How CLARO works
Cognitive Learning Assessment through Reasoning Observation — a three-part system that makes student thinking visible in real time.
The Student Experience
A real dialogue between a student and Chispa — watch how reasoning emerges through conversation
The character was brave because she stayed home.
Student
Wait... brave but staying safe? Can someone be brave by not taking a risk?
Chispa
She was brave because everyone left and she had to take care of her family alone.
Student
Oh! So the bravery wasn't about danger, it was about responsibility.
Chispa
✦ DialogIQ Assessment
Cognitive depth score: Level 4 — Conceptual Reasoning. Student demonstrated ability to reframe a concept and identify non-obvious criteria.
What just happened?
The student moved from a surface-level observation to a conceptual insight — redefining "bravery" through their own reasoning. Chispa didn't give the answer. Chispa created the conditions for the student to find it.
That's real thinking. That's CLARO.
The Cognitive State System
Chispa's six states mirror the student's cognitive journey — from waiting to blazing
Waiting
"Take your time. I'm here."
Patient presence while the student gathers thoughts
Pulling
"Hmm, what made you think that?"
Actively drawing reasoning to the surface
Confused
"Wait, you said X but also Y?"
Surfacing contradictions to deepen thinking
Dimming
"Let's come back. What were you trying to say?"
Gentle redirection when thinking stalls
Warming
"Oh! So you're saying that because... then...?"
Excitement as reasoning begins to crystallize
Blazing
"That was YOUR idea. That's real thinking."
Full celebration of genuine cognitive breakthrough
The Alchemy
CLARO maps student cognitive development through four alchemical phases — from raw confusion to refined understanding
Nigredo
The Dark Matter
The raw, unprocessed state of knowledge. Students begin with surface-level responses, disconnected facts, or confusion.
Albedo
The Whitening
Purification through questioning. Chispa's dialogue strips away assumptions, revealing the underlying structure of thought.
Citrinitas
The Yellowing
Illumination begins. Students start connecting ideas, making inferences, and building arguments from evidence.
Rubedo
The Reddening
The gold. Genuine reasoning emerges — original thinking, self-questioning, and the ability to hold complexity.
The Teacher Dashboard
Real-time cognitive depth data at your fingertips. Not just scores — thinking profiles.
- ✦Aggregate cognitive depth data across your class
- ✦Individual student thinking profiles over time
- ✦Actionable insights, not just scores
- ✦Identify Ghost Learning before it compounds
- ✦Bilingual session data (EN/ES)
Ready to make thinking visible?
Join our pilot program and see CLARO in action in your classroom.