LAB / WEEK 06
Follow the Digital Trace
Resolve conflicting records by separating authority, integrity and completeness while preserving a decision timeline.
IN PERSON (PREFERRED) · ONLINE AVAILABLE
What you will learn in this lab
Resolve conflicting records by separating authority, integrity and completeness while preserving a decision timeline.
Keep this evidence: evidence timeline. Later use: A2 uses this record to justify instructions to another role. Every final approach needs source evidence, but matching a digest does not itself choose the recovery objective.
The online environment also supports preparation and revision between classes. Campus packs specify the proposed teaching setup; physical apparatus has not been validated by this website prototype.
For online participation and revision: follow the Lab mission checklist and named controls below. Complete the practical outcome named for this week. Perform an intervention or receiving handover only when the activity requires it; other field extensions are optional. Explain and save the attempt before switching phases. Need an example first? The demonstration uses a different scenario and keeps separate practice progress.
FIELD TRAINING / 06
Follow the Digital Trace
The Authentic Archive. Release the archive copy that actually satisfies the signed recovery order.
Three plausible files have different contents. A newer timestamp can hide an unauthorised change; an older copy can be incomplete.
The skill you need: Compare archive versions against a signed manifest. Select the complete copy whose checksum matches the stated deliverable.
Evidence output: evidence-timeline. Later use: A2 uses this record to justify instructions to another role. Every final approach needs source evidence, but matching a digest does not itself choose the recovery objective.
Learn the skill · worked example
Archive B has a later timestamp than A, but its checksum differs from the signed source manifest. Recency explains sequence; the manifest states which contents are required. A later authorised amendment can change that requirement.
First explain what you predict. Manipulate the apparatus, compare the observed result, then change one relevant condition. The transfer challenge changes the context so that repeating an earlier answer may fail.
Start here: read the worked example, then use the controls in Practice. The completed investigation, experiment or agreement is your practical output. The field operation is an optional narrative extension. Then try Skill check and Transfer challenge. The six rows in the lab timetable describe the whole teaching session; they are not six hidden game levels.
Scene guide · people, evidence and object placement
People and source records
A supplied digital archive with three candidate copies and a signed reference.
- Your part
- The moving student avatar represents you. Inspect the scene and use the lesson controls to record and test your decisions.
- Your instructor
- Mara stands in the marked teaching bay outside the investigation area. She guides the exercise. Her presence, appearance and idle gestures are not clues about what happened in the case.
- People in this scenario
- The signer is represented by the published source record. Mara is not the signer and does not make a candidate correct by standing near it.
- What counts as evidence
- Compare section counts, checksums, timestamps and the current signed requirement. A later timestamp does not establish authenticity.
- Why the objects are here
- Books, screens and archive objects represent digital records. Read their labelled data; their colour, age or position does not establish authority.
Digital Observatory
Explore the room. Inspect its instruments. Discover the obstacle, use your skills and complete the operation.
Loads on request · all equipment also has accessible controls belowHow to move, inspect and complete the activity
Use WASD or arrow keys to walk. Press E near an instrument to examine it. Inspect means read its details; Use equipment performs the action named in its status message. The task controls let you choose exact settings and test a solution. Once verified, use the mission station to put it into effect, collect the resulting evidence or cargo, follow its checkpoints and complete the handover at the receiving station.
Scroll over the scene or use Zoom + / Zoom − for a closer or wider view. Click and drag to turn whenever the cursor is free. Choose Fullscreen mission to keep the scene, mission instructions and all task controls together. Fullscreen starts with a free cursor so you can scroll the panel and choose options. Press X or Lock cursor (X) to turn by moving the mouse. Press X again to free the cursor and return to click-and-drag turning. Tab also frees the cursor. The X shortcut stays inactive while typing or choosing a form value. Press Escape or Exit fullscreen to return to the page. On touchscreens, drag to look and use the zoom buttons. If your browser cannot enter native fullscreen, the mission expands to fill its window.
The activity below also works without 3D. Follow its objective and feedback, then save your record. Walking around the scene is optional and does not complete the lab by itself. The campus worksheet provides a printable alternative.
Optional field extension · act on your result
Your lab record does not require this transport and handover sequence. Use it to rehearse the result in the academy story.
