- [Instructor] Another great way to assess
a learner's work performance is through scenarios.
Simulations and scenarios are closely related.
There's a difference though.
Whereas simulations mimic the real world environment
where the learner performs a task,
for example role play or a software simulation,
scenarios are more removed,
merely suggesting the environment.
You see scenarios all the time in e-learning.
Here are the basic components.
The learner is placed in a work situation.
The situation is generally set up using text
and there's accompanying images or video
to suggest a location.
For example, let's say you're teaching employees
how to respond to an accident in a company vehicle.
The set-up of the situation might go something like this:
You're in a company truck on the way back
to the branch office.
Without looking, a sports car pulls out of a strip mall
right in front of you.
You hit the brakes as hard as you can,
but you end up rear-ending him.
After the set-up, the learner is asked
a "What should you do?" type question.
In this scenario, it'd be "What's the first thing
"you should do in response to the accident?"
Then the learner is given some choices.
Should you, A, sit in your vehicle
and call the fleet company;
B, get out of the vehicle and apologize to the driver;
and so on.
After the learner makes a choice,
they're given feedback on it.
The feedback might be instructional,
which is the "Yes, you're right, and here's why" type.
Right on, now that you know the basics of scenarios,
let me give you a few tips on getting started with them.
I'll focus on e-learning
since this is where they appear most.
Ask your subject matter experts
where workers tend to struggle on the job.
Work with the subject matter experts
to create scenarios that are true to life.
This will take more development time,
but the realism is worth it.
If you're just getting started with scenarios, start small.
Place a few scenario-based questions in an upcoming quiz.
As you gain more experience,
consider experimenting with longer scenarios
that have multiple decision points.
Grab your phone and capture the images, and possibly video,
that you'll need to portray the scenario's environment.
Whatever you capture is going to be way better
and more realistic than anything
a stock photo site can give, plus it's way more fun.
The realism provided by scenarios
make them an effective tool to assess your learner's skill.