Intelligent Textbook Feature Checklist¶
This checklist helps authors and product managers understand what features are available in the MkDocs Material intelligent textbook ecosystem. For each feature, you'll see whether it's implemented in this book and how much effort it takes to add.
Note
A level 2+ textbook is one that has rich interactivity but does not store any personal student data. A level 2+ textbook can be converted to a level 3 textbook by sending event data to a learning record store (LRS) to create a hyper-personalized learning experience for each student. The five levels of intelligent textbooks are described in the Intelligent Textbooks course.
An intelligent textbook goes beyond static text to include interactive simulations, personalized learning paths, auto-graded quizzes, and AI-generated content. This checklist tracks which of these capabilities are present in this textbook.
Legend:
Feature is implemented and working
Feature is not yet implemented
Feature is partially implemented
Effort Levels¶
| Level | Description | Human Time | With GenAI | With GenAI Skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trivial | Config change or copy template | Minutes | Seconds | Seconds |
| Low | Single file creation with standard content | Hours | Minutes | Seconds |
| Medium | Multiple files, some customization needed | Day | Hours | Minutes |
| High | Significant content generation or custom code | Days | Hours | Minutes |
| Very High | Complex integration, AI generation, or external tools | Week+ | Day | Hours |
Basic Features¶
These features come by default with MkDocs Material or require minimal configuration.
| Feature | Status | Effort | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navigation sidebar | |
Trivial | Left-side menu showing all chapters and sections |
| Search functionality | |
Trivial | Instant search across all pages as you type |
| Table of contents (per page) | |
Trivial | Right-side outline of headings on current page |
| Site title and description | |
Trivial | site_name and site_description configured |
| Site author metadata | |
Trivial | site_author configured |
| GitHub repository link | |
Trivial | repo_url configured |
| Custom logo | |
Trivial | img/tokie.png in header |
| Custom favicon | |
Trivial | img/favicon.ico configured |
| Color theme (primary/accent) | |
Trivial | Custom palette with extra.css overrides |
| Footer navigation (prev/next) | |
Trivial | navigation.footer enabled |
| Navigation expand on hover | |
Trivial | navigation.expand enabled |
| Back to top button | |
Trivial | navigation.top enabled |
| Navigation path breadcrumbs | |
Trivial | navigation.path enabled |
| Section index pages | |
Trivial | navigation.indexes enabled |
| License page | |
Low | Standard CC license template |
| Contact page | |
Low | Contact form or info |
| About page (detailed) | |
Low | Exists but minimal content |
| How We Built This Site | |
Medium | Describe tools and process |
| Copyright on every footer | |
Trivial | Copyright notice configured in mkdocs.yml |
Intermediate Features¶
These features require plugins, extensions, or moderate configuration.
Content Enhancement¶
These features make your content more engaging and easier to read.
| Feature | Status | Effort | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLightBox (image zoom) | |
Low | Click any image for lightbox zoom popup |
| KaTeX equation rendering | |
Low | Not configured (MathJax used instead) |
| MathJax equation rendering | |
Low | pymdownx.arithmatex + MathJax 3 configured |
| Admonitions (callout boxes) | |
Trivial | admonition extension enabled |
| Code blocks with copy button | |
Trivial | content.code.copy enabled |
| Syntax highlighting with line numbers | |
Trivial | pymdownx.highlight with linenums: true |
| Tabbed content blocks | |
Trivial | pymdownx.tabbed with alternate style |
| Task list checkboxes | |
Trivial | pymdownx.tasklist enabled |
| Mark/highlight text | |
Trivial | pymdownx.mark enabled |
| Strikethrough text | |
Trivial | pymdownx.tilde enabled |
| Magic links (auto-linking) | |
Trivial | pymdownx.magiclink not configured |
| Snippets (file includes) | |
Trivial | pymdownx.snippets not configured |
| Emoji support | |
Trivial | pymdownx.emoji with twemoji |
| Collapsible details blocks | |
Trivial | pymdownx.details enabled |
| Mermaid diagrams | |
Trivial | Configured via pymdownx.superfences custom fences |
Site-Wide Resources¶
These are pages and files that support the entire textbook rather than individual chapters.
| Feature | Status | Effort | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glossary | |
Medium | 200 terms with ISO 11179 compliant definitions |
| FAQ page | |
Medium | Placeholder page exists, no questions added yet |
| References page | |
Medium | Curated bibliography with links per chapter or site-wide |
| Custom CSS styling | |
Low | css/extra.css with brand color overrides |
| Custom JavaScript | |
Low | javascripts/mathjax.js configured |
| Google Analytics | |
Trivial | Track page views and user behavior |
Publishing Features¶
These features help your textbook look professional when shared on social media.
| Feature | Status | Effort | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social media preview cards | |
Medium | social and social_override plugins configured |
| Edit page button | |
Trivial | edit_uri and content.action.edit configured |
Advanced Features¶
These features require significant effort, custom code, or AI assistance.
