Scenario-based learning

Learning by taking decisions in a realistic situation

01 Definition

In scenario-based learning the learner is presented with a realistic situation in which the decisions they take shape how it unfolds. Instead of explanation first and a test afterwards, the learning starts at the problem and the explanation arrives at the moment it means something.

02 Why it matters

It matches how the work actually goes: information is incomplete, there is time pressure, and there is more than one defensible choice. Knowledge acquired in that form is more readily recalled in the same form.

03 In practice

The quality depends entirely on where the scenarios come from. Experienced operators recognise an invented situation immediately, and then the credibility is gone. Incident reports, near-misses and the stories of senior colleagues supply the material that does land. The distractors have to be as credible as the right answer: a scenario in which the good choice jumps straight out tests nothing.

04 Related solutions
05 Frequently asked questions
Where do you get good scenarios from?
From your own incident reports and from conversations with experienced staff. Do not ask what should happen, ask what they have seen others do wrong; that is what produces the usable situations.
Does every scenario need one right answer?
Not necessarily. Situations in which several choices are defensible and the consequences differ often teach more than situations with one right answer, provided the consequences are made visible.
Is this the same as a case study?
Related, but a case study is usually discussed and a scenario is worked through. The difference sits in who takes the decision: with a case study the group afterwards, with a scenario the learner at the moment itself.
06 Related terms

Want to apply Scenario-based learning in your own training programme?

We are happy to think along about the approach that fits your installation, your audience and your timeline.

M

Milan

Business development, STARK Learning