FIELD OPERATION · Briefing
The Authentic Archive
Release the archive copy that actually satisfies the signed recovery order. Compare at least two copies against the 24-section M-42 source manifest.
Three plausible files have different contents. A newer timestamp can hide an unauthorised change; an older copy can be incomplete.
Inspect the mission station to begin your investigation.
Nothing collected.
Mission actions become available when the activity loads.
Mission record and accessible controls
These controls perform the same actions as the marked stations in the scene. Use them with a keyboard or touch, or when graphics are unavailable. Equipment tests establish whether your intervention is supported. The final handover records a mission outcome; your explanation is assessed separately.
- No mission actions yet.
LAB MISSION / Practice
What you are trying to do
Choose a complete archive that matches the current signed requirement, rather than simply choosing the newest file.
DO THIS NEXT
Find the required section count and checksum below. A checksum is a content identifier; matching timestamps do not prove matching contents.
Equipment instructions for this mission
- Read the current manifest
Find the required section count and checksum below. A checksum is a content identifier; matching timestamps do not prove matching contents.
- Compare at least two copies
Select Inspect on two or more archives. Compare the section counts, checksums and explanations shown in their cards.
- Choose the supported copy
Use Which copy satisfies this manifest? Select using the current requirement; the transfer phase publishes an amendment.
- Check the justification
Select Test this configuration. Use the feedback to identify the specific rule your choice satisfies or misses.
How you know you are done: Inspect at least two copies and select the one with the section count and checksum required by the current manifest. Save the practical record and your explanation; no package delivery is required.
Inspect means select a named object and read its finding. Use the equipment means operate the labelled controls below, then check the result. Exploring the scene does not automatically complete the task.
The apparatus and the controls below use the same model. All tasks can be completed with keyboard controls. No timer is required.
The complete worksheet below is available while the interactive lab loads.
Practice in progress
Load the controls or use the worksheet to begin.
Hint 1. A filename describes a label, not proven authenticity.
Hint 2. Compare the source record, integrity result and modification time.
Hint 3. Keep a written timeline linking each decision to its governing requirement; preserve observations separately from explanations.
After playing · explain and save this attempt
Finish the practical attempt first. Then record what you noticed, what changed and any help you used. You can also preserve an unfinished attempt.
Recording preserves your actions and explanation. Practice feedback does not award an academic grade.
Your recent action trace
- No actions recorded yet.
Complete worksheet and explanation · works without JavaScript
Mission: Release the archive copy that actually satisfies the signed recovery order.
Obstacle: Three plausible files have different contents. A newer timestamp can hide an unauthorised change; an older copy can be incomplete.
Task: Compare archive versions against a signed manifest. Select the complete copy whose checksum matches the stated deliverable.
Optional field extension: once the equipment check passes, release the manifest-matched archive. Trace the result through Integrity checkpoint → Archive receiver, then confirm the verified archive receipt. Expected consequence: The selected verified copy reaches protected dispatch while the source remains in the station archive.
Supplied file collection
- Archive A, 10:10. 24 sections; checksum M-42 matches the signed source manifest. Read-only source copy.
- Archive B, 10:35. 24 sections; checksum M-99 differs from source. A later annotation changed the contents.
- Archive C, 10:05. 23 sections; copy ended before the final section. An earlier timestamp is not proof of completeness.
Practice and check signed manifest: 24 sections, M-42. Transfer amended manifest: authorised annotated copy, 24 sections, M-99. Compare two or more records and justify your selection.
Explanation: A meets the original manifest; B meets the amendment. C is incomplete. Preserve the prior source rather than silently overwriting it when the requirement changes.
Reflection and example
Separate demonstration: North met authenticated R1. I retained it when an unsigned East request arrived. Only authenticated R2 and the separately verified South S2 repair justified my new choice. My timeline keeps the old South, the unchanged decision and the later revision with their sources.
Your output: evidence-timeline. Record the conditions, actions, result and what you would test next. An explanation can be defensible while differing from the example.
YOUR SKILLS PASSPORT
Keep what you learn.
Practice stays in this browser. Export it to take your work with you.
Which save or export should I use?
- Record attempt in skills passport on a lab keeps that phase's actions and your explanation. Save it before switching to a different phase.
