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Spark

Short-answer writing with Socrates coaching — depth in a small space, with Practice or Proper assessment and optional Oracle summaries on the gradebook.

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What Spark is for

Setup — title, Practice or Proper assessment, Allow Socrates / Oracle, marks, question count· click to enlarge
Spark is for short written answers with Socrates beside each question. Choose Spark when you want depth in a small space; choose Flux when you need a full essay with structure and a target word count. Oracle can sit alongside either when you allow it.

You write one or more focused questions, set how Socrates should coach, and choose Practice or Proper assessment. Practice goes to Playground; Proper assessment goes to Workshop. Socrates is off by default on proper assessments — you can allow one or two consultations for formative work. Students answer in the session; Socrates stretches their thinking without writing the paragraph for them. Spark suits lesson exits, concept checks, exam-style short responses, and Foundry Writing Gap practice.

Student session and paste authenticity

Session — paste noted nudge; Socrates may probe how they arrived at the ideas· click to enlarge

If a student pastes a substantial block of text into an answer (about forty characters or more), Spark shows a gentle nudge: “Paste noted — try putting this in your own words. Socrates may ask how you arrived at these ideas.” That is not an accusation — it signals that ownership matters. The paste is recorded on that question for you and steers Socrates toward at least one “how did you arrive at this?” question, without mentioning paste detection to the student.

  • Students can dismiss the nudge and keep working
  • You can see a paste signal on that question in the gradebook
  • Flux uses the same pattern on long-form essays
The goal is ownership of ideas, not a plagiarism tribunal.

How you use it

  1. Open your Module → Lab → Create Spark activity.
  2. Write prompts and what you are looking for; set Practice or Proper assessment; Allow Socrates (off by default on assessments, or 1–2 consultations for formative); Allow Oracle; marks; and an optional due date.
  3. Assign — Practice goes to Playground Class practice; Proper assessment goes to Workshop; or Save to Playground for a private pack.
  4. Students complete the task, use Socrates within your limits, and submit.
  5. Open the gradebook or results; practice completion shows as N×; if Oracle was allowed, read the short summary of what help each student needed.
For name-and-identify questions, Socrates can confirm a correct match without forcing an essay. For explain-and-extend items, coaching pushes for evidence and depth.