Scenario-Based e-Learning: Complex or Simple?
by Steve Jones, Enerdynamics Course Developer
Scenario-based e-learning is an effective tool for knowledge transfer. While scenarios are often detailed enough to be realistic, they don’t need to be complex. In fact, they can be quite simple. Modern authoring tools allow developers to quickly build effective and engaging simple scenarios.
What is Scenario-Based E-Learning?
Ruth Colvin Clark defines scenario-based e-learning as:
“Scenario-based e-learning is a preplanned guided inductive learning environment designed to accelerate expertise in which the learner assumes the role of an actor responding to a work-realistic assignment or challenge, which in turn responds to reflect the learner’s choices.”[1]
Scenario-based e-learning allows learners to try performing a job task or decision in a low-risk setting and receive instant feedback. This has many advantages. Scenarios allow learners to make mistakes in a consequence-free environment and get instant feedback. Since it’s not passive, directed learning, learners find it more interesting and realistic. It gives learners the opportunity to try out skills and knowledge they’ll use on the job.
When Should Scenario-Based E-Learning Be Used?
It is most effective for strategic tasks in which employees need to exercise judgement and make decisions. Scenarios are not well suited for training procedural tasks. For example, you wouldn’t use a scenario to teach how to tie a specific knot, but you would to teach which knot to tie in specific situations.
Whether it’s a complex and detailed branching scenario in a virtual world or a simple click-and-reveal exercise, scenario-based e-learning follows a simple pattern:
The e-learning authoring software available makes it tempting to create complex branching scenarios. You can also gamify a scenario. For example, the Noncommissioned Officer’s Academy has a gamified scenario that places the learner with an inexperienced officer in Afghanistan. These scenarios can be very effective but also difficult and time-consuming to build. The same software allows developers to build simpler yet highly effective scenarios. Depending on the subject matter, you can build just a one-slide scenario interaction that states a situation, asks a decision question, presents choices, and gives feedback. See this example from our upcoming Distributed Energy Resource Technologies course:
Now a simple interaction won’t replace the Non-commissioned Officer’s Academy example, but it can be very effective if used as knowledge checks when interspersed throughout a course.
So, if you want to use a scenario in your e-learning, don’t feel obligated to design, develop, and build a complex simulation to be effective. You can create a simple exercise that states a situation, asks a challenge question, gives choices, and delivers instant feedback. For further reading, we suggest Scenario-Based e-Learning by Ruth Colvin Clark.
Footnotes:
[1] Clark, R. C. (2013). Scenario-based e-learning: Evidence-based guidelines for online workforce learning. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons. pg. 5