- Export backup JSON downloads a backup you can bring back with Restore backup.
- Export learning record creates a readable account for your portfolio. Print record prepares the same kind of evidence for printing.
- Export assessment record inside a mission keeps that trial's decisions and debrief. Keep your written assessment explanation with it.
These controls keep your work; they do not submit it to an institution. Export a backup before changing browser, clearing browser data or resetting the passport.
Preparing your saved progress…
Your mission, in plain language
Your task: Choose a record that supports a stated request. Explain why its label, timestamp or apparent completeness alone is insufficient.
What you will produce: Keep the governing authority, comparison of at least two records, inclusion/exclusion reasons, authenticated amendment and remaining limitation. Do not invent event times.
Start here: in-person attendance is preferred. Read the briefing and In-person lab instructions. If you cannot attend, use the Online lab with the same learning record. The 3D environment also supports preparation and revision.
Before you arrive
Read DI-01 and DI-02 (20 minutes). Write one statement the digest comparison establishes and one it cannot establish.
Read the briefing. All starting rules and data are supplied here, so you can begin directly even if you missed an earlier lab. For the preferred in-person route, read the campus pack. The online route is available when you cannot attend. Both assess the outcomes below.
What you will learn
- Separate authority, content comparison and completeness evidence.
- Compare candidate records against explicit criteria rather than labels alone.
- Preserve the decision timeline when an authenticated instruction changes.
Supplied case file and rules
Where to find the named materials: These labels identify the supplied material on this page and in the combined campus pack; they are not separate files you need to locate. DI-01 is the three archive records with their timestamps, section counts and digests. DI-02 supplies the original signed reference and its amendment. Record your comparison and source changes in the decision timeline; there is no separate event-log download.
- Archive A: 10:10; 24 sections; digest M-42 matches the signed source manifest.
- Archive B: 10:35; 24 sections; digest M-99 differs because of a later annotation.
- Archive C: 10:05; 23 sections; digest M-17; the copy ended before its final section.
- Practice and check mandate: recover the complete 24-section copy matching signed reference M-42.
- Transfer mandate: an amended signed reference explicitly requires the annotated copy M-99.
- Inspect at least two copies before selecting. Digest identifiers are authored comparison results; no external service is contacted.
From example to independent challenge
Worked example: use the alternate scenario to learn the method. Its completed decisions cannot be copied into your assigned case.
Practice: use prompts and hints, recording help. Make the prediction or choice before checking.
Skill check: begin from the objective and evidence. Decide which test or action matters before consulting the optional explanation.
Transfer: inspect the changed condition. Decide what it invalidates and what remains supported; a justified unchanged decision can be correct.
The two-hour lab
These are the teaching session’s time blocks, not six compulsory game objectives. Adjust timing as needed; reasoning matters more than speed.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0–10 minutes | Sort the request, copies and comparison records by the questions they answer. |
| 10–30 minutes | Inspect the alternate unsigned-request example and identify its authority boundary. |
| 30–60 minutes | Build a comparison table and justify a provisional selection. |
| 60–80 minutes | Exchange tables and propose a credible rival interpretation or missing requirement. |
| 80–105 minutes | Apply the authenticated amendment without erasing the previous decision. |
| 105–120 minutes | Keep the timeline, rejected alternative and a claim the comparison cannot establish. |
In-person lab · preferred route
Equipment: Printed evidence cards or the downloadable text pack, a blank timeline and coloured markers with text labels. No external account or live system is involved.
Setup: Give each group all three archive records and the original signed reference M-42. Preserve the initial choice, then publish the amended signed reference M-99 for the transfer stage.
What you do together: Compare source authority, integrity identifiers and completeness in the archive cards. Keep a decision timeline through the authenticated amendment and a limitation of the chosen record.
The printable facilitator pack includes rules, prompts and explanation. Campus apparatus is a proposed teaching design; physical construction and handling have not been validated by browser tests. Use the paper model when equipment is unavailable.
Keep the same prediction, changed-condition attempt and explanation as the online route. A dated observation, test, agreement or route sheet serves as the action record. Add acknowledgement where a handoff is part of the task; an additional browser run is not required.
