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Learning Velocity (Concept)

Purpose

Learning Velocity is a didactic metric that reflects a learner's consistency and momentum over time. It is designed to encourage steady practice ("don't break the chain") rather than short bursts.

Definition

Learning Velocity is the count of newly mastered atomic goals per time unit.

Default definition: * Atomic goals only: Only leaf nodes count (no containers), to avoid inflation. * Mastery threshold: A goal is counted when mastery reaches 0.9 or higher. * Time basis: Group by calendar week (ISO week).

Formally, for week w:

velocity(w) = | { g is atomic | mastery[g] >= 0.9 and achieved_at(g) in week w } |

Interpretation

  • A stable sequence of non-zero weeks indicates consistent learning habits.
  • Peaks can indicate sprint phases; gaps often signal interruptions or overload.
  • Velocity is not a grading metric; it is a behavioral and motivational indicator.
  • Weekly bar chart over a recent window (e.g., last 8–12 weeks).
  • Recent achievements list to reinforce tangible progress.

This is an example of presentation; UI specifics are intentionally flexible.

Design principles

  1. Fairness: Avoid counting container goals directly; only atomic goals count.
  2. Stability: Use fixed time buckets to make progress visible and comparable.
  3. Motivation: Keep the metric simple enough to be understood at a glance.

Caveats

  • Bulk imports or late updates can create artificial spikes.
  • Learners with different time budgets are not directly comparable.
  • Context switches (new curriculum or new phase) may temporarily reduce velocity.

Optional extensions (future)

  • Moving average or trend line for smoothing.
  • Separate velocity per subject or phase.
  • Alerts for long inactivity gaps (opt-in).