The way Duolingo teaches requires users to finish a skill or set of skills before moving on to the next set. The skills are displayed in a way that makes them look slightly like a tree. This is what is known as the skill tree or the language tree.
The Italian Language Tree
Skills
Basics
Main article: Skill
A skill is an item in the tree that consists of many lessons. Users must complete all the skills on each row of the tree before moving to the next row.
Bonus skill slots
The language tree contains certain slots that can be filled with bonus skills [1]. These can be bought at any time provided that a learner has reached a certain point in the tree. Once the bonus skill has been purchased it remains in the tree permanently.
Lessons
Main article: Lesson
A lesson in Duolingo consists of many exercises that help teach the core aspects of a skill. The lessons themselves contain various exercises.
Tree progress
Typically, a learner must complete the skills in a row in order to advance to the next row of skills. Once they have finished all the skills (finished the tree), they will be awarded with a Golden Owl. However, there are shortcuts a learner may use to quickly complete the skill tree. These shortcuts include:
- Checkpoints - Tests all knowledge of a language tree up to a certain point and once the test is completed it automatically marks all known skills as complete;
- Placement test - Tests all knowledge of a language tree allowing learners to skip all the skills they already know; and
- Testing out - Tests all knowledge of an individual skill.
Tree updates
Duolingo is continually tweaking and updating the skill tree. The appearance of the tree has been changed previously[2] and new lessons or skills may be added or removed to improve the learning experience [3][4].
References
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