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Design-Test-Refine Cycle

This interactive diagram illustrates the iterative process for systematically improving MicroSim quality through continuous testing and refinement. The cycle emphasizes that high-quality educational simulations emerge through repeated cycles of design, testing, analysis, prioritization, and refinement.

About This MicroSim

The circular workflow shows five key phases arranged clockwise:

  1. DESIGN (Blue) - Create initial implementation, apply design principles, and instrument for xAPI tracking
  2. TEST (Green) - Run user testing sessions, collect analytics data, and gather qualitative feedback
  3. ANALYZE (Yellow) - Interpret test results, identify patterns and issues, compare against criteria
  4. PRIORITIZE (Orange) - Categorize issues (critical vs. nice-to-have), estimate effort, create ordered improvement list
  5. REFINE (Purple) - Implement high-priority changes, update documentation, log changes for tracking

The center shows the goal: a High-Quality MicroSim. The Deploy arrow indicates the exit point when quality criteria are met.

Interactive Features

  • Hover over phases to see brief descriptions
  • Click on phases to lock the detailed description
  • Animate/Pause button controls the rotating flow indicator

Fullscreen

Key Insights

  • Iteration is essential - Quality emerges through multiple cycles, not single passes
  • Data-driven decisions - Testing and analytics guide improvement priorities
  • Systematic refinement - Organized approach prevents ad-hoc, unfocused changes
  • Clear exit criteria - Know when the MicroSim meets quality standards for deployment
  • Documentation matters - Logging changes enables learning from the process

Learning Objective

Students will apply the design-test-refine cycle to systematically improve MicroSim quality through iterative development.

References