Interactive Learning¶
MicroSims are small, browser-based simulations that let students experiment with concepts.
| Feature | Status | Effort | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MicroSims (interactive simulations) | |
High | 2 browser-based apps for hands-on learning |
| MicroSim index catalog | |
Medium | Visual gallery with cards showing all available simulations |
| Per-chapter quizzes | |
High | 0 quiz files with questions aligned to learning objectives |
Learning Graph System¶
A learning graph maps every concept in the course and shows which concepts depend on others.
| Feature | Status | Effort | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course description | |
Medium | Goals and outcomes using Bloom's Taxonomy levels |
| Concept list (~200-300 concepts) | |
High | Every topic students need to learn, extracted with AI help |
| Learning graph CSV | |
High | Spreadsheet defining which concepts depend on others |
| Learning graph JSON | |
Low | Machine-readable format for the graph viewer |
| Learning graph viewer (vis-network) | |
Medium | Interactive diagram where you can click and explore concepts |
| Concept taxonomy classification | |
Medium | Grouping concepts into categories |
| Quality metrics report | |
Low | Statistics about graph completeness and structure |
| Book metrics | |
Medium | Word counts, reading time, and chapter statistics |
| Chapter metrics | |
Medium | Detailed stats for each chapter individually |
| Glossary quality report | |
Low | Check definitions follow standards |
| FAQ quality report | |
Low | Check FAQ completeness |
| FAQ coverage gaps | |
Low | Find concepts not addressed in FAQ |
| Quiz generation report | |
Low | Quality report for generated quizzes |
Content Generation¶
These features involve creating the actual educational content.
| Feature | Status | Effort | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapter content | |
Very High | 15 chapters with full text, examples, and exercises |
| Pedagogical Agent (Mascot) | |
High | Seven poses in admonitions created using text-to-image generator |
| Sample prompts collection | |
Medium | Saved AI prompts so content can be regenerated consistently |
Feature Dependencies¶
Some features require others to be implemented first.
Cost Considerations¶
Most intelligent textbook features use free, open-source software.
| Feature Category | License Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MkDocs Material | Free (MIT) | Static site generator and theme |
| Python dependencies | Free | Pillow and CairoSVG for social preview images |
| vis-network.js | Free (MIT) | JavaScript library for interactive graph diagrams |
| p5.js | Free (LGPL) | JavaScript library for creative coding and simulations |
| KaTeX | Free (MIT) | Fast math equation rendering in the browser |
| AI image generation | $20+/month | Required for creating infographics with DALL-E or ImageFX |
| Claude/ChatGPT for content | Varies | Used to draft chapters, quizzes, and glossary entries |
Quick Start: Adding Missing Features¶
Start with the easiest wins and work your way up.
Highest Impact, Lowest Effort¶
These can be done in under an hour:
License page- Already implementedContact page- Already implementedEdit page button- Already implementedSocial media cards- Already implemented- Google Analytics - Add tracking property ID to mkdocs.yml
- Magic links - Add
pymdownx.magiclinkextension for auto-linking URLs
Medium Effort, High Value¶
These use Claude Code skills to generate content:
- Glossary - Use the glossary-generator skill to populate definitions (placeholder page exists)
- FAQ - Use the faq-generator skill to populate questions (placeholder page exists)
- Book metrics - Use the book-metrics-generator skill to track completeness
- Per-chapter quizzes - Use the quiz-generator skill for auto-graded practice
High Effort, Transformative¶
These take more time but significantly enhance the learning experience:
- Additional MicroSims - Each simulation takes 2-4 hours; aim for 10-20 total
- Pedagogical Agent (Mascot) - AI-generated character to guide students through content
- Instructor's guide - Helps teachers adopt your textbook
Generated by book-installer feature-checklist-generator
Last updated: April 2026