{ "ascension": { "version": "1.0", "ui": { "name": "Ascension", "tagline": "Adapt. Learn. EVLV3.", "style_notes": [ "One card per step", "Keep copy short", "Show hint only if requested", "Reveal explanation after answer" ] }, "stages": [ { "id": "stage_foundations", "name": "Foundations", "level_range": "Beginner", "intro": "Start simple. Build confidence. Every step makes the next step easier.", "steps": [ { "id": "FND-01", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "What is a web browser?", "choices": [ "An app that lets you access websites", "A device that stores the internet", "A program that only downloads files", "A tool that makes Wi‑Fi stronger" ], "answer_index": 0, "hint": "Think: Chrome, Safari, Firefox.", "explain": "A browser is the app you use to visit websites and view content on the web." }, { "id": "FND-02", "type": "short", "prompt": "In one sentence: what is the internet?", "answer_guideline": "A global network of connected computers that share information.", "hint": "Think: networks connected to networks.", "explain": "The internet is a massive network that lets devices communicate and share data worldwide." }, { "id": "FND-03", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "In simple terms, what does a server do?", "choices": [ "It requests information from websites", "It stores or delivers data/services to other devices", "It only runs games", "It replaces your computer" ], "answer_index": 1, "hint": "A server ‘serves’ something.", "explain": "A server provides resources—like webpages, files, or app features—to other devices (clients)." }, { "id": "FND-04", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "What does “the cloud” usually mean?", "choices": [ "Weather data", "A different name for the internet", "Computing/storage on remote servers you access online", "A faster type of Wi‑Fi" ], "answer_index": 2, "hint": "It’s not in the sky—it's in data centers.", "explain": "Cloud services run on remote servers so you can use storage, apps, and computing over the internet." }, { "id": "FND-05", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "Which password is strongest?", "choices": [ "password123", "Summer2025", "EVLV3!", "p7Q#vL2!r9X@1m" ], "answer_index": 3, "hint": "Length + variety wins.", "explain": "Longer passwords with mixed characters are harder to guess or crack." }, { "id": "FND-06", "type": "scenario", "prompt": "You get an email: “Your account is locked. Click here to verify.” What’s the safest first move?", "choices": [ "Click the link and log in quickly", "Reply asking if it’s real", "Go directly to the official site/app (not the link) and check your account", "Forward it to friends to warn them" ], "answer_index": 2, "hint": "Avoid links in surprise messages.", "explain": "This reduces phishing risk. Always verify by going to the official site/app yourself." }, { "id": "FND-07", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "Why do apps and devices ask you to update?", "choices": [ "To change your wallpaper", "To add features and fix bugs/security issues", "To make your device slower", "To remove internet access" ], "answer_index": 1, "hint": "Security is a big reason.", "explain": "Updates often patch vulnerabilities and improve performance or features." }, { "id": "FND-08", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "Wi‑Fi and cellular data both connect you online. What’s the main difference?", "choices": [ "Wi‑Fi uses a local network/router; cellular uses a mobile network provider", "Wi‑Fi is always free; cellular is always paid", "Cellular only works indoors", "They’re the same thing" ], "answer_index": 0, "hint": "Wi‑Fi usually comes from a router.", "explain": "Wi‑Fi connects through a nearby router/network. Cellular connects through carrier towers." } ] }, { "id": "stage_systems", "name": "Systems", "level_range": "Intermediate", "intro": "Now you’re seeing the machine underneath the interface. Simple pieces. Strong systems.", "steps": [ { "id": "SYS-01", "type": "order", "prompt": "Put these in a reasonable order when you load a webpage:", "items": [ "Your browser sends a request", "The server responds with data", "The browser displays the page" ], "answer_order": [0, 1, 2], "hint": "Request → response → display.", "explain": "Most web experiences follow a request/response pattern: the browser asks, the server answers, the browser renders." }, { "id": "SYS-02", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "What is an API (in plain language)?", "choices": [ "A secret database", "A set of rules that lets software talk to other software", "A type of Wi‑Fi", "A programming language" ], "answer_index": 1, "hint": "It’s like a menu + ordering system between apps.", "explain": "APIs define how one system can request data/actions from another system." }, { "id": "SYS-03", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "Which is the best description of a database?", "choices": [ "A place to store and organize data so it can be searched/updated efficiently", "A folder on your desktop", "A single spreadsheet file", "Only a backup tool" ], "answer_index": 0, "hint": "It’s built for structured access at scale.", "explain": "Databases store data in a way that supports fast querying, updates, and reliability." }, { "id": "SYS-04", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "Latency vs bandwidth: which statement is true?", "choices": [ "Latency is how much data you can send; bandwidth is how long it takes", "Latency is delay; bandwidth is capacity", "They mean the same thing", "Bandwidth is only for video" ], "answer_index": 1, "hint": "Latency = waiting. Bandwidth = volume.", "explain": "Latency is the time delay. Bandwidth is how much can move per second." }, { "id": "SYS-05", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "Authentication vs authorization: what’s the difference?", "choices": [ "Authentication = what you can do; authorization = who you are", "Authentication = who you are; authorization = what you can do", "They’re identical", "Authorization only matters offline" ], "answer_index": 1, "hint": "Identity first, permissions second.", "explain": "Authentication