16.1.4 The Mastery Progress Bar & Self-Directed Learning
How the depth meter fills toward mastery, and how Galaxy puts you in charge of what to learn next.
As you chat about a star, a progress bar — the "depth meter" — shows how close you are to mastery. Galaxy also puts you in the driver's seat: you choose what to explore next.
The progress bar to mastery (the "depth meter")
- The bar has four labelled stages: Surface → Exploring → Connecting → Mastered.
- It advances by at most one stage each time your understanding is re-assessed, and it never goes backwards.
- It also shows your daily star count — "X/4 stars today" or "Daily stars complete".
- The final "Mastered" stage stays locked until the ~10-minute conversation minimum has passed, even if you're doing brilliantly. So the bar can sit near-full while the tutor keeps stretching you.
Self-directed learning
- Galaxy is student-directed exploration: you choose which constellation and which star to pursue, rather than following a teacher-assigned path.
- In an empty chat, the app suggests up to 3 random unlit stars across different subjects as starting points — so you always have somewhere to begin.
- This is different from teacher-led lesson flows. With Galaxy, you decide what to learn next and drive the conversation.
Tips for making the most of it
- Don't rush for the finish line — the more you explain your thinking, the faster the bar climbs.
- If you get stuck, stay in the conversation. The tutor will ask guiding questions to help you go deeper.
- Mix it up: use the star suggestions to explore subjects you might not usually choose.
Why it helps
The depth meter shows learning as a journey, not a pass/fail moment. And because you choose your own path, Galaxy builds the habit of taking charge of your own learning.