pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

In https://github.com/phetsims/equality-explorer/issues/163, we added the easyLevel1 query parmeter that was used in a study. It simplified the challenges for level 1.

As a result of that study, changes to the game were proposed in https://github.com/phetsims/equality-explorer/issues/163#issuecomment-827778502.

@amanda-phet said:

@kathy-phet and I discussed this.

@pixelzoom I'm thinking I'd like to add a new level between 1 and 2 (so a new level 2).

Level 1: "easy" level 1 [what is currently ?easyLevel1] Level 2: challenges with negative coefficients [modified Level 1, only challenge types 1 and 3, with a = [-10,-1] and d = [-10,-1] with the first challenge being type 1 and a=-1] Level 3: [current level 2, no change] Level 4: [current level 3, no change] Level 5: [current level 4, no change]

This is obviously a major change, so we should discuss the cost and timeline. We can do it here or schedule a quick design meeting to review questions. I tried to summarize level 2 above, but it would probably benefit from a more robust spec.

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

In https://github.com/phetsims/equality-explorer/issues/163#issuecomment-827950501, I provided a list of tasks and time estimates:

This would be relatively straightforward, but time consuming. Here are the tasks and time estimates.

@amanda-phet design:

Update the design doc. Because it is referenced in the code for each level's challenge generator, it's important that the doc is kept up-to-date.
Decide what the layout should be for 5 level selection buttons (versus the current 4 buttons).

@pixelzoom implementation (2-4 hours):

Add a button to the level selection screen, adjust layout.
Rename the challenge generators for levels 2, 3, 4 (to 3, 4, 5).
Split the level 1 challenge generator into two generators, for levels 1 & 2.
Tweak the implementation to meet the new requirements for level 2.
Delete the easyLevel1 query parameter.

@pixelzoom maintenance release (1-3 hours):

Patch into 1.0 branch
QA testing, RC spot-check of the Solve It screen.
Publish 1.0 maintenance release

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

In https://github.com/phetsims/equality-explorer/issues/163#issuecomment-828000540, @kathy-phet said:

@pixelzoom - We have funding for this, and it would be good to have for our grant work. There is no current deadline for this work, but in general I think it would be nice to have it published with this by start of 2021-22 school year.

I replied:

Sounds good. As @amanda-phet suggested, let's schedule a quick design meeting about this, to make sure we're all on the same page.

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

For discussion at 4/29 design meeting...

[x] Do you want this in a 1.0 maintenance release? It's not going to be straightforward to patch into the 1.0 branch, because that branch pre-dates the switch to ES6.

DECISION: master only, no maintenance release.

[x] Clarify level 1 requirements

Level 1: "easy" level 1 [what is currently ?easyLevel1]

To clarify... You still want all 3 challenge types in level 1, but types 1 & 3 should be adjusted as for the easyLevel1 query parameter. Is that correct?

DECISION: Yes, that is correct.

[x] Review level 2 requirements

Level 2: challenges with negative coefficients [modified Level 1, only challenge types 1 and 3, with a = [-10,-1] and d = [-10,-1] with the first challenge being type 1 and a=-1]

DECISION: See specification of Level 2 in design doc. I will remove yellow highlighting when I'm done.

[x] Level translations

Level descriptions are translated strings. They appear in the "Info" dialog, and in the scoreboard. All of the translated strings will now be incorrect. Should we attempt to fix the translated strings? Or should be abandon the current string keys and create new keys for all level descriptions? I recommend the latter. In either case, inform translators that these need to be translated.

DECISION: Abandon current string keys, create new string keys, inform translators of the update.

[x] We need a new description for Level 2 challenges. The current values are:

  "level1": {
    "value": "<b>Level 1</b>  One-step equations"
  },
  "level2": {
    "value": "<b>Level 2</b>  Two-step equations"
  },

DECISION: "level2" -> "Level 2 One-step equations with negative coefficients"

[x] Button layout

Here are the options for button layout. Spacing is adjustable in either case.

