How to
save the world
with
elearning
scenarios

This is an adapted version of talks I gave at
Australian Flexible Learning Framework
events in 2009.
The original slides had little text. I’ve
summarized my spiel and tacked it onto
the slides in a box like this one.

You and I work for an elearning design
firm. Our client is a government
agency that wants us to overhaul a
safety course for teen workers. The
current course isn’t changing learners’
behavior.
Our client

Typical learner

They work in restaurants.

Our goal
If our course reduces injuries...

...we’ll get to overhaul all 22 of their safety courses!
With the money we make, we’ll...

...buy everyone a laptop and become
a 100% telecommuting organization!

Let’s look at the course we’re
supposed to overhaul.
Try to ignore the visual design. Look
instead at the instructional design--
how the course tries to change
learners’ knowledge and behavior.

Organization
We’ll probably keep this organization, so
learners can be assigned the material that’s
relevant to their job.

Organization
Content
What can we say about the content?
Will it reduce injuries?

Organization
Content
The content is just a list of rules.
It’s tempting to skim them and
forget them.

Organization
Content
What can we say about the
assessments?
Assessment

Organization
Content
They ask learners to regurgitate
facts, including facts that probably
aren’t going to have a big impact.
Assessment

The original designers took a
traditional approach.

What’s our real goal?

Reduce serving-related
injuries 8% by 2012

Real-world actions that
learners need to take
Move the glass Put heavier items in
the center of the tray
Reduce serving
Have people in booths injuries
pass plates Carry trays with elbows
close to body
Don’t count cash
in front of customers

Realistic online activity that
Fiona serves booths. Her back hurts. helps learners practice those
Watch her serve and then give advice. actions
Move the glass Put heavier items in
the center of the tray
Reduce serving
Have people in booths injuries
pass plates Carry trays with elbows
close to body
Don’t count cash
in front of customers

Fiona serves booths. Her back hurts. Sid has a big order. Help him fill the
Watch her serve and then give advice. tray and decide how to carry it.
Move the glass Put heavier items in
the center of the tray
Reduce serving
Have people in booths injuries
pass plates Carry trays with elbows
close to body
Don’t count cash
in front of customers

Fiona serves booths. Her back hurts. Sid has a big order. Help him fill the
Watch her serve and then give advice. tray and decide how to carry it.
What do these activities have in common?

Fiona serves booths. Her back hurts. Sid has a big order. Help him fill the
Watch her serve and then give advice. tray and decide how to carry it.
A character faces a challenge

Our job is to help people learn.

solve problems
Our job is to help people learn.

solve problems
Our job is to help people learn.
What real-world problems
do your learners need to solve?

Great summary of research
showing why scenarios work
www.work-learning.com
Using Linguistically, Culturally,
and Situationally Appropriate
Scenarios to Support Real-
World Remembering
by Will Thalheimer

Realistic decision-making scenarios
help us practice retrieving information

Realistic decision-making scenarios
help us practice retrieving information
“Well-designed decision-making scenarios
are particularly potent in creating
long-term remembering.”
-Will Thalheimer

Alpha is competing
with us for the
safety courses!
We’re DOOMED!
Our colleague

Alpha Elearning, our biggest
competitor, has deep pockets.

They also have Mortimer King, the
best Flash developer in the industry.

Our client has asked Alpha to
overhaul their agricultural
safety course. If Alpha’s course
reduces injuries, ...

...Alpha gets to rework all the
safety courses!

Alpha has Mortimer King.

We just have this cheap digital
camera and access to the teens
who work at Buddy Bill’s Burger
Barn.

Our instructional design will have
to be strong to compete against
the bling that Mortimer will bring
to Alpha’s course.

Fiona serves booths. Her back hurts. Sid has a big order. Help him fill the
Watch her serve and then give advice. tray and decide how to carry it.
How we plan to approach the activities
A character faces a challenge

How the original course designers did it
Where should you put the
heaviest object on a tray?
A.In the center
B.Close to your body
C.Far from your body

Where should you put the
heaviest object on a tray?
A.In the center
x B.Close to your body
C.Far from your body
Incorrect. The tray could spill
its contents on you. Try again.

Prototype!
Sid

What’s the difference?

Show Don’t tell

When you give
someone advice, do
they immediately
obey?

Make learners justify
their choices. This
challenges their
assumptions & makes
them think deeply
about the material.
A. You can support it A. It looks best to have A. It counterbalances the
with your chest. the tallest thing in weight of the turkey.
B. It makes your triceps the middle. B. It keeps the hot liquid
help your biceps. B. It centers the weight away from you.
on your hand.

