TissueDB/Composable Architecture

TissueDB uses a composable, layered template system to separate content concerns. This architecture ensures that simulator build pages remain focused exclusively on construction instructions, while usage training, assessment criteria, and learning outcomes appear in dedicated SELF Modules. This separation allows external editors, domain experts, and training teams to contribute their specialized content to the appropriate location without mixing concerns.

The Composable Architecture is built on three core principles:

1. Content Separation: Each page type serves a distinct purpose. Simulator build pages document construction only. Usage, learning objectives, and assessment belong in SELF Modules. 2. Layered Templates: Skeleton templates provide page structure and required sections. Databox templates embed metadata without disrupting reader experience. Page data templates provide search engine optimization. 3. Cross-Reference Integration: Pages reference each other through structured links. Materials columns link to TissueDB/Materials/. Tissues tables link to TissueDB/Tissues/. This creates a navigable knowledge graph.

The SELF Developer Playbook (January 2026, Section 3.3) establishes the fundamental principle: build pages contain construction only.

• Simulator Build Pages — document the physical assembly process, materials, step-by-step instructions, and verification checkpoints
• SELF Modules — document how to use the simulator during training, what clinical skills learners practice, what learning objectives are achieved, and how to assess learner competency
• Assessment Frameworks — separate from build pages; assessment content belongs in SELF Modules or linked curricula, never on the simulator build page itself

This separation reflects how medical educators work: a curriculum designer needs usage and assessment guidance; a simulator builder needs construction instructions. The same page cannot serve both purposes equally well.

TissueDB pages are assembled from three template layers:

Skeleton templates (example: {{TissueDB Simulator}}) provide the required page structure:

• Lead paragraph (clinical context and procedure description)
• General Information section (procedure overview, target audience)
• Tissues section (anatomical tissues being simulated, with links to TissueDB/Tissues/)
• Structural Parts section (non-tissue materials, assembly components)
• Build Instructions section, organized as === Phase N === subsections with step-by-step guidance
• Post-build sections for metadata (Simulator data template, Page data template)

The skeleton defines what sections MUST appear, their order, and their purpose. Editors fill the skeleton with page-specific content.

Databox templates (example: {{Simulator data}}) embed structured metadata without disrupting reader experience:

• Alternative names and synonyms
• Procedure classification
• Simulator family or project affiliation
• Training level
• Build time and skill requirements

Databoxes are placed at the end of the page, after build instructions, keeping reader-facing content at the top.

{{Page data}} template provides:

• SEO metadata (search keywords, author information)
• Revision history and governance information
• Category assignments for wiki organization

Page data appears at the very bottom, invisible to readers but essential for wiki structure.

Pages in TissueDB form a knowledge graph through systematic cross-references:

• Tissues Table — Each tissue being simulated links to its corresponding TissueDB/Tissues/ page (example: Artery). If a tissue page does not yet exist, a stub page is created.
• Materials Column — Each material used in construction links to its corresponding TissueDB/Materials/ page (example: Silicone Tubing). Materials pages document sourcing, cost, properties, and equivalent substitutes.
• Structures Pages — Anatomical systems (like the cardiovascular system) have their own pages that link to all simulators that practice procedures within that system.

This interconnected structure allows learners and educators to:

• Navigate from a simulator to the tissues it teaches
• Discover alternative materials for the same tissue simulation
• Find other simulators that practice related procedures
• Understand how individual simulators fit into larger clinical domains

Content decisions on TissueDB pages follow a clear authority hierarchy:

1. SELF Developer Playbook (January 2026) — Apex authority for content standards, materials format, build instruction format, and content separation 2. Owner Editorial Directives — Directives from the senior editor establishing quality standards, writing style, and tone 3. Platform Conventions — MediaWiki and Appropedia platform practices established by platform developers 4. Standard Mandates — Governance documents establishing rules for page creation, editing, and validation

When these authorities conflict, the SELF Developer Playbook takes precedence. When a directive appears in multiple forms (email, transcribed directive, published mandate), the most recent source is authoritative.

Simulators, materials, and tissues pages all use the same slot-based architecture:

Title slot

The page title (example: "Peripheral IV Trainer") — generic, clinically descriptive, no brand names

Alternative names slot

Synonyms and common abbreviations (example: "PIV Trainer, IV Simulator, Peripheral Line Practice")

Procedure slot

Clinical procedure trained by the simulator (example: "Peripheral intravenous line placement")

Materials slot

List of materials used in construction with sourcing, cost, and properties

Tissues slot

Anatomical tissues being simulated, linked to TissueDB/Tissues/ pages

Build instructions slot

Numbered steps within phases, verb-first format with verification checkpoints

Assessment slot

Links to SELF Modules or external curricula describing how competency is assessed (NOT inline on simulator page)

A complete medical simulation curriculum consists of:

Build Documentation (on TissueDB)

"How do I construct this simulator?" — Step-by-step assembly, parts list, preparation techniques, troubleshooting.

Module Documentation (in SELF Modules)

"How do I teach with this simulator?" — Learning objectives, skill progression, facilitation techniques, assessment rubrics, learner competency milestones.

The build page answers the equipment question. The module answers the pedagogy question. They must remain separate because they serve different users with different needs.

Example

The Peripheral IV Trainer build page documents welding the plastic frame, installing the practice arm, calibrating the fluid pressure system, and stocking materials. The corresponding SELF Module documents teaching novice nurses to recognize anatomical landmarks, locate veins, manage needle insertion angles, manage tourniquet technique, and assess competency through real-time observation and simulation fidelity metrics.

When creating a new simulator, material, or tissue page:

1. Use the appropriate skeleton template (Simulator, Material, or Tissue) 2. Fill slots with content traceable to source documentation (PDFs, expert reviews, published curricula) 3. Link the Tissues column to TissueDB/Tissues/ pages; create stubs if needed 4. Link the Materials column to TissueDB/Materials/ pages; create demand-driven pages 5. Do NOT include usage instructions, learning objectives, or assessment criteria on the build page 6. If the simulator trains a specific clinical procedure, ensure a corresponding SELF Module or curriculum exists or will be created 7. Verify all cross-references exist before publication 8. Use the three-source citation model: SELF Developer Playbook (section number), owner directive (code), or platform convention (SC-#### code)

Each template layer has detailed documentation in its own /doc subpage:

• Simulator Skeleton Documentation — sections, required parameters, examples
• Simulator Data Databox Documentation — metadata fields, allowed values
• Page Data Documentation — SEO and governance metadata

Editors contributing to TissueDB should read the relevant /doc page for the template they are using.

• Tissues Database
• Materials Database
• Simulators Index
• Developer Playbook (external link to training framework documentation)