Teacher — Designing Filters Without Confusing Students¶
Filters are powerful.
They can also be dangerous.
In Dyglot, Filters are a Teacher responsibility.
They define how Students enter learning — often before they understand what they are learning.
This page defines strict design rules for Filters, with a single objective:
A Student must never wonder:
“Why am I seeing these cards?”
What a Filter Is (Teacher Perspective)¶
A Filter is a named, predefined selection of Cards inside a Course.
Examples:
- Beginner vocabulary
- Lesson 1–5
- Common verbs
- Hanja — basic set
- JLPT N5
A Filter: - does not modify Cards, - does not modify the Course, - only limits which Cards participate in a Session.
What a Filter Is NOT¶
A Filter is not: - a learning strategy, - a difficulty algorithm, - a Student preference editor, - a technical query language.
If a Filter needs explanation to be used correctly,
it is already too complex.
Filters Are Defined by the Teacher — Always¶
In Dyglot v2:
Students cannot create or modify Filters.
This is a deliberate design decision.
Why?
Because: - Filters shape Sessions, - Sessions define progress, - Progress must be predictable.
Allowing Students to invent Filters leads to: - accidental resets, - invisible scope changes, - broken learning continuity.
Dyglot assumes:
The Teacher knows why a Filter exists.
The Student only chooses among meaningful options.
One Filter = One Learning Intention¶
Each Filter must express one simple idea.
Bad examples: - “Beginner verbs except irregular ones from lesson 4” - “Everything except cards I don’t like” - “Level ≥ 2 AND verb OR adjective”
Good examples: - “Beginner” - “Verbs” - “Irregular verbs” - “Lesson 3”
If a Filter needs more than one sentence to explain,
it is not a Filter anymore.
Filters Must Be Finite and Named¶
A Teacher must define: - a finite list of Filters, - each with a clear, human-readable name.
Bad names: - “Custom” - “Advanced stuff” - “Misc” - “Try this”
Good names: - “Beginner (Top 500 words)” - “Lesson 1–5” - “Hanja — basic set” - “Irregular verbs”
If you cannot name it clearly, do not expose it.
Filters Must Be Stable Over Time¶
Once published, a Filter should be stable.
This means: - do not silently redefine its meaning, - do not change its selection logic retroactively.
Why?
Because: - Filters define Sessions, - Sessions define progress, - changing a Filter changes the past.
Acceptable evolution: - adding new Cards that match the Filter, - fixing clear mistakes.
Dangerous evolution: - redefining selection rules, - excluding Cards previously included.
If the meaning changes, create a new Filter.
Filters Are Not Difficulty Levels¶
Difficulty is handled by: - the learning Engine, - repetition logic, - feedback timing.
Filters are about scope, not difficulty.
Avoid: - “Easy / Medium / Hard” without context, - numeric levels that mean nothing to Students.
Prefer: - semantic groupings, - lesson-based filters, - conceptual boundaries.
Filters and Views¶
Filters select what is studied.
Views define how it is studied.
They must remain independent.
Good design: - same Filter, multiple Views, - same View, multiple Filters.
Avoid: - encoding View logic inside Filters, - creating Filters that only exist for one View unless strictly necessary.
Each (View × Filter) combination creates a distinct Session.
This is correct and expected.
Filters and First Launch¶
Filters play a crucial role in first impressions.
The first screen a Student sees should present: - a small number of Filters, - intentionally chosen by the Teacher.
A good rule of thumb: - 1 default Filter, - 2 or 3 optional Filters maximum.
Too many Filters at first launch is overwhelming.
Filters Must Be Lightly Documented¶
A Teacher is encouraged to provide: - a short description for each Filter.
This description should answer: - What does this Filter include? - Who is it for?
Example:
Beginner
The most frequent words, suitable for first-time learners.
No technical explanation is required.
