A well-written scenario makes learning personal by inviting your learners to practice real-world challenges and apply what they’ve learned in a safe environment. In this webinar, eLearning Brothers Senior Product Manager Chris Willis joined us to talk about using characters and scenarios in eLearning development.
Today, Chris Willis covered:
1. The Role of Training Scenarios
Chris challenged attendees with the question "Why use scenarios?" Here are some of their responses:
- To make it relevant and realistic
- A narrative is a powerful way to transfer knowledge
- Helps learners understand the WHY
- It's just more fun!
2. Seven Rules for Effective Scenarios
- Make a Mental Connection
- Model Real Life
- Connect to Outcomes
- Right Size
- Get Real
- First Things First
- Get the Facts
3. How You Can Use eLearning Brothers Conversation Starter Templates to Author More Engaging Scenarios
Chris walked attendees through different conversation starter templates available in the eLearning Brothers Library. Attendees got a chance to brainstorm different uses for each template. It was inspiring to see the wide variety of topics different people envisioned for just one template.
Open Q&A From the Webinar
In the Q&A at the end of the webinar, an attendee asked, "Do you have any guidance in terms of how much information should be provided in feedback to support the decision the learner made?"
Chris responded with my new favorite quote: "Feedback should be like a pair of shorts—long enough to cover the topic but short enough to keep it interesting."
Another attendee asked about research supporting the theory that using characters can improve learning retention or make for better scenarios.
One source is The Personalization Principle by Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard E. Mayer, which shows that learning is more effective when it uses conversational style and virtual coaches. This concept is also touched upon in an article in Learning Solutions Magazine (page 7).
Thanks for a great webinar, Chris!
Sign up for a free 7-day trial of the eLearning Brothers Asset library to explore all the templates and graphics available for your next learning development project.
