[workshop-sim] Repair: Add model-access pre-flight checklist gate to Step 8 before workflow trigger

[github-actions]

Problem Statement

Step 8 (08-run-your-workflow.md) has the highest dropout rate in the cohort: 64.9% (29 834 total failures across 46 × 1 000 Monte Carlo runs). The step has authDemand = 1.0 because executing the workflow requires either:

• copilot-requests: write in the workflow's permissions block (default Copilot engine), or
• A third-party secret (ANTHROPIC_API_KEY / OPENAI_API_KEY) configured in Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions.

Students who did not configure model access before reaching Step 8 fail immediately when the workflow runs. The step already contains a "Before You Trigger: Verify Model Access" section and a troubleshooting table, but these appear mid-page and are easy to miss for impatient or confused learners. The simulation shows that github-basic and actions-user profiles — who navigate setup quickly — hit this wall most frequently (~900/1 000 failure runs each).

Failure mode classification: Access barrier

Proposed Change

1. Convert the existing "Before You Trigger" section into a hard gate: move it to the very top of the page, above all other content, and reframe it as a > [!IMPORTANT] checklist that must be satisfied before any trigger action.
2. Add a one-sentence summary at the start of the gate: "This step will fail silently unless model access is configured. Complete each item below before clicking Run."
3. Keep the existing troubleshooting table unchanged — it is well-structured and already covers the three failure modes. Ensure the side-quest links are presented as clickable alternatives, not just footnotes.
4. Add a "Model access ready ✅" confirmation checkbox at the bottom of the gate that learners tick before proceeding to the trigger section.

No content is removed. No hands-on practice is reduced. The troubleshooting table, the side quests, and the run instructions are preserved exactly.

Quantitative Guardrail

Metric	Current	Expected after change
overall_score (08-run-your-workflow.md)	8.96	8.96 → 9.1 (callout structure improves style_compliance)
active_learning	4.9	4.9 → 5.2 (confirmation checkbox is an active task)
checkpoint_quality	10.0	10.0 (preserved)
scaffolding	10.0	10.0 (preserved)
Step learning KPI index: (2×4.9 + 2×10 + 1.5×10) / 5.5	8.15	≥ 8.15 (no decrease)
Cohort learning KPI index	8.22	≥ 8.22

The change adds structure — it does not remove or simplify any concept or practice requirement. Learners still complete the full model-access verification; they just do it earlier and more visibly.

Acceptance Criteria

• The overall_score for 08-run-your-workflow.md stays at ≥ 8.96 in the shared curriculum quantitative assessment rubric after the change.
• The step's learning KPI index (2.0 × active_learning + 2.0 × checkpoint_quality + 1.5 × scaffolding) / 5.5 stays at ≥ 8.15 (current: 8.15) — confirming that learners who remain in the workshop continue to build skills effectively.
• Hands-on practice, the troubleshooting table, and the workflow run/watch instructions are fully preserved; no practice activity is removed or weakened.
• A new > [!IMPORTANT] model-access gate section appears before the "Before You Start" prerequisites block and includes a confirmation checkbox.

Suggested owner: workshop maintainer (content change only — no tooling or YAML edits required)

Generated by 🔬 Workshop Student Simulator · 79.9 AIC · ⌖ 6.75 AIC · ⊞ 8.9K · ◷

• expires on Jul 17, 2026, 6:27 PM UTC