[curriculum-eval] 04-github-actions-intro.md: cognitive_load — 25 new concepts in 645 words, concept density 67% above limit

[github-actions]

File: workshop/04-github-actions-intro.md
Overall Score: 5.42 / 10.0 (corpus mean: 6.09)

Flagged Dimensions:

Dimension	Score	Benchmark	Delta
cognitive_load	7.5	10.0 (≤15 new concepts)	−2.5
active_learning	4.6	10.0 (density ≥ 3.0)	−5.4
readability	8.3	10.0 (FK grade 8–12)	−1.7

Root Cause (≤ 2 sentences):
The page introduces 25 distinct concepts — workflow, trigger, job, runner, step, action, YAML, on, jobs, steps, runs-on, uses, with, run, matrix, environment, secrets, artifact, cache, event, webhook, branch, pull request, workflow dispatch, cron — in just 645 words (concept density 3.9/100 words vs. the benchmark 2.3/100). Many of these are presented in a single annotated code block without progressive scaffolding.

Evidence (quoted from the file):

"A GitHub Actions workflow is a YAML file in .github/workflows/ that tells GitHub: when to run (on), what to run (jobs), how each job executes (steps)."

The page then immediately introduces uses, with, matrix, secrets, artifacts, and caching in rapid succession within the same reading flow.

Learning Science Rationale:
Mayer's Segmenting Principle states that learners understand and retain more when a complex lesson is presented in learner-paced segments rather than as a continuous unit. Introducing 25 concepts in one page violates this principle by preventing the working memory from consolidating each concept before the next is introduced — a recognised cause of the "seductive details" effect where key terms appear learned but cannot be transferred.

Improvement Prompt (for an agent):

Edit `workshop/04-github-actions-intro.md` to reduce concept density:

1. Keep only the core four terms in the main flow: trigger (`on`), job, runner, step.
   Remove or <details>-collapse: matrix, artifacts, caching, secrets, webhooks.

2. After each term, add a one-line "check your understanding" prompt:
   Example: "*Pause: what event would you use to run a workflow on every pull request?*"

3. Move the remaining concepts (matrix, artifacts, cache, environment secrets) to
   `side-quest-05-01-actions-power-user.md` where they are already referenced.

4. Target ≤ 700 words and ≤ 15 new concepts total.

5. Run: npx --yes markdownlint-cli2 "workshop/04-github-actions-intro.md"

Expected Score After Fix: 7.0 / 10.0

Warning

Firewall blocked 1 domain

The following domain was blocked by the firewall during workflow execution:

• awmgmcpg

To allow these domains, add them to the network.allowed list in your workflow frontmatter:

network:
  allowed:
    - defaults
    - "awmgmcpg"

See Network Configuration for more information.

Generated by 🔬 Curriculum Quality Evaluator · 75.2 AIC · ⌖ 6.21 AIC · ⊞ 6.2K · ◷

• expires on Aug 4, 2026, 1:43 PM UTC

[github-actions]

This issue was automatically closed because it expired on 2026-08-04T13:43:28.497Z.

Closed by Workflow