Chapter 11 Simulation User Interface (Sim UI) Administration

11.1 Modeling To Learn Administrative Dashboard

The MTL Administrative Dashboard provides customizable information and messaging capabilities for webpages in the Sim UI.

11.1.1 Login to Administrative Dashboards

Select the administrator login world.

administrator login graphic

11.1.2 Orient to the Dashboard

  1. Community Function Administration: View lists of issues reported by users from the Report Bug and Community Button, and issue outgoing email messages and targeted ANDON Alerts.

  2. More Information Page Adminstration: Manage images and reference links in the Information Page. Add and edit Module Section information.

  3. Tutor Administrative Dashboard: Manage text descriptions, video and web links for tutor prompts for each module.

  4. MTL Quick Tip Loading Screen Administration: Add icons and descriptive text for tips that appear when MTL screen are loading.

  5. MTL Demo Webpage Administration: Manage the MTL Demo website, such as adding course codes, managing Demo user lists, and managing page content such video and reference links, text descriptions and others.

  6. TeamPSD Webpage Administration: Manage the TeamPSD website, like adding a new team member, or changing page content.

    orient to the dashboard graphic

11.2 Community Function Administration - User Issue List Management

  1. Name of user submitting the issue.

  2. Email of user submitting the issue.

  3. GitHub issue number assigned by GitHub API.

  4. Description of the issue.

  5. Click the “Export” button to download an spreadsheet file of the list.

    community function administration - user issue list management graphic

11.2.1 Review Issue Information

The listing only contains a text description of the issue. Sometimes users submit files or screenshots. To view these details:

  1. Click the checkbox next to the issue.

  2. Click “See Issue” button.

  3. Review information in the pop up.

    review issue information graphic

11.2.2 Manage Outgoing Messages

The Sim UI sends out email and other messages to mass-communicate important information. There are 5 types of messages.

  1. I have an idea: This is an outgoing email that informs the user that we have received their idea.

  2. I like something: This is an outgoing email that informs the user that we have received and appreciate their message.

  3. Report Bug: This is an outgoing email that informs the user that we have received their bug report and will act on it. It also returns an issue number for their reference.

  4. News: Every user has a News button on their Home webpage. When clicked, it will display news items on their webpage that were set up with this function.

  5. Alert: Also known as an ANDON alert, this is an outgoing message that displays on the Home webpage when the user logs in. It can target facilitators only, users only or both. ANDONS are normally reserved for problems where the user should stop using the Sim UI until the issue is resolved.

    manage outgoing messages

11.2.2.1 Target ANDON Alert Users

As explained in 5. above, you can target specific users with an ANDON Alert. When “Alert” is selected from the Message dropdown, an additional “Show Message to Whom” will appear. Select the target audience and click “Add Message.”

target andon alert users graphic

11.3 Manage MTL Demo Website

The MTL Demo website provides interested users access to a demonstration simulation. The webpage also offers information about the research project, associated training and video materials and highlights partners that had a hand in its development. The admin website enables the admin to adjust webpage content and demo users.

11.3.1 MTL Demo Website

Navigate to MTL Demo to view example below. To modify this webpage, click on the MTL Demo icon in your Facilitator Dashboard.

mtl demo website graphic

11.3.2 Orient to the MTL Demo Admin Webpage

  1. Export User Data section lists users that have registered for access to the MTL Demo simulation. It lists their names and contact information. The typical registration is for 14 days. However, with a Course Code, the length of the registration can be longer. A user’s access time can be improved, but it must be done before the original date expires.

  2. Resource Management section manages the information contained on the MTL website. The sections supported are Run, Videos, Slides, Papers and Funding.

  3. MTL Demo - Slider section is where the GIF slider files are uploaded.

    orient to mtl demo admin webpage graphic

11.3.3 Update Course Code

Sometimes we present Modeling to Learn in seminars and other academic gatherings. To enable participants to experience MTL, we provide a course code that enables users to access the platform longer than the standard 14 days.

update course code graphic overview graphic

update course code detail graphic

11.4 Quick Tips

When a screen loads in the Sim UI, a blank gray screen in presented. We use this opportunity to offer suggestions or “Tips” to explain functions in the Sim UI. We have an admin webpage to create new Tips. Tips usually have graphics, which are white line drawings on transparent background saved in the .svg format. When paired with text, these present on the loading screen (see example below). A repository of quick tips graphics is available in GitHub lzim/mtl.

Please note that MTL Demo has its own tips management admin page. To access, you must first navigate to the MTL Demo admin page, THEN click the “Tips” icon. You can verify you are on the right page, because the URL will say “va-psd-sim/qtipadmin.html” if you are in PROD Tips and “va-psd-demo/qtipadmin.html” if you are in the DEMO Tips.

quick tip screen example graphic

11.4.1 Update a Quick Tip

  1. From the Administrator Dashboard, click on the “Tips” icon. The MTL Quick Tip Loading Screen Administration page will open.

  2. Click the “Add Tip” button. The page will scroll to the bottom of the list and present a new row to input information.

  3. Click on the “upload” icon. An upload file pop up will appear. Navigate to your file and click “Save.” The filename should appear immediately to the left of the upload icon and a thumbnail should appear to the right.

