[RFC] Flexible Weekly Mastery Target & Smart Spaced Review Warmup

[LalithaSriHarshitha]

🎓 Contributor Onboarding & Technical Proposal (RFC 0001)

📌 Summary

Submitting the mandatory Contributor Onboarding Document for Lalitha Sri Harshitha along with RFC 0001, detailing the architecture for a Flexible Weekly Mastery Target and Smart Spaced Review Warmup system.

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📂 Included Artifacts in this PR

1. Mandatory Onboarding Document

📁 Path: Ideas/ONBOARDING-LalithaSriHarshitha.md
Contains all 6 mandatory sections in exact order:

1. What is Tenali? — Mission, learner personas, and pedagogical purpose.
2. Tenali as a System — Workflow interaction between 69+ algorithmic generators, Solve middleware, Socket.IO rooms, and BKT tracking.
3. Current State of the Repository — In-depth analysis of React 19 / Express 5 architecture, proctoring suite, compiler sandbox, and deployment setup.
4. Gaps Observed in Code (with file paths & line ranges):
   • Gap 1: client/src/App.jsx — 69,000-line monolithic structure & lack of URL deep-link routing.
   • Gap 2: server/lib/bkt.js vs client/src/App.jsx — Ephemeral adaptScore disconnect from persistent BKT mastery across sessions.
   • Gap 3: server/index.js (L14128–14240) — Unbounded memory leak from unpruned Socket.IO rooms.
   • Gap 4: server/progress.js (L6–47) — Volatile in-memory progress loss on server restart.
   • Gap 5: client/src/App.jsx & CSS modules — Hardcoded color tokens breaking Light Theme contrast.
5. Ideas for the Project — 4 grounded initiatives addressing observed code gaps.
6. Your Contribution — Architectural audit, research grounding, RFC 0001, .gitignore tracking setup, and onboarding submission.

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2. Technical Design Proposal (RFC 0001)

📁 Path: docs/rfcs/engagement/0001-flexible-weekly-mastery-and-smart-spaced-review.md

1. Problem Statement

Addresses Problem Statement A (Learner Motivation & Retention / Engagement):
Learners experience high drop-off rates due to brittle daily streaks (punishing minor lapses with total streak resets) and choice overload from 90+ topic cards upon login. Additionally, concepts decay over time without structured, low-barrier re-exposure.

2. Feature Description

Proposes a two-pillar engagement loop:

1. Flexible Weekly Mastery Targets (3 days/week): A resilient habit structure where consistency across a weekly window sustains streaks.
2. 2-Minute Daily Warmup (Smart Spaced Review): A prominent single-click entry point on the Home screen that serves 3 decay-prioritized review questions using Bayesian Knowledge Tracing ($P(L)$) and elapsed time.

3. High-Level Solution

• UI: Minimalist <DailyWarmupCard /> and 7-dot <WeeklyRhythm /> conforming strictly to Tenali design system tokens (var(--clr-card), var(--clr-accent), var(--radius)).
• Backend: New endpoint GET /api/review/daily-warmup integrating server/lib/bkt.js and server/lib/spacingLadder.js with in-memory and MongoDB support.

4. Alternatives Considered

• Strict 7-Day Streaks: Rejected due to the abstinence violation effect and elevated math anxiety.
• Streak Freezes/Buybacks: Rejected because they require paywalls or artificial coin sinks, violating Tenali's open, zero-cost philosophy.
• 10-Question Diagnostic: Rejected due to high cognitive friction on initial screen load.

5. Research & References

• Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000): Competence and autonomy via flexible goal pacing.
• Habit Formation & Resilient Goals (Clear, 2018; Eyal, 2014): Flexible target sustainability.
• Half-Life Regression & Spaced Repetition (Settles & Meeder, 2016; Ebbinghaus, 1885): Mathematical memory decay modeling.
• Cognitive Load & Signaling Principles (Sweller, 1988; Mayer, 2021): One primary action per screen.

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✅ Contributor Checklist

• All 6 mandatory onboarding sections included in the correct order.
• Code gaps supported by verified repository file paths and line ranges.
• Proposed ideas directly connected to observed gaps.
• Submitted inside the Ideas/ folder in Markdown format (.md).
• RFC follows formal proposal guidelines and pedagogical research standards.

@jgupta05072003-code @S-Hamsalekha-annamai @Vaibhav-sa30

[sipmap]

🎉 Welcome @LalithaSriHarshitha — this looks like your first pull request in this repo!

A few friendly tips:

• Make sure CI checks pass
• Add tests if you changed source files
• Update docs / CHANGELOG if relevant
• Be patient waiting for review — maintainers are volunteers 💚

If you get stuck, ask away in the PR comments. Good luck!