Paper Detail

The Theoretical Foundation of Socratic Tests: Dynamic, Multimodal, Conversational Examinations

Ilya Mikhelson

arxiv Score 7.3

Published 2026-07-31 · First seen 2026-08-03

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Abstract

Traditional static assessments rely on a subtractive, deficit-based grading model that often penalizes ambition and obscures diagnostic feedback. Conversely, traditional face-to-face oral examinations introduce severe construct-irrelevant variance by exacerbating performative anxiety and the sociological power imbalances inherent to academic hierarchies. This paper presents the theoretical foundation for the "Socratic Test," an automated, computer-mediated conversational assessment. By integrating Dynamic Assessment principles, multimodal workspaces, Bloom's Taxonomy for real-time proctoring, and the SOLO Taxonomy for structural evaluation, the Socratic Test actively maps a student's cognitive boundaries. This paper formalizes the use of graduated scaffolding to quantify the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and details a non-compensatory, additive grading architecture that prioritizes mastery over penalty and human-AI alignment to ensure unprecedented measurement reliability.

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BibTeX

@article{mikhelson2026theoretical,
  title = {The Theoretical Foundation of Socratic Tests: Dynamic, Multimodal, Conversational Examinations},
  author = {Ilya Mikhelson},
  year = {2026},
  abstract = {Traditional static assessments rely on a subtractive, deficit-based grading model that often penalizes ambition and obscures diagnostic feedback. Conversely, traditional face-to-face oral examinations introduce severe construct-irrelevant variance by exacerbating performative anxiety and the sociological power imbalances inherent to academic hierarchies. This paper presents the theoretical foundation for the "Socratic Test," an automated, computer-mediated conversational assessment. By integrati},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.29624},
  keywords = {cs.CY, cs.AI, cs.HC},
  eprint = {2607.29624},
  archiveprefix = {arXiv},
}

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