This post is for the benefit of fresh Instructional Designers who want to learn about scenario based e-learning courses.
To begin with let me try and explain what a scenario based e-learning course is.
Scenario based e-learning courses use real life situations to teach the subject. Using real life scenarios heightens the relevance of the e-learning course simply because the focus is more on application than plain theory.
Scenario based approach is very effective especially in soft skill training. This approach is also used in software
training.
In a scenario based e-learning course the learner is presented with real life situations and is prompted to respond to the situation and in the process he/ she learns.
Scenario based courses are highly engaging and interactive. It requires the learner to be an active participant in the learning process. So if the learner is taking the course seriously he/she cannot switch his/her mind off from what is being taught.
Here is an example of a scenario based course on fraud detection.
This is a good example for branching scenrio. This is called branching scenario because all the scenarios are interlinked and essentially part of a single story. The learner responds to one situation and his/her response leads to the next situation and so on. Branching scenario is essentially a chain reaction.
You also have e-learning courses that show scenarios that are not essentially interlinked and very discrete.
For example in an e-learning course on customer service training for call centre employees the learner is put in different situations and is prompted to respond.
Scenario A might have a situation where a customer is complaining about his problem not yet resolved and the learner is asked to choose a response.
Scenario B might have a situation where a customer is requesting for some information and the learner is asked to choose a response.
The learner gets feedback for his/her response for each scenario which is not necessarily linked.
You can find some more examples of scenario based training here.
Scenario based e-learning courses work well with learners. At the same time for an Instructional Designer, it is highly challenging to create an effective scenario based e-learning course. I shall take up this topic in my next post.
Meanwhile if you want to share anything about scenario based e-learning course please feel free to post them in the comments section.
Some questions to help you get started:
- Have you create a scenario based e-learning course?
- What are the major challenges in creating a scenario based e-learning course?
- Are there any pain points?
- You have any good examples of scenario based course?
Rupa, interesting post.
a. We create scenarios based on the learner persona designed for the particular project. We also use all the information available (through the research conducted in the analysis phases) to us about their work environment. For branching stories, I prefer using excel sheets. It is easier to keep track of the flow.
b. The scenario must have the desired impact. The learners must be able to relate to it. The options must be challenging so that the learner gets an opportunity to apply their knowledge.
c. If accessibility to learner is a problem, the scenarios will be vague and based on assumptions. The risk in such situation of the impact being low is high. The scenarios should be forced and must have enough meat and depth for the learners to make informed choices.
d. My favorite scenario based demos:
http://alleni.com/books/Resources/EAP/lifescape_good.htm
http://www.enspire.com/demo/accountchall_demo/movie.html?one=1235558234125
Thanks for the information Archana.
And the demo links you have posted are worth bookmarking
Hi Rupa, I see why you have written so much about scenario based learning. It is relevance that engages an adult learner at the end of the day and that what we should be doing.
Thanks for sharing!
Sreya
Sreya, You are welcome
I should say designing a scenario based course is a very challenging work.
Hi Rupa
Very good post!! First time I am writing to this blog. I think we can use a flowchart to depict branching scenarios. They have been very helpful to me while designing scenario based SBs for technical courses.
BTW, I have always worked on technical courses. I would like to view some samples of soft skill courses and some sample SBs for soft skill courses. Any idea where I can get them?
How can we create brnaching scenarios? Is there any any simple and free tool available for the same?
Hi Monika
There might be many ways in which you implement the branching scenario. You might do it programmatically or use any tool like Articulate.
When you design a branching scenario you just need a paper and a pencil or some tool like mindmapping software
This is really an interesting post as usually from Rupa. But the challange in SBL is that the IDs need to understand the content so well. In addition, they need to get help from the SMEs on the scenarios created by the IDs. Furthermore, the IDs need to be story-tellers to write scenes to the related content. Moreover, the IDs need to logical in terms of branching.