Virtual Lab
TeachFORGE.ai
Virtual Lab / Building a lab
Building a lab
Author Virtual Labs on Academy — Manual builder stages, rich-block sections for context, theory, procedure and applications, variables and apparatus, then draft, publish, or submit to the community.
Compose the practical. Publish when it is ready.
What building a lab means
Building a lab is Academy authoring: create from a template or blank, work through the Manual builder (or Assisted AI — covered in the AI guide), fill sections, wire variables and apparatus, then draft, publish, or submit to the community library.
Personal labs are capped (100 on Academy). Spec v2 is the only accepted shape — sections, parameters, facts, and compiled expressions.
Why teachers author labs
Own the practical
Match apparatus and method to your scheme of work, not a generic demo alone.
Rich teaching text
Context, theory, procedure, and applications accept Quest-style content blocks.
Live dynamics
Parameter tokens in blocks and expressions keep narrative tied to the controls.
Publish once, reuse often
Draft, publish, duplicate, and optionally share into the community catalogue.
Inside the Academy builder
Authoring uses Manual and Assisted lanes. The step graph walks Setup → Variables → Content → Simulation → Evaluation → Review, with panes such as:
- Details — title, metadata, default launch mode, teaching guide inputs
- Variables — parameters, facts, constraints, data tables
- Context & Theory — rich-block narratives and equations
- Gatekeeper — optional Quest Ladder pre-lab
- Apparatus & Controls & Graphs — scene (declarative or code), UI controls, plot definitions
- Calculations — compiled expressions for runtime
- Procedure — accordion steps with gating
- Datalog & Analysis & Applications — record rules, verification, extension blocks
- Review — preview values, readiness before publish
Sections that accept rich blocks
Like Quest Ladder question types, several Virtual Lab content sections accept a stack of rich blocks — Markdown, LaTeX, TikZ, Mermaid, charts, D3, Workshop opens, and more — so explanation and method stay in the lab, not a detached handout.
| Section | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Context | Learning context and objectives — full content blocks |
| Theory | Theory narrative, then governing equations and assumptions |
| Procedure | Checklist steps; each step can carry its own instructions and gates |
| Applications | Extension and real-world applications — full content blocks |
Blocks can include dynamic tokens such as <<<<param:id>>>> so displayed values stay tied to live parameters. Workshop remains a companion for deep visual authorship — opening craft from blocks — not a one-click station-to-lab schema import.
From blank to published
Start from template or blank
Pick Guided or Flexible as the default launch mode early.
Build variables, scene, and block sections
Wire controls and graphs; write context, theory, procedure, and applications with blocks.
Review, publish, or submit to community
Save draft while iterating; publish when ready; community submit goes through review before the shared library.
Render and probe gates help catch broken scenes or specs on save and submit — fix issues before learners meet the lab.