  4. Click on the “Empty” icon. A text field will present. Type in the description and click save. You are finished!

  5. Be sure to upload the .svg graphic you used to the GitHub repository.

    quick tip update graphic

11.5 Tutor Function

The Tutor is a function in the Sim UI that explains functions on the webpage to the user. Each section on the Home, CC, MM, PSY, AGG, and SP pages have a Tutor icon.

tutor function graphic

11.5.1 Tutor Administrative Dashboard

The Admin Dashboard enables you to adjust descriptive text and links associated with each Tutor call out box. However, the user cannot add or remove Tutor call outs. These have to be put in using computer code. See below for a description of these features.

  1. Each page in the Sim UI has Tutor call outs. This points to the call outs on the Home Page. Below are Tutor call out listings for CC, MM, PSY, AGG and SP modules.

  2. This is a unique row that enables you to adjust the description below Tutor Administrative Dashboard title. Otherwise, it is the description of the Tutor call out.

  3. This is the section on the webpage where the Tutor call outs apply.

  4. This is the function the Tutor is describing.

  5. This text will show up in the Tutor call out box. To edit, simply click on the text. Don’t forget to save your changes!

  6. When the user clicks the video button on this Tutor call out box, the computer will navigate the user to this video. To edit, simply click on the link. Don’t forget to save your changes!

  7. When the user clicks the link button on this Tutor call out box, the computer will navigate the user to this url. To edit, simply click on the link. Don’t forget to save your changes!

    tutor administrative dashboard graphic

11.6 More Information Page Administration

When the user clicks the More Info icon in the their header bar, they navigate to a page that contains information about the Sim UI. There are multiple sections, MTL Guides, MTL Links, MTL Navigation, MTL Modules, MTL Sections and MTL References. While the sections are permanent, you can change elements inside the sections using the Administration page.

11.6.1 You Cannot Change the MTL Guides or Navigation Page.

you cannot change mtl guides or navigation page graphic

11.6.2 MTL Links Page

Below is the MTL Links page.

  1. When the user clicks on this graphic, they navigate to the mtl.how website.

  2. This is the text instruction.

    mtl links page graphic

11.6.2.2 Update References

The References section contains a bibliography that supports the research being conducted by MTL. Below is a description.

  1. This is the explanatory text for the bibliography entry. Note that it has several characteristics. You can boldface or italicize using markdown language.

  2. The text can have hyperlinks embedded using the ##Link1## code. The number immediately after “Link” indicates the position of the title of the hyperlink from the list.

  3. The hyperlink title then calls the url listed in order in this column slightly offscreen.

  4. Each entry can have up to 6 hyperlinks. To add a hyperlink, click on the “Empty” and a dialogue box will appear. Don’t forget to save!

    update references graphic

11.6.3 MTL Modules Page

The illustration below shows a table with a listing of the modules offered in MTL. In case we add more modules, it is possible to expand this list.

mtl modules page graphic

11.6.3.1 Update or Add Module Information

  1. Click this button to add a section. It will appear as the last row on the list.

  2. This is the sequence that the link will appear on the page. These can be modified by changing the number. Note: All numbers will need to be updated to reflect the new sequence.

  3. This is the name of the Module which appears as a title over the descriptive text in the next column.

  4. This is descriptive text. Click to modify. Use markdown to emphasize boldface, italics and add bullets.

  5. These describe the layers or complexity reveals in the module. Click to modify. Use markdown to emphasize boldface, italics and add bullets.

  6. These are the experimental controls available in the module. Click to modify. Use markdown to emphasize boldface, italics and add bullets.

    update or add module information graphic

11.7 Forio Epicenter

Forio Epicenter is an enterprise platform that hosts our Sim UI and runs the simulations for end-users. While the Sim UI can manage most administrator-user needs within the web interface, sometimes it is necessary to go directly into Epicenter to, for example, set up a new end-user in Epicenter. Click Epicenter to go to the login.

11.7.1 Send Password Reset to End User

navigate to veterans affairs project graphic

11.7.1.1 Select End User from Menu

You can search for the user by using the search bar.

select end user graphic

11.7.1.2 Click on the Password Reset

You can also change the password directly for the user by selecting the “Change Password” from the dropdown.

click send password reset graphic

11.7.2 Set up A New Epicenter End User

11.7.2.2 Navigate to Group Page

In the Epicenter hierarchy, “groups” are the highest entity. Underneath groups are worlds. In TeamPSD, we refer to groups as “teams.” Typically, we auto-setup a _team group and a _ind group to manage team assignments and individual worlds.

navigate to group page graphic

11.7.2.3 Select Desired Group

select your desired group graphic

11.7.2.4 Click Add End User Button

click add end user button graphic

11.7.2.5 Add User Email to Field and Click “Add/invite User” Button

We usually put the user’s VA email address in this field. However, it does not have to be an email unless you are sending a notice via email to the user. Sometimes users just need an alias besides their email address.

navigate to veteran affairs project graphic

11.7.3 Set up a team

We don’t set up teams directly in Epicenter anymore, because there are multiple dependencies in the Sim UI that would be bypassed. See chapter on Facilitator Dashboard.

11.7.4 Set up an Admin

To set up an Admin, the end-user id must be assigned to the administrator_login group on the groups page.

administrator login group graphic