paperlab-exercise-difficulty-ramp

PaperLab Exercise Difficulty Ramp

When to Use

USE WHEN: preparing a book for teaching, revising exercises, or checking that learning objectives are assessed with an appropriate difficulty progression.

Pair with:

• paperlab-learning-objective-matrix for objective coverage,
• paperlab-exam-alignment for assessment fit,
• paperlab-student-readability for student-facing wording.

Exercise Types

Type	Student Action
concept-check	explain, define, compare
calculation	compute a value with stated inputs
interpretation	explain what a result means physically
sensitivity	vary one or more inputs and compare outputs
design-decision	choose between alternatives using constraints
uncertainty-risk	use P10/P50/P90, risk matrix, or scenario range
capstone	integrate multiple chapters or recurring cases

Difficulty Levels

• L1: recall or identify.
• L2: explain or classify.
• L3: calculate with provided method.
• L4: diagnose, compare, or justify.
• L5: design, optimize, or evaluate uncertainty.

Pass Criteria

• Each chapter has at least one concept-check exercise.
• Quantitative chapters have at least one calculation or notebook-linked task.
• Design chapters include at least one decision exercise.
• Late-book chapters include integration or capstone tasks.
• Objectives with verbs such as calculate, design, evaluate, or diagnose are assessed by matching exercise types.

Output Schema

{
  "chapter": "ch23_co2_field_development",
  "exercise_mix": {"concept-check": 2, "calculation": 1, "design-decision": 2},
  "missing_types": ["uncertainty-risk"],
  "recommended_exercise": "Estimate dense-phase transport margin under low-temperature uncertainty."
}

Safety Rules

• Do not require private data for public exercises.
• Keep solutions and grading rubrics separate from student-facing chapters.
• Match difficulty to prerequisite coverage.