This guide includes the following sections:
- Scheduling a Crisis Simulation exercise: platform navigation
- How to schedule an asynchronous exercise (single player or drill)
- How to schedule a facilitated exercise (presentation)
Scheduling a Crisis Simulation exercise: platform navigation
1. Navigate to 'Exercise' in the main navigation menu and Immersive Crisis Simulations.
2. Select the 'Schedule Exercise' button.
3. Select what type of exercise you'd like to schedule.
You can run an exercise asynchronously by choosing a single-player or drill exercise type, or choose to run a facilitated presentation exercise.
Find out more on exercise types here: Before Scheduling an Exercise: Considerations.
Select the type of exercise you want to schedule and then follow the instructions:
- How to schedule an asynchronous exercise (single-player or drill)
- How to schedule a facilitated exercise (presentation)
How to schedule an asynchronous exercise (single player or drill)
After selecting 'single player' or 'drill' on the exercise type page:
4. Choose a scenario.
Browse templated existing Immersive Labs scenarios we've created for you to use, or select a custom scenario created from scratch. You must create the scenario prior to setting up the exercise. For support in creating your own scenario, see our Creating Custom Scenarios page. For guidance on choosing a scenario see: Choosing a Scenario.
5. Choose exercise settings. This includes setting a title and a deadline.
Deadline options include setting a start date and an end date.
Note: Choosing specific dates results in the exercise starting/ending at midnight UTC on the dates chosen.
When considering duration, a month is the recommended time frame. Additionally, to ensure completion, send reminders using your organization's internal communication channels (e.g. Slack, intranet, email).
6. Assign participants to your exercise.
For single player, you can:
- Assign teams, as well as individuals. Assigning to teams will result in the exercise report being segmented by team. Note: the exercise will only be assigned to users that were members of the team at the moment of assignment.
- Select 'automatically assign to new users' if you would like everyone in your organization holding an Immersive Crisis Simulations license to be assigned the exercise upon joining the platform. This only applies to accounts/licenses added after the exercise has already been created.
- Select 'assign to organization' if you'd like everyone in your organization on the platform to be assigned the exercise.
For drill, you will need to assign a user to each role.
Note: Only one user can be assigned per role, but the same user can be assigned multiple roles.
Available roles will be visible within each scenario, including a description of the role and the tasks role assignment will involve.
7. Review the exercise, then select 'confirm' and 'publish'.
This will trigger email notifications to participants.
How to schedule a facilitated exercise (presentation)
After selecting 'Presentation' in the exercise type page:
4. Choose a scenario.
Browse templated existing Immersive Labs scenarios we've created for you to use, or select a custom scenario created from scratch. You must create the scenario prior to setting up the exercise. For support in creating your own scenario, see our Creating Custom Scenarios page.
For guidance on choosing a scenario see: Choosing a Scenario.
5. Choose exercise settings. This includes setting a title, start and end date, and choosing whether to capture voter names.
- When considering duration, a month is the recommended time frame. Additionally, to ensure completion, send reminders using your organization's internal communication channels (e.g., Slack, intranet, email).
- Selecting require participant names means participants will be prompted to input their first and last names when joining the exercise. This will then be reflected in reporting data. Not enabling this option will result in votes being anonymous.
6. Review your exercise, then select 'confirm', and 'publish'.
7. Select 'Activate Exercise', followed by 'Play Exercise'.
8. Distribute the details to participants.
Details to include:
- Conferencing details (e.g., Zoom/ Microsoft Teams) if you are presenting virtually
- The code generated or the QR code
When you start/play a presentation exercise, a code and QR code will be generated. Participants will need one of these to connect to the exercise and vote. Consider whether you want to share this beforehand, or whether you want to include these on the day of/in your presentation.
- The URL: https://play.immersivelabs.online/ where participants will need to input the unique exercise code to join the exercise:
Be sure to send a number of reminders to participants promoting the event/presentation two weeks before it's scheduled. The details listed above should be included in these reminders.