confirms identity. Authorization determines access/permissions." }, { "id": "SYS-06", "type": "scenario", "prompt": "You’re entering a password on a public Wi‑Fi network. What does HTTPS help protect?", "choices": [ "It encrypts the connection so others can’t easily read your data in transit", "It makes Wi‑Fi faster", "It guarantees the site is honest", "It prevents all hacking" ], "answer_index": 0, "hint": "Think: encrypted tunnel.", "explain": "HTTPS encrypts data between your device and the website, reducing snooping risk. It’s powerful—but not magic." }, { "id": "SYS-07", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "Why do apps use caching?", "choices": [ "To store frequently used data temporarily so things load faster", "To permanently delete old data", "To reduce screen brightness", "To block updates" ], "answer_index": 0, "hint": "Reuse instead of re-download.", "explain": "Caching saves commonly needed data so the system doesn’t have to fetch it every time." }, { "id": "SYS-08", "type": "scenario", "prompt": "A team keeps overwriting each other’s code changes. What’s a strong solution?", "choices": [ "Only one person codes at a time", "Use version control (like Git) with branches and reviews", "Email code files back and forth", "Stop saving changes until release day" ], "answer_index": 1, "hint": "Track changes + collaborate safely.", "explain": "Version control helps teams track history, merge changes, and reduce conflicts." } ] }, { "id": "stage_mastery", "name": "Mastery", "level_range": "Advanced / Expert", "intro": "This is where you think like a builder: tradeoffs, risk, scale, and real-world constraints.", "steps": [ { "id": "MST-01", "type": "scenario", "prompt": "Your app wants instant sign-in with no verification steps. What’s the real tradeoff?", "choices": [ "No tradeoff—faster is always better", "Convenience goes up, but account security risk may increase", "Security goes up automatically", "It only affects design, not safety" ], "answer_index": 1, "hint": "Friction often exists for a reason.", "explain": "Reducing friction can improve UX, but it can increase fraud or takeover risk if identity isn’t verified well." }, { "id": "MST-02", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "In distributed systems, what does “eventual consistency” mean?", "choices": [ "Data is always identical everywhere instantly", "Systems never disagree", "Different copies of data may temporarily differ, but converge over time", "Data is never updated" ], "answer_index": 2, "hint": "Not instant—eventually.", "explain": "Some systems accept temporary mismatches to improve availability/performance, then sync until they match." }, { "id": "MST-03", "type": "scenario", "prompt": "A user updates their profile photo. One screen shows the new photo, another still shows the old one for a minute. What’s a likely explanation?", "choices": [ "The internet is broken", "A cache or eventually consistent system hasn’t updated everywhere yet", "The server refused the change permanently", "The phone can’t display images" ], "answer_index": 1, "hint": "Think: caching + propagation delays.", "explain": "Caching and distributed updates can cause short-lived differences. Systems often converge shortly after." }, { "id": "MST-04", "type": "short", "prompt": "What is a “single point of failure,” and how do you reduce it? (2 sentences max.)", "answer_guideline": "A component that, if it fails, breaks the whole system. Reduce it with redundancy, failover, and multiple instances.", "hint": "If one thing dies and everything stops—that’s it.", "explain": "Reliable systems avoid “one thing must work” dependencies by adding redundancy and automated recovery paths." }, { "id": "MST-05", "type": "mcq", "prompt": "Logs vs metrics vs traces: which pairing is most accurate?", "choices": [ "Logs = events/messages; metrics = numbers over time; traces = a request’s path across services", "Logs = numbers; metrics = screenshots; traces = passwords", "They all mean the same thing", "Metrics are only for finance" ], "answer_index": 0, "hint": "Think: story (logs), heartbeat (metrics), journey (traces).", "explain": "Observability uses all three: logs for details, metrics for trends, traces for end-to-end flow." }, { "id": "MST-06", "type": "scenario", "prompt": "Traffic doubles overnight. Which approach is usually safer to start with?", "choices": [ "Ignore it—systems adapt themselves", "Scale horizontally (more instances) or add caching before rewriting everything", "Delete features to reduce usage", "Move all data to one huge server with no backups" ], "answer_index": 1, "hint": "Small changes first. Big rewrites last.", "explain": "Scaling is often incremental: add capacity and reduce load before major architecture changes." }, { "id": "MST-07", "type": "scenario", "prompt": "You’re collecting user emails to send updates. What’s the most responsible default?", "choices": [ "Collect everything forever—more data is always better", "Collect only what you need, protect it, and delete it when it’s no longer needed", "Store it in plain text so it’s easy to access", "Share it with partners by default" ], "answer_index": 1, "hint": "Minimize data. Protect trust.", "explain": "Good privacy posture starts with data minimization, strong protection, and a clear retention plan." }, { "id": "MST-08", "type": "scenario", "prompt": "You’re adding an AI assistant to your platform. What’s a smart, expert-level safeguard?", "choices": [ "Let it do anything automatically—humans slow it down", "Add guardrails: limit sensitive actions, validate outputs, and require confirmation for high-impact steps", "Hide the assistant if it makes mistakes", "Remove user reporting to avoid criticism" ], "answer_index": 1, "hint": "Trust, but verify—especially for high-impact actions.", "explain": "Strong AI systems reduce risk with constraints, validation, and confirmations where mistakes would matter most." } ] } ], "progression": { "unlock_rule": "Complete current step to unlock next step", "no_penalties": true, "hint_mode": "optional", "retry_mode": "unlimited", "skip_mode": "optional_with_reminder" } } }