system.
| Model | Data Captured | Assessment Value | Effort | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge State (BKT) |
70%
|
Very High | Medium | P0 |
| Concept Mastery Map |
80%
|
Very High | Low | P0 |
| Bloom's Taxonomy Estimator |
60%
|
High | Medium | P1 |
| AI Collaboration Model |
90%
|
High | Low (enhance) | P1 |
| Learning Strategy Profile |
50%
|
High | Medium | P1 |
| Engagement / Motivation HMM |
40%
|
Medium-High | High | P2 |
| Temporal Learning Trajectory |
60%
|
Medium-High | Medium | P2 |
| Social-Comparative Model |
70%
|
Medium | Medium | P2 |