Feb
1
Written by:
Chris Osborn
2/1/2011 5:19 PM
One of the core
principles of
adult learning
theory is that
adults learn
through
experience.
Learning can be
further
supported by
making sure
adults see a
clear connection
between the
content and
their own needs.
In the world of
organizational
training, we've
adopted the idea
that when adult
learners
(employees) see
a connection
between what
they are
learning and
their own job
needs, employees
will be more
motivated to
learn. One way
to make sure
your employees
see clear
connections
between your
online training
content and
their job
performance is
to use scenarios
that are based
upon real or
realistic
situations they
will face on the
job.
We frequently
get requests
from clients or
prospects to
help them
convert existing
training content
- usually
PowerPoint
presentations -
into e-learning
courses. As we
explore these
projects,
clients almost
always ask how
the content can
work as an
e-learning
course. And
just as
frequently, we
learn that the
content does not
contain clear
connections for
the intended
participants and
their on-the-job
needs. We make
those
connections by
first
constructing
realistic
scenarios and
then linking
lessons from the
course to
scenarios
through
interactions and
quizzes that
reinforce
learning.
Building
effective
scenarios and
finding
appropriate
source material
to include in an
e-learning
course isn't
always easy,
however, most
training
professionals
have the
material right
in front of them
- the employees
who will be
trained. As
training
professionals
are conducting a
needs analysis,
it is a perfect
time to ask for
specific
examples of
situations where
actual
performance did
not reach the
desired level of
performance.
What happened?
Why? Who said
and did what?
How did the
situation turn
out? The answers
to these
questions can
form a great
foundation or
outline for a
scenario.
Realistic
scenarios can be
constructed from
either a single
event or a
composite of
multiple,
similar events.
Regardless of
which method you
chose, here are
a few tips for
building
effective
e-learning
scenarios:
· Keep the
scenario
straightforward
and short
(usually less
than 75 words
per slide)
· Keep the
scenario limited
to no more than
three slides,
but one almost
always works
best
· Change
facts and events
enough so that
the employees
who might have
been involved in
the model will
not be
embarrassed or
feel singled out
· Write
between one and
three questions
about the
scenario (if you
can write more,
the scenario
might be too
long)
· Provide
feedback for ALL
choices and
answers
participants can
select.
Employees learn
best when they
see connections
between the
training content
and their own
job performance,
so make good use
of realistic
scenarios to
make those
connections as
clear as
possible.
