How to save the world with elearning scenarios
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How to elearning scenarios save the world with
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17-Oct-2014 -
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In this story, your small elearning design firm competes with a larger one to create real-world change with decision-making scenarios. The presentation helps you break away from the usual information-first approach to elearning design.
Transcript of How to save the world with elearning scenarios
How to
elearning scenarios
save the worldwith
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.
Our client
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.
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
Assessment
What can we say about the assessments?
Organization
Content
Assessment
They ask learners to regurgitate facts, including facts that probably aren’t going to have a big impact.
The original designers took a traditional approach.
What’s our real goal?
Reduce serving-related injuries 8% by 2012
Reduce serving injuries
Move the glass
Don’t count cash in front of customers
Carry trays with elbowsclose to body
Have people in boothspass plates
Put heavier items in the center of the tray
Real-world actions that learners need to take
Reduce serving injuries
Move the glass
Don’t count cash in front of customers
Carry trays with elbowsclose to body
Have people in boothspass plates
Put heavier items in the center of the tray
Fiona serves booths. Her back hurts.Watch her serve and then give advice.
Realistic online activity that helps learners practice those actions
Reduce serving injuries
Move the glass
Don’t count cash in front of customers
Carry trays with elbowsclose to body
Have people in boothspass plates
Put heavier items in the center of the tray
Fiona serves booths. Her back hurts.Watch her serve and then give advice.
Sid has a big order. Help him fill the tray and decide how to carry it.
Fiona serves booths. Her back hurts.Watch her serve and then give advice.
What do these activities have in common?
Sid has a big order. Help him fill the tray and decide how to carry it.
Fiona serves booths. Her back hurts.Watch her serve and then give advice.
A character faces a challenge
Sid has a big order. Help him fill the tray and decide how to carry it.
Our job is to help people learn.
Our job is to help people learn.
solve problems
Our job is to help people learn.
solve problems
What real-world problems do your learners need to solve?
Using Linguistically, Culturally, and Situationally Appropriate Scenarios to Support Real-World Remembering by Will Thalheimer
www.work-learning.com
Great summary of research showing why scenarios work
Realistic decision-making scenarioshelp us practice retrieving information
“Well-designed decision-making scenarios are particularly potent in creating
long-term remembering.”
Realistic decision-making scenarioshelp us practice retrieving information
-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.Watch her serve and then give advice.
A character faces a challenge
Sid has a big order. Help him fill the tray and decide how to carry it.
How we plan to approach the activities
Where should you put the heaviest object on a tray?
A.In the centerB.Close to your bodyC.Far from your body
How the original course designers did it
x
Incorrect. The tray could spill its contents on you. Try again.
Where should you put the heaviest object on a tray?
A.In the centerB.Close to your bodyC.Far from your body
Prototype!
Sid
What’s the difference?
Show Don’t tell
When you give someone advice, do they immediately obey?
A. You can support it with your chest.
B. It makes your triceps help your biceps.
A. It counterbalances the weight of the turkey.
B. It keeps the hot liquid away from you.
A. It looks best to have the tallest thing in the middle.
B. It centers the weight on your hand.
Make learners justify their choices. This challenges their assumptions & makes them think deeply about the material.
Contextual feedback here will help learners see where they went wrong.
Our job is to help people learn.
solve problems
“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...”
Our spy at Alpha has sent us this prototype 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?
Original version
Alpha’s version
“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...”
Original version
Alpha’s version
“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...”
We’re not worried, because Tim just tells learners the rules. So far, Alpha hasn’t really changed the design of the original course...
Original version
Alpha’s version
“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...”
...and since the original course didn’t work well, the mere addition of Tim won’t make it much better.
It’s the design, not the technology.
Elearning and the Science of Instructionby Ruth Clark and Richard Mayer
Get this book to learn what types of media help and what types don’t help.
“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!
Never put a TDA form in the recycling bin. TDA forms should be shredded.
1.
Privacy course: before
Never put a TDA form in the recycling bin. TDA forms should be shredded.
1.
2.
Never put a TDA form in the recycling bin. TDA forms should be shredded.
1.
2.
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?
See a TDA form Ask a human
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.
Our job is to help people learn.
solve problems
Our job is to help people learn.
solve problems
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% by 2012
When the old courses were being used, the restaurant and agriculture sectors each had about 180 injuries per quarter.
Reduce injuries 8% by 2012
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 production.
We get to overhaul all the safety courses and...
...become telecommuters!
Mortimer liked our ideas, so he’s leaving Alpha to join our firm.
Our job is to help people learn.
solve problems
in the real world
Our job is to design information.
Our job is to design information.
an experience
ElearningBlueprint.comInteractive job aid that helps anyone create lively elearning
MakingChangeBlog.comMore ideas like the ones in this slideshow
Want more?
© 2009 by Cathy Moore | [email protected]
