As learning analytics spreads across edtech, we're realizing that many current methods miss how messy learning is.

This study used Hidden Markov Models to capture "hidden learning tactics" (the unobservable cognitive patterns).Instead of simple strategies like "Read First, Write Next," researchers found complex hidden tactics like "writing while consulting task requirements" or a blend of writing, ChatGPT interaction, and re-reading. These tactics reveal that when students appear to be "just writing," they're actually orchestrating multiple cognitive processes simultaneously. Standard platform analytics see discrete actions; hidden tactics capture the underlying cognitive states that make certain action sequences more likely.