Optimisation

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SimQuest 6.4 help

Optimisation

The Optimisation assignments asks from the learner to achieve a specified simulation state. You can specify this target state and the constraints under which the target state must be reached. You can specify one initial state (initial values) for the simulation. The simulation is learner-operated in the assignment. Controls in the simulation (e.g. start/stop-buttons) are disabled when the assignment is run.

Modifying an Optimisation assignment

Modifying an Optimisation assignment

To modify an assignment, you have to fill out a number of tab sheets. To access these, you select the assignment in the Application window, click right and choose Edit from the menu that appears. The tab sheets you have to fill out differ per type of assignment.

General

1.	Select the General tab sheet.

2.	In the Name box, you can specify a name for the assignment which the learner will see in the learner view. As the author, you will still see the original name in the Application window.

3.	In the Description box, type a short description of the assignment The learner will see this description in the learner environment when he or she selects the assignment, but does not (yet) start it.

4.	Under Language, select the language in which you enter the assignment texts.

5.	Click Apply.

Control On

In the Control On tab sheet you can make the assignment perform certain actions with regard to other elements in the application. You can for instance change the settings in such a way that once a particular assignment is closed, another one will open. Also, you can make explanation elements pop up after all attempts have been used. This chapter will help you smoothly control elements in your simulation.

First, set the Start-up state of the assignment:

1.	Select the Control On tab sheet.

2.	Select the Start-up state using the radio buttons on top of the tab-sheet:

Activated: the assignment will open when the simulation is opened in the learner view.

Enabled: the assignment is visible to the learner in the learner view.

Disabled: the learner can see the assignment, but not (yet) activate it.

Invisible: the learner cannot see nor activate this assignment.

To set the control structure of an assignment, follow these steps:

1.	Decide WHEN you want something to happen. Select one of the elements from the first list.

Activated: the elements below will be activated, enabled, aborted, disabled, or hidden when the assignment is started

Succeeded: the elements below will be activated, enabled, aborted, disabled, or hidden when the assignment is performed correctly

Failed: the elements below will be activated, enabled, aborted, disabled, or hidden when the assignment is performed incorrectly

Exited: the elements below will be activated, enabled, aborted, disabled, or hidden when the assignment is closed before all attempts are used up.

2.	Select a command for the simulation:

No command to: the simulation stays as it is

Compute: the simulation calculates the output value for the given input. Only when Recompute output variables every time a value changes is not selected in Simulation Properties.

Compute and Record: the model runs with the current input values and the results are displayed.

Record Value: only for static models: the most recently computed value is recorded on screen. By default, this happens automatically, but you can change it under Simulation Properties.

Reset: all variables in the simulation will be reset to their initial value.

3.	Decide and select WHAT you want to happen.

Activate: The elements that you dragged into the box below will be started/opened.

Enable: The elements below will be presented in the learner view but not started. The learner has to start them.

Abort: The elements below will be closed.

Disable: The elements below will be presented in the learner view but the learner cannot start them.

Hide: The elements below will not be visible in the learner view.

Please note! The element itself is automatically added to the Exited-Enable page. Therefore, when all attempts have been used up, the assignment will be visible and available.

For additional information plus examples of the Control structure, click here.

Control Overview

You can use the Control Overview tab sheet to check the controls you set in the Control On tab sheet. You can quickly see what will happen if you activate, succeed, fail, or exit the assignment.

1.	Select the Control Overview tab sheet.

2.	Click Activated, Succeeded, Enabled, Failed, or Exited.

3.	Look at the controls you specified in each category.

Initial State

In do them & explicitation assignments, you can determine as many initial states as you want. Here, too, you can specify the number of attempts the learner gets to answer the question

1.	Select the Initial State tab sheet.

2.	In the Set Name box, type a name for your initial state set

3.	In the Set here? column, mark the variables you want to set the initial state of

4.	In the Value boxes of the variables you just selected, type the initial state value

5.	If you want to make another set of initial states, click New Set and repeat from step 3

6.	Click Apply.

Question

In the Question tab sheet you can type the actual assignment. Make sure that the assignment you type is not too long, and too the point.

1.	Select the Question tab sheet.

2.	In the Text box, type the text you want to present to the learner, for example an assignment or question.

3.	If you want the learner to have the possibility to enter text with this assignment, mark the Add additional open answer field option.

4.	If you want to lay-out parts of the text differently, select a word or phrase, click right and select a lay-out. Here you can for instance make the text bold, underlined etc..Consider for instance to make the actual task bold.

5.	If you want a sound-file to be played when the assignment is started, click the Play sound checkbox, click Browse, select a sound-file, and click OK. The sound file must be in WAV-format.

6.	If you want a picture to be displayed when the assignment is started, click the Show Image checkbox, click Browse, select an image, and click OK. The image must be in GIF-format.

7.	Click Apply.

Answer

The optimisation assignments lets the learner reach a simulation state you determined. In the answer tab sheet you specify what the target state (the state to be reached) is, and under what constraints the target state must be reached.

1.	Select the Answer tab sheet.

2.	In the Enabled column of the Target States, select the variables of which state(s) you want the learner to reach.

3.	In the Minimum and Maximum box of the variables you just selected, type the minimum and maximum value you want to allow.

4.	In the Enabled column of the Constraints, select the variables of which you want to specify constraints/

5.	In the Minimum and Maximum box of the variables you just selected, type the minimum and maximum value for which the answer is still acceptable in your opinion.

6.	If you want you can specify an explanation that is presented when the learner breaks the constraint. Click on the constraint (an arrow is shown in the first column), drag an explanation from the Application window and drop it into the Explanation box.

7.	If you want the explanation to be presented inside the assignment window, click In assignment, otherwise the explanation will be presented in a separate window.

8.	If you want to set the order in which variables are checked, change the Priority numbers in the most right column.

9.	If you want to add an additional Open Answer window with this assignment, mark this option at the bottom of the tab sheet.

10.	Finally, select if you want to finish the simulation (run it till the stop condition is reached) or reset it (go back to the initial values specified in the model or the assignment) after every attempt. Do so by marking the tick boxes at the bottom of the tab sheet.

11.	Click Apply.

Additional information: adding seperate feedback for ‘too big’ and ‘too small’.

When the question in an Optimisation assignment is as follows: ‘Set the force in such a way that the moment will be 100 Nm. The arm is 5 meters’, then separate feedback can be made for a force that is too small and a force that is too big. This is done by placing one restriction on the moment and another restriction on the force. These restrictions look like this:

•	The moment can be in between –999999 and 100: if not, give feedback saying the force is too big

•	The force can be between 20 and 999999: if not, give feedback saying the force is too small.

If both criteria are met, the force has been set to 20 N, which is the correct answer in this case.

optimisation_feedback

Adding feedback for an Optimisation assignment: the answer is marked

as incorrect if F is too small (first line), but also if it is too big, since in

that case M would exceed its maximum value of 100 Nm. (seconde line).