Design Anti-Patterns (Avoid at All Costs)¶
❌ Letting Students edit Filters
❌ Filters that change meaning silently
❌ Filters that encode multiple unrelated ideas
❌ Filters that depend on hidden technical fields
❌ Filters that require Teacher intervention to understand
If a Filter needs a manual, it is not a Filter anymore.
Summary for Teachers¶
- Filters are part of the learning UI.
- Students choose Filters, but never define them.
- Each Filter is a pedagogical promise.
- Stability matters more than cleverness.
- Simplicity is a feature, not a limitation.
Design Filters as doors, not puzzles.
Teacher — Designing Filters Without Confusing Students¶
Filters are a powerful tool. They allow a Teacher to focus learning on a subset of Cards.
But filters can also become a major source of confusion if they are misused.
This page defines strict design rules for Filters in Dyglot, with one single objective:
A Student must never wonder
“Why am I seeing these cards?”
What a Filter Is (Teacher Perspective)¶
A Filter is a named rule that selects Cards from a Course.
Examples: - Beginner vocabulary - Hanja only - Verbs and adjectives - Lesson 3 - JLPT N5
A Filter: - does not modify Cards, - does not modify the Course, - only limits which Cards participate in a Session.
What a Filter Is NOT¶
A Filter is not: - a learning strategy, - a difficulty algorithm, - a Student preference editor, - a technical query language.
If a Filter needs explanation to be used correctly, it is already too complex.
Filters Are Defined by the Teacher — Always¶
In Dyglot v2:
Students cannot create or modify Filters.
This is a deliberate design decision.
Why?
Because: - Filters shape Sessions. - Sessions define progress. - Progress must be predictable.
Allowing Students to invent Filters creates: - accidental data loss, - invisible resets, - broken learning continuity.
Filters Must Be Finite and Named¶
A Teacher must define: - a finite list of Filters, - each with a clear human-readable name.
Bad examples: - “Custom” - “Advanced stuff” - “Misc” - “Try this”
Good examples: - “Beginner (Top 500 words)” - “Lesson 1–5” - “Hanja with frequency ≥ 3” - “Irregular verbs”
If you cannot name it clearly, do not expose it as a Filter.
Filters Must Be Stable Over Time¶
Once published, a Filter should be stable.
This means: - do not silently redefine its meaning, - do not change its selection logic without warning.
Why?
Because a Filter defines Sessions. Changing a Filter retroactively alters existing Sessions.
Acceptable evolution: - adding new Cards that match the Filter, - fixing clear mistakes.
Dangerous evolution: - redefining selection rules, - excluding Cards previously included.
One Filter = One Learning Intention¶
A Filter should express one idea only.
Bad: - “Beginner verbs except irregular ones from lesson 4” - “All cards except those I don’t like”
Good: - “Beginner” - “Verbs” - “Irregular verbs”
Complex learning strategies must be expressed by: - multiple Filters, - not by one opaque Filter.
Filters Are Not Difficulty Levels¶
Difficulty is handled by: - the learning Engine, - repetition logic, - feedback timing.
Filters are about scope, not difficulty.
Do not try to encode learning intelligence inside Filters.
Filters and Views¶
Filters are independent of Views.
The same Filter can be used with: - different Views, - different Engines.
Example: - Filter: “Beginner” - View: Korean → English - View: English → Korean
Each combination creates a different Session.
This is correct and expected.
Filters and First Launch¶
Filters play a crucial role in first impressions.
The first screen a Student sees should present: - a small number of Filters, - chosen intentionally by the Teacher.
Too many Filters at first launch is overwhelming.
A good rule of thumb: - 1 default Filter, - 2 or 3 optional Filters maximum.
Filters Must Be Documented (Lightly)¶
A Teacher is encouraged to provide: - a short description for each Filter.
This description should answer: - What does this Filter include? - Who is it for?
No technical explanation is required.
Example:
“Beginner: the most frequent words, suitable for first-time learners.”
