Specification

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SimQuest 6.4 help

Specification

A specification assignments lets the learner predict a value when the simulation is in a specific state. You specify the time when the simulation stops (target state for prediction). You also specify which variable-values you want the learner to predict. You can specify a (absolute or relative) deviation for the prediction. 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 a Specification assignment

Modifying a Specification 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

In specification assignment you ask the learner to predict the value of a certain variable at a certain time or in a certain state. You can also specify the allowed deviation of the answer. This deviation can be absolute or relative (a percentage). The asked value(s) must be predicted by the learners before they are able to start the simulation.

1.	Select the Answer tab sheet.

2.	Under Target state of prediction, in the Enabled column, select (tick) the variables that you want to inquire about.

3.	In the Value box of the variable you just enabled, type its desired value.

4.	Under Target state of prediction, in the Learner predicts column, select (tick) the variables you want to inquire about.

5.	In the Deviation boxes of the variables you just selected, type the allowed deviation.

6.	If you want the deviation you just specified to be an absolute value, in the Absolute or Relative box, select Absolute. If you want it to be a percentage of the value you specified, select Relative.

7.	Click Apply.