Going Beyond Observable Actions

Abstract: Pauses represented in process data captured from digital learning and assessment tasks are defined as the time elapsed between two subsequent events. Pauses are used as a marker of unobservable cognitive processes, such as encoding, problem-solving, and planning, that underlie test takers’ subsequent observable actions in educational assessment. To make valid inferences about the underlying cognitive processes represented by pauses, we argue that applying a task-specific cognitive modeling approach is required. We discuss and demonstrate how to apply a task-specific, theoretical cognitive modeling approach for interpreting pauses. We believe that this approach will have value for educational researchers seeking to make valid, task-general inferences about test-taker cognition from pauses represented in process data.