The offline sorter is an optional actually running digital-system route. Its paper equivalent serves the same grouping/representation target without a device. A child may decline the screen; then K02 learning can still be observed and K01 is recorded NOT OBSERVED, not scored as failure.
- School and adult check: use current device, access, child-safety and privacy procedures. Open the local file under supervision; verify that it contains only fixed fictional badges, no accounts, free text, camera, microphone, network request or storage. If the device or setup is unsuitable, use paper.
- Meaningful child action: with keyboard, pointer, switch configuration or child-directed accessible input, the child chooses SHAPE or BORDER rule, places at least one badge in a group, checks, notices the on-screen response and explains the purpose: finding which invented badges fit that rule. The adult may read neutrally. Adult-only operation is recorded as adult operation.
- Observe system parts: note the actual hardware input, actual display output, what the running page software did, the child's action and stated or shown purpose. A drawing of a tablet, a screenshot, a static page, or a tap without a discernible purpose does not establish exploration.
- Keep data invented: never enter a child's name, picture, voice, real observation, class test result or help request. The default page stores nothing and has no data-entry field. Keep any teacher observation note in the school's approved records, never in this repository.
- Separate claims: card sorting/paper key samples K02; blank own-data category recognition may sample P01; K01 needs observed real system interaction. If the system was inaccessible, unavailable, adult-only or not observed, log NOT OBSERVED and offer another local chance if appropriate.
The gate is an honest teaching/evidence boundary, not a QCAA assessment rule, security certification or guarantee about a school's device configuration.