Design Anti-Patterns (Avoid at All Costs)¶
❌ Letting Students edit Filters
❌ Filters that change meaning silently
❌ Filters that encode multiple unrelated ideas
❌ Filters that depend on hidden technical fields
❌ Filters that require Teacher intervention to understand
If a Filter needs a manual, it is not a Filter anymore.
Summary¶
Filters are pedagogical promises.
When a Student selects a Filter, they trust the Teacher.
Your responsibility as a Teacher is to ensure that: - Filters are simple, - Filters are stable, - Filters are meaningful.
A small number of well-designed Filters is always better than unlimited freedom.
Teacher — Designing Filters Without Confusing Students¶
Filters are powerful.
They can also be dangerous.
In Dyglot, Filters are a Teacher responsibility. They shape how Students enter learning — often before they understand what they are learning.
This page explains how to design Filters that are: - useful, - understandable, - and safe for Students.
What a Filter Is (and Is Not)¶
A Filter is: - a predefined selection of Cards, - created by the Teacher, - presented as a simple choice to the Student.
A Filter is not: - a query language, - a technical condition, - something the Student must understand.
If a Student has to think about a Filter, it is already too complex.
Filters Are Student Entry Points¶
For the Student, the first learning screen is usually:
- Choose a View
- Choose a Filter
- Press Practice or Browse
This means: - Filters are part of the UI contract, - not an internal implementation detail.
A bad Filter design creates friction before learning even starts.
Design Rule #1 — Filters Must Be Predefined¶
Students must not create or edit Filters.
Why: - it increases cognitive load, - it introduces mistakes, - it blurs the Teacher’s pedagogical intent.
Dyglot assumes:
The Teacher knows why a Filter exists.
The Student should only choose among meaningful options.
Design Rule #2 — One Filter, One Intention¶
Each Filter should answer one simple question:
“Why would I choose this?”
Good examples: - “Beginner vocabulary” - “Common verbs” - “Hanja — basic set” - “Lesson 3”
Bad examples: - “Level ≥ 2 AND verb OR adjective” - “Cards not seen in last 14 days” - “Everything except irregular forms”
If a Filter needs an explanation longer than one sentence, it is too complex.
Design Rule #3 — Filters Must Be Stable¶
Once published, a Filter should be: - stable over time, - predictable, - rarely redefined.
Why: - each Filter creates Sessions, - Students build progress on them, - changing Filters changes meaning.
If the content changes: - add a new Filter, - do not silently modify an existing one.
Design Rule #4 — Filters Are Not Difficulty Levels¶
Difficulty is often implicit.
Avoid: - “Easy / Medium / Hard” without context, - numeric scales that mean nothing to Students.
Prefer: - semantic groupings, - lesson-based filters, - conceptual boundaries.
Let progress emerge naturally through Sessions.
Filters and Card Types¶
A Filter usually applies to: - one type of Card, - one pedagogical intent.
Avoid Filters that mix: - different learning goals, - incompatible card structures, - unrelated content domains.
If you feel tempted to mix too much: - you probably need multiple Courses, - or multiple CardSets.
Filters vs Views¶
Filters select what is studied.
Views define how it is studied.
Keep them orthogonal.
Good design: - same Filter, multiple Views, - same View, multiple Filters.
Avoid: - encoding View logic inside Filters, - creating Filters that only exist for one View unless necessary.
Naming Filters Matters¶
Students see Filter names every day.
Good names are: - short, - concrete, - domain-specific.
Avoid: - internal jargon, - abbreviations, - technical language.
If needed, provide: - a short description, - visible in an info panel or tooltip.
When in Doubt: Fewer Filters¶
More Filters ≠ better learning.
If you hesitate: - remove a Filter, - merge it with another, - or postpone it.
A Student faced with 3 good choices learns faster than one faced with 12 confusing ones.
Summary for Teachers¶
- Filters are part of the learning UI.
- Students choose Filters, but never define them.
- Each Filter must have a clear pedagogical purpose.
- Stability matters more than cleverness.
- Simplicity is a feature, not a limitation.
Design Filters as doors — not puzzles.