elearning devcon

1. Scenarios
Debbie Richards
Creative Interactive Ideas
debbie@cre8iveii.com
http://twitter.com/cre8iveii
http://cre8iveii.blogspot.com/

2. Scenarios
1. You will learn best practices for writing
and creating branching or "soft-skills"
scenarios.
2. I will demonstrate Rapid Development
tools used to create scenarios.
3. You will create your own branching
scenario.

3. Scenarios
A scenario can put the course content into
a context that is relevant to the learners
because they can use the information in a
real world setting.
• The learner is presented a problem and
must choose a response.
• The learner's responses determine the
path through the scenario.

4. WRITING SCENARIOS

5. Types
• Problem based learning
• Puzzle based Learning
• Learning by doing
• Associative Learning
• Case based Learning
• Character based Learning

6. Flow
• Describe the scenario
• Describe content concerning the topic
• Describe a problem – could use characters
• Give an opportunity to the learner to make a
decision
• Offer some choices
• Offer some feedback which will lead to the next
problem based scenario and topic

7. Tips
• Start with a goal
• Provide key data
• Present options
• Show what happens
• Link to further learning
http://www.kineo.com/elearning-tips/top-11-ok-heres-the-scenario.html

8. Idea 1
Tell the story and then ask some
questions
• Tell your story – as always, keep it short and sharp.
• And make it relevant to the content.
• When it’s done, ask a series of questions to go a little
deeper, confirm understanding, and – most
importantly – forge a memorable connection in the
learner’s brain.
http://www.kineo.com/elearning-tips/tip-40-three-ways-to-use-scenarios.html

9. Idea 2
Ask questions throughout the scenario
• At crucial points in the conversation you stop and ask
for the learner’s input: “Joe’s not sure what to do
next? What would you advise him to do?”
• The learner chooses from one of a set of plausible
options.
http://www.kineo.com/elearning-tips/tip-40-three-ways-to-use-scenarios.html

10. Idea 3
Use questions for branching.
• As you design a branching program, first set out the
“perfect route”.
• That is, go through the entire scenario the right way.
• Get that documented, and then do some critical
error analysis to find those natural points where
learners diverge from the ‘Yellow Brick Road’.
http://www.kineo.com/elearning-tips/tip-40-three-ways-to-use-scenarios.html

11. Keep in Mind
Regardless of which approach you end up
using, keep in mind the key traits of a
simulation:
• Accurate representation of real situations
• Opportunities to make realistic choices
• Accurate representation of the consequences
• Feedback and remediation on suboptimal choices
http://www.kineo.com/elearning-tips/tip-40-three-ways-to-use-scenarios.html

12. Examples
Show examples that I’ve collected….
• http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/how-to-
add-scenarios-to-your-rapid-elearning-courses/
• Captivate Sample
• Thiagi card trick

13. REVIEW INFO AND MAKE DECISION

14. Branching Scenario
• The scenarios are interlinked and part of
a single story.
• The learner responds to
one situation and his/her response leads
to the next situation.

15. Review Info and Make Decision
• This example allows the learner to review
the course content and then make a
choice.
• Once a choice is selected, the learner is
directed to another screen with
additional choices.

16. Getting Home
You have just been to a concert downtown,
and you need to get home. It is midnight.
What will you do?
– Take a cab.
– Go to the bus stop to catch a bus.

17. Question: How to get home
Decision A1 Decision B1
Cab Bus

18. Take a Cab
You flag down a cab but the driver says it
will cost $15 to take you home. You only
have $5. What do you do?
– Go to the bus stop to catch a bus.
– Start walking home
– Call your spouse to come get you.

19. Question: How to get home
Decision A1 Decision B1
Cab Bus
Outcome A1

20. Question: How to get home
Decision A1 Decision B1
Cab Bus
Outcome A1
Decision A2
Walk Home
Outcome A2

21. Start walking home
You walk all the way home. You get home
at 5 a.m., and your partner is mad with
you. You only just have time to shower and
then you have to leave for work again.

22. Question: How to get home
Decision A1 Decision B1
Cab Bus
Outcome A1
Decision A2 Decision A3
Walk Home Get Ride
Outcome A2 Outcome A3

23. Call your spouse to come get you
You call your spouse, who is happy to come
and pick you up. You're home in an hour!

24. Question: How to get home
Decision A1 Decision B1
Cab Bus
Outcome A1 Outcome B1
Decision A2 Decision A3
Walk Home Get Ride

25. Go to the bus stop to catch a bus
You go to the bus stop but your last bus
has already left – you are too late. What
do you do?
– Start walking home
– Call your spouse to come get you.

26. Question: How to get home
Decision A1 Decision B1
Cab Bus
Outcome A1 Outcome B1
Decision A2 Decision A3
Walk Home Get Ride
Outcome A2 Outcome A3

27. Start walking home
You walk all the way home. You get home
at 5 a.m., and your partner is mad with
you. You only just have time to shower and
then you have to leave for work again.

28. Call your spouse to come get you
You call your spouse, who is happy to come
and pick you up. You're home in an hour!

29. Using PowerPoint
• Create your own navigation in the
PowerPoint slide using hyperlinks
• Give the learners the ability to go back
and start over

30. Using Articulate Quizmaker
• Use Survey Questions and Blank slides
• Create all the questions and then go back
and use Feedback/Branching
• Make sure “User may attempt quiz” is set
to “unlimited times”

31. EXTRAS

32. Tips
http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/7-tips-for-better-e-
learning-scenarios/
http://community.articulate.com/blogs/david/archive/2010/11/
23/hands-on-creating-branching-scenarios.aspx
http://www.slideshare.net/CathyMoore/how-to-save-the-world-
with-elearning-scenarios

33. Mindmapping Software
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map
FreeMind:
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Cmap
http://cmap.ihmc.us/
Mindjet
http://www.mindjet.com/
MindMeister
http://www.mindmeister.com/?r=1182

34. Scenario software
Quandary -
http://www.halfbakedsoftware.com/quandary.php
Simwriter - http://www.nexlearn.com/?q=node/1
Proform -
http://www.rapidintake.com/products/general/creating-
branching-scenarios-in-elearning-course/
http://elearningtemplates.com/better-looking-scenarios/

35. Examples
• http://www.rapidintake.com/tutorials/softskills_sim_sample/player.html
• http://www.worldwarfighter.com/hajikamal/activity/
• http://www.hhs.gov/ash/initiatives/hai/training/
• http://www.insidedisaster.com/experience/Main.html