An online course should never be an information dump whereby the learner repetitively clicks next, often in an effort to get through the material as soon as they can. If you want your course to be impactful and deliver results, the course must include interactions and knowledge checks that ideally test the learner’s ability to think critically when faced with similar decisions they need to make while on the job. This is where scenario-based learning comes in.
Scenario-based learning is an effective learning strategy that incorporates realistic scenarios whereby learners must make choices that have real consequences, all in a safe learning environment. By using branching scenarios, learners can experience a unique learning path with each choice leading to a different outcome. A perfect solution for learners to practice key skills required to perform their jobs and learn from their mistakes.
Some examples of when scenario-based learning may be the ideal solution to meet your training goals, include:
- Communication and sales training (ex. dealing with difficult customers, selecting the best solution for a specific customer’s needs)
- High-risk training (presenting dangerous situations where learner has to make critical decisions quickly – without facing real dire consequences)
- Software simulation (learners are presented with several scenarios and are required to navigate and enter information properly in a simulation of your company’s software)
Here’s some quick tips for designing an effective scenario-based course:
- To start, think about what the learning objectives are. What behaviours do you want to change? What do you want learners to do when they’ve completed your branching scenario?
- Introduce characters that the learner can interact with. Characters can help set the scene and create a realistic scenarios as well as provide feedback.
- Make a list of all the decisions a learner would make on the job. Think of all the common mistakes or incorrect decisions people make on the job.
- Design learner choices for each decision. The choices shouldn’t be obvious and should make the learner problem solve and think critically and ideally includes choices that are ‘good’, ‘better’, and ‘best’.
- Design branching paths. Allow the learner to see the impact of their decisions, instead of simply providing immediate feedback and showing the correct answer. The key with scenario-based learning is to allow learners to learn from their mistakes.
- Allow learners to try again. Incorrect branching paths should bring the learner back to the critical decision point so they can try again.
- Provide detailed and specific feedback. It should be focused and constructive. It’s important for learners to understand why their choice was incorrect. In some cases, your feedback should be delayed for learners to really experience the impact of their decisions as they proceed down the wrong path.
These tips should help get you started with designing your scenario-based training. Comprehend can help bring your ideas to life! Contact us about your training goals and we’ll be happy to design a training strategy, develop a demo, and give you a quote!