Online lab · equivalent participation and revision
Do these actions in order
- Select Practice. Read the signed manifest: it states the required number of sections and checksum. A checksum is the supplied identifier used to compare file contents in this model.
- Select Inspect… for the archive copies and read their records. Compare completeness and checksum with the manifest, not just the latest timestamp.
- Choose a copy in Which copy satisfies this manifest? and select Test this configuration.
- Select Record attempt in skills passport before switching; the field extension is optional. Try Skill check and explain your choice using at least two compared records. The unchanged manifest still has authority; a newer file alone does not change it.
- Record the Skill check attempt before switching. Select Transfer challenge; after testing its changed configuration, save its learning record too. Read the amended signed manifest and repeat the comparison against its new requirement.
- After playing, make a short timeline on paper or in your own document. Use four columns: stage or source time, authority in force, observed count/checksum, and decision with its limit. Include the original choice and amendment, preserving the earlier row. The browser export supplies the action trace; this written table supplies your explanation. Do not invent an event time the record does not give.
Optional field extension
Your investigation, experiment, agreement or revision is already the practical output. You may also stage its consequence in the scene; this extension is not required for the learning record. In Field operation, first Inspect mission station. Once your skill check is verified, select Release the manifest-matched archive. The scene and mission record now show the consequence: The selected verified copy reaches protected dispatch while the source remains in the station archive.
Collect the named result or record, follow the checkpoint controls in order (or visit the marked stations in the scene), and select Confirm the verified archive receipt at the receiver. The optional extension displays Mission accomplished after that acknowledgement; your learning record does not require it. Keyboard and touch controls perform the same actions. If you change the underlying model, the dependent intervention must be verified again.
Keep any field-extension actions separate from the evidence supporting your practical decision. Neither its completion nor its absence determines an academic grade.
Finish and keep your work
After each practical phase, open After playing · explain and save this attempt, write a brief reflection and select Record attempt in skills passport before switching phases. Keep the attempts and changed-condition evidence you discuss; an unfinished attempt can still be useful if you explain its limit. Export a backup using the passport tools.
For an uninterrupted view, choose Fullscreen mission. The Mission & controls panel contains the task and lesson controls. Scroll over the scene to zoom, click and drag to turn with the cursor free. Press X to lock the cursor for mouse-look; press X again (or Tab) to free it for scrolling and choosing options. Esc or Exit fullscreen returns to the page. Touch and keyboard controls remain available.
What leaves the room
evidence-timeline
Keep the governing authority, comparison of at least two records, inclusion/exclusion reasons, authenticated amendment and remaining limitation. Do not invent event times.
Include scenario and assistance. Preserve a failed attempt if it explains a useful revision. Add approximately 100 words connecting result to decision.
A2 uses this record to justify instructions to another role. Every final approach needs source evidence, but matching a digest does not itself choose the recovery objective.
Feedback and explanation
Optional explanation and separate exemplar · open after an attempt
A satisfies the original 24-section M-42 requirement. B satisfies the amended M-99 requirement. C is incomplete. Changing the choice is justified by a changed authority, not simply by preferring the newest file.
Worked reflection from the separate demonstration: North met authenticated R1. I retained it when an unsigned East request arrived. Only authenticated R2 and the separately verified South S2 repair justified my new choice. My timeline keeps the old South, the unchanged decision and the later revision with their sources.
Inspect this example’s complete record. Use your own assigned scenario and observations for your reflection.
How to judge the response
A strong response makes a decision the instructions did not supply, supports it with evidence and explains an alternative or limit. A model check establishes its published conditions only; a facilitator judges reasoning. Text length and game endings are not academic grades.
Keep the governing authority, comparison of at least two records, inclusion/exclusion reasons, authenticated amendment and remaining limitation. Do not invent event times.
Closing reflection
Which apparently reassuring label was doing more work than the evidence justified?
Afterwards
Export your record and keep a backup. It contributes to Weekly Fieldwork, with the best ten of twelve counting. Continue to the assessment brief and consult policies for access, collaboration and extensions. Exporting does not submit coursework.
SLOP UNIVERSITY · THE ACADEMY OF IMPOSSIBLE SKILLS
An original fictional course. Progress records practice, not academic certification.