Go Beyond Boring: Creating Scenario-based Learning That Engages Participants (Podcast)
Listen to the recording to learn why scenario-based learning engages participants, including how to “hook” learners and draw them into the story.
Storytelling & Scenarios
Consider 4 Cs in Scenario-Based Learning
When creating scenario-based learning, consider 4 Cs: characters, context, challenge, and consequences.
Cutscenes in Branching Scenarios
Borrow from video game design to create cutscenes in branching scenarios: short scenes that move the plot forward without requiring interaction.
What Challenges Do Your Characters Face?
A story with no challenges is boring and won’t engage your learners. When we use stories for learning, the challenges should mimic the kinds of issues learners will face in their real workplace. You don’t need an evil villain in your story, but you do need obstacles to overcome.
What’s Your Character’s Goal?
Scenarios for learning should include several critical elements: a protagonist or main character, that character’s goal, and the challenges that character faces. The main character’s goal is what drives the scenario. All of the action and decisions in the scenario move you closer or further from that goal.
Twine Makes Branching Scenarios Easier
The free open source tool Twine makes planning, writing, and creating branching scenarios easier. It provides a simple way to create functional prototypes.
Protagonists Should Be Like Your Learners
In stories for learning, the protagonist should be someone your learners identify with, a person with similar goals and challenges.
How many options in branching scenario decisions?
How many options do you need in a branching scenario for each decision point? What number gives the best balance of realism and manageable complexity?
Mini-Scenarios for Assessment
Use one-question mini-scenarios to make your assessments more relevant and valuable. They’re fast, flexible, and can work in virtually any tool.
Scenario-Based Learning Webinar Recording
Watch the recording of my webinar with Swapna Reddy on scenario-based learning.