(With many thanks to Karl Kapp and Robin Yap for providing the inspiration for this article)

"No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee."

John Donne, Meditation XVII
English clergyman & poet (1572 - 1631)

We know that scenarios and simulations have a powerful impact on modeling preferred behaviour.  For users of the new Scenario Engine, there's a few things to consider to turn your scenario plans into an effective learning experience for your intended audience.

First, with a nod to John Donne above, no scenario should be an island.  In other words, it can't be its own resource; because it's not specifically linked to any other learning resources or interactions, it's just a little movie you've created. So we encourage the designer to look at a complete package, something like this.

1. Introduce the interaction (possibly with the p22 Learning Agent screen) and make sure the learner has an idea of what outcomes are expected from the package.

1. Set the stage for the scenario and introduce the characters. (Use an informative screen for this purpose) Give the learner an opportunity to learn about the characters and understand how they relate to one another.

1. Play the scenario for the learner

1. Ask the learner a question based on the scenario (maybe with a formative question or a multiple choice with large feedback)

1. You could play a second scenario and repeat the process of asking questions of the learner

1. Sum up the learning interaction with a reinforcement of the preferred behaviour or approaches and a re-statement of the consequences or impact of the wrong approach.

That's it.  The design of the learning interaction itself doesn't need to be more complicated than that. Just remember that things like simulations and scenarios need to be supported by other elements like discussion forums and other social interactions so the learners can discuss the scenario and share their own interpretations of the modeled behaviours.

The other trick to making the scenario work is doing a little offline planning.  You need to know what the characters are going to say and the language needs to be as plain and realistic as possible.  Taking the time to plan out a script for the scenario will make all the difference in the world to how your scenario flows.  Make sure that planning also includes how you're using the background scenes and the character sequences.

We look forward to supporting you and we look forward to seeing your scenario design efforts!

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