Contextual feedback
here will help
learners see where
they went wrong.

solve problems
Our job is to help people learn.

“Welcome to your
new job! I’ve
been driving a
tractor since I
was 15. I guess
that’s why the
boss wants me to
tell you how to
be safe on your
Our spy at Alpha has tractor. First,
sent us this prototype you need to...”
of Tim, an animated
talking avatar.

“Welcome to your
new job! I’ve
been driving a
tractor since I
was 15. I guess
that’s why the
boss wants me to
tell you how to
be safe on your
tractor. First,
you need to...”
Tim’s pretty slick!
Should we be worried?

“Welcome to your
new job! I’ve
been driving a
Original version tractor since I
was 15. I guess
that’s why the
boss wants me to
tell you how
to be safe on
your tractor.
Alpha’s version First, you need
to...”

“Welcome to your
new job! I’ve
been driving a
Original version tractor since I
was 15. I guess
that’s why the
boss wants me to
We’re not worried,
because Tim just tells tell you how
learners the rules. So to be safe on
your tractor.
far, Alpha hasn’t really
changed the design of Alpha’s version First, you need
to...”
the original course...

“Welcome to your
new job! I’ve
been driving a
Original version tractor since I
was 15. I guess
that’s why the
boss wants me to
...and since the original tell you how
course didn’t work to be safe on
well, the mere addition your tractor.
of Tim won’t make it Alpha’s version First, you need
much better. to...”

It’s the design, not the technology.

Get this book to learn what types of
media help and what types don’t help.
Elearning and the Science of Instruction
by Ruth Clark and Richard Mayer

“Traditional” elearning: info followed by activity.

Blah blah blah Quiz!

Blah blah blah Quiz!
Blah blah blah Quiz!
Blah blah blah Quiz!
Blah blah blah Quiz!

Try this instead! Immerse learners in a stream
of activities that contain the necessary info.

Michael Allen’s Guide to Elearning
Get this book!

Privacy course: before
1.
Never put a TDA
form in the recycling
bin. TDA forms
should be shredded.

2.
1.
Never put a TDA
form in the recycling
bin. TDA forms
should be shredded.

2.
1.
Never put a TDA
form in the recycling
bin. TDA forms
should be shredded.
The activity tests short-term memory
more than real understanding.

1.
Instead, plunge learners
straight into the activity.

1.
Learners evaluate the form
themselves. Does it ask for
private info?
Ask a human
See a TDA form
See a summary of
the privacy policy

Mockup of our tray activity

We don’t list rules. Instead,
Sid briefly describes his
problem and asks for help
with the first step.

Feedback provides the
necessary info, since our
information is basic.

There’s a huge crowd at
the table, and they look like
big tippers--motivation!

More from our spy at
Alpha! It’s an activity that
was in the original course
but that Mortimer is going
to make really slick.

How it works:
1. Click a tile. The tile
reveals an image (e.g.,
airplane).
2. Click the image that
matches.
3. You see a quiz question. If
your answer is correct, the
tile flips again to reveal part
of a larger picture.

Mortimer will make this
look really impressive.
Will it change learners’
behavior? Should we be
worried?

We’re not worried,
because this is just a
slightly more engaging
quiz about facts. Like
most game-show
quizzes, it doesn’t test
whether learners can
apply the information.

solve problems
Our job is to help people learn.

solve problems
Our job is to help people learn.
in the real world

Reduce injuries 8%
by 2012
We’re done! Alpha and our
firm have submitted our
courses, and they’ve been
used in the field for one
quarter. Which course
reduced injuries the most?

Reduce injuries 8% When the old courses
by 2012 were being used, the
restaurant and agriculture
sectors each had about
180 injuries per quarter.

Alpha’s course reduced injuries a bit. Tim
and the extra bling provided by Mortimer
probably improved completion rates.
Reduce injuries 8%
by 2012

We win! Our scenarios actually changed
learners’ behavior. Our instructional
design was stronger than Alpha’s slick
Reduce injuries 8% production.
by 2012

We get to overhaul all the safety courses
and...

...become telecommuters!

Mortimer liked our ideas, so
he’s leaving Alpha to join our
firm.

solve problems
Our job is to help people learn.
in the real world

Our job is to design information.

an experience
Our job is to design information.

Want more?
MakingChangeBlog.com
More ideas like the ones
in this slideshow
ElearningBlueprint.com
Interactive job aid that
helps anyone create
lively elearning
© 2009 by Cathy Moore | cathy@cathy-moore.com