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How to save the world with elearning scenarios

The document details a presentation about redesigning an ineffective safety course for teen restaurant workers, aimed at reducing injuries. It emphasizes using realistic scenarios and interactive decision-making to enhance learners' engagement and retention, in contrast to traditional approaches that rely on rote memorization. The author compares their instructional design to a competitor's flashy but less effective methods, ultimately demonstrating that well-crafted scenarios led to improved learner behavior and safety outcomes.

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Instructional Design•
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