Development status and validation gates

The architecture identifies what should be developed first and which empirical checks must precede release. Inclusion in the catalogue does not mean that a student handout, notebook, dataset or answer key is already available.

Initial development shortlist

Order	Module	Why it should be developed early
1	FND-01	Immediate accessibility; establishes physical engagement and common vocabulary.
2	FND-02	Prevents category errors across every later module.
3	FND-04	Creates the variable/unit discipline required for acquisition and notebooks.
4	EPH-04	Mandatory gateway for trustworthy temporal analysis.
5	EPH-01	Core experimental logic of command versus response.
6	NPH-02	Simple, visible and scientifically central polarity experiment.
7	NPH-03	Introduces protocol-dependent threshold, measurement and uncertainty.
8	MET-01	Turns exploration into scientific questioning early.
9	MET-02	Makes later feature extraction reproducible.
10	MET-03	Provides the protocol-design backbone for the library.
11	DAT-01	Standardises import, metadata and timebase before analysis.
12	DAT-02	Establishes QC before automated measurements.
13	DAT-03	Reusable event-detection foundation for most quantitative strands.
14	DAT-04	Introduces core spike-train summaries after timing validation.
15	STA-01	Prevents pseudoreplication and makes variability visible.
16	STA-02	Adds uncertainty and supports threshold, sensory and fitting modules.
17	SYN-01	Uses a distinctive Spikeling capability and leads naturally to networks.
18	SYN-02	Directly demonstrates functional excitation/inhibition with explicit biological limits.
19	SEN-01	Adds sensory input, outreach value and cross-domain flexibility.
20	CMP-01	Connects hardware behaviour to the defining model equations.

Recommended development order and validation gates

1. Wave A — common foundations: FND-01, FND-02, FND-04, MET-01 and MET-02.

2. Gate 1 — platform timing/QC: empirically validate EPH-04 and define the metadata standard before finalising any timing-dependent values.

3. Wave B — core experiments: EPH-01, NPH-02, NPH-03, SYN-01, SYN-02 and SEN-01.

4. Wave C — analysis spine: DAT-01, DAT-02, DAT-03, DAT-04, STA-01 and STA-02.

5. Wave D — computation and integration: CMP-01 plus the first network, imaging and extracellular bridge modules once their active parameters and timing are validated.

6. Gate 2 — cross-board and simulation validation: measure network delays, confirm imaging preset application, and establish timestamped extracellular reference datasets before advanced modules are released.

Three initial course bundles from the shortlist

Bundle	Modules	Purpose
A. First neurophysiology practical	FND-01 → FND-04 → EPH-01 → NPH-02 → NPH-03 → DAT-02	A three- to four-hour first practical centred on manipulation, current clamp, threshold and QC.
B. Experimental data pathway	FND-02 → EPH-04 → MET-01/02/03 → DAT-01/02/03/04 → STA-01/02	A one- to two-day methods course from question and timing validation to uncertainty.
C. Synapses, sensation and computation	SYN-01 → SYN-02 → SEN-01 → CMP-01, with FND-01/FND-04 as prerequisites	A half- or full-day bundle showcasing distinctive physical inputs, functional E/I and model equations.

Template for later full module development

Section	Required content
1. Version and validation	Target board/firmware/GUI version; validation date; timing certificate; known limitations.
2. Teaching intent	Concept statement, audience, prerequisites, duration, context and module relationship code.
3. Outcomes and evidence	Observable learning outcomes and the learner artefact that demonstrates each.
4. Instructor preparation	Hardware setup, software environment, files, safety, pilot checks and fallback dataset.
5. Student activity	Prediction, configuration, protocol execution, acquisition, analysis, interpretation and limitation.
6. Data specification	Variables, units, sample interval, metadata, file naming and expected QC checks.
7. Analysis notebook	Minimal scaffold, visible assumptions, tests, figures and reproducibility information.
8. Assessment	Short evidence-based questions, artefact criteria and misconception checks; model answers maintained separately.
9. Differentiation	Lower-level, standard and advanced variants; outreach adaptation; accessibility considerations.
10. Sources and claims	Textbook sections, methods sources, implementation references and explicit prohibited overclaims.
11. Empirical validation record	Tested settings/ranges, failure modes, board-to-board variation and instructor troubleshooting.
12. Reuse connections	Inputs inherited from earlier modules and outputs exported to later modules/course bundles.