The Nonverbal Syntax Framework: An Evidence-Based Tiered System for Inferring Learner States from Observable Behavioral Cues

arXiv:2604.25612v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Understanding learners' cognitive and affective states underpins adaptive educational systems and effective teaching. Although research links nonverbal cues to internal states, no framework calibrates them to evidence. We present the Nonverbal Syntax Framework, drawn from a systematic review of 908 studies and 17,043 cue-state mappings (Turaev et al., 2026). The framework addresses three challenges: terminological fragmentation (behaviors described