Single row:

Grid:

DECISION: Single row, with spacing: 20.

[x] Remove easyLevel1 query parameter from 1.0 branch.

DECISION: Yes, to prevent it from being added to a production release by the maintenance release process.

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

4/29/21 design meeting @amanda-phet @kathy-phet @pixelzoom

We discussed the items in https://github.com/phetsims/equality-explorer/issues/164#issuecomment-829226364. Decisions are interspersed in that comment with "DECISION".

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

A bug chunk of this has been completed in the above commit.

Still to be done:

[x] Revise level 1 challenge generator
[x] Revise level 2 challenge generator
[x] Remove easyLevel1 query parameter in master and 1.0, in https://github.com/phetsims/equality-explorer/issues/163

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

I've finished this work, but noted a problem in Level 2 specification. In the design doc:

First challenge should be type 1 with a=-1. Second challenge should be type 3 with a=-1

Type 3 does not include a. And if this was supposed to be d=-1, then the first two challenges will both be of the form -x = c, and c is highly likely to be the same for both challenges (changing that would be a big task.) So... For now, I've ignored the "Second challenge..." specification, and Level 2 starts with one challenge of the form -x = c.

@amanda-phet please review in 1.1.0-dev.3, and let me know if you'd like to make changes.

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

By the way... Running with ?showAnwers might make this easier to review. To use that query parameter, you need to follow the instructions to identify yourself as a PhET team member in your browser, see the "How to identify yourself as a PhET team member" section of https://github.com/phetsims/special-ops/blob/master/doc/phetTeamMember.md#how-to-identify-yourself-as-a-phet-team-member

amanda-phet commented 3 years ago

Type 3 does not include a. And if this was supposed to be d=-1, then the first two challenges will both be of the form -x = c, and c is highly likely to be the same for both challenges (changing that would be a big task.) So... For now, I've ignored the "Second challenge..." specification, and Level 2 starts with one challenge of the form -x = c.

Thanks for pointing that out. We should only specify the first challenge and the rest can be random. I've updated the design doc.

amanda-phet commented 3 years ago

The levels all look perfect!

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

Excellent. Let me know if there's anything else to be done here. If not, feel free to unassign yourself.

In the meantime, I'll label this as "fix-awaiting-deploy" for verification in the next QA cycle.

liammulh commented 3 years ago

The changes described above seem to have been implemented correctly. Reassigning @pixelzoom.

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

Thanks @liam-mulhall.

Closing.

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

Assigning to @amanda-phet to decide when and how this gets deployed. Note that this work was only done in master, so a maintenance release would require more work.

amanda-phet commented 3 years ago

@pixelzoom I think we are ready to publish this sim, and QA has capacity to test. Can you go ahead and start the maintenance release process?

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

@amanda-phet asked:

... Can you go ahead and start the maintenance release process?

From https://github.com/phetsims/equality-explorer/issues/164#issuecomment-829226364:

**DECISION: master only, no maintenance release.***

This cannot be done via a maintenance release. The 1.0 branch is pre-ES6, and cannot be easily patched. Re-publishing requires a full QA process.

Unassigning until there's a QA plan in https://github.com/phetsims/equality-explorer/issues/167.

KatieWoe commented 3 years ago

@pixelzoom to clarify: QA should test that

The changes to level described in https://github.com/phetsims/equality-explorer/issues/164#issue-870485681 took place
The levels can all be completed as expected
No new bugs in the game were introduced

Is this correct? Or is there an aspect that I'm missing?

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

Yes @KatieWoe, that's correct. And the challenges for each level are fully described in Equality Explorer - game challenge generation (aka, "the design doc").

KatieWoe commented 3 years ago

Challenges look ok, but leaving open for now due to https://github.com/phetsims/equality-explorer/issues/169

pixelzoom commented 3 years ago

169 is resolved and in review, so this issue can be closed.

phetsims / equality-explorer

Changes to Solve It! game #164

169 is resolved and in review, so this issue can be closed.