LUC Recap: Branching Scenarios and Gamification

blog_LUCrecapSergey1

At the 2016 Lectora® User Conference, Sergey Snegirev, CEO of BranchTrack, presented on branching scenarios and gamification. BranchTrack was also a Premium Sponsor & Exhibitor at LUC 2016 and is an eLearning tool for creating scenarios that can easily be embedded into your Lectora courses.Sergey began his presentation by explaining the advantage of using a branching scenario for eLearning instead of a linear course.The classic eLearning course is linear, so users have no choice. A branching scenario combines challenge, choice, and consequence—and must have these three aspects to be a true scenario.

#brightideas scenarios have challenge, choice, and consequence... Without these elements your course is not a scenario!

— Jac Hutchinson (@jachutchinson) May 18, 2016
Thank you @SergeySnegirev!! A branching scenario should challenge first, then educate! #LUC2016 #BrightIdeas — Edwina Castone (@edwinacastone) May 18, 2016

#brightideas@SergeySnegirev says "avoid use of sandwich buttons" in scenarios. Yup! Shape or image plus text box plus transparent button!

— Jac Hutchinson (@jachutchinson) May 18, 2016

Attendees share Sergey’s tips and excitement about his great session

Sergey said that a good branching scenario doesn’t just have good and bad choices—it’s realistic. Neither may be ideal, but one can lead to other choices or consequences. By not saying that something is a bad consequence, we enable learners to go back and see if they can do something better.

Learning about branching #scenarios at @SergeySnegirev's #luc2016 breakout session! #brightideas @Lectora pic.twitter.com/1J4pBZd48W — Christie Wroten (@Christie_Wroten) May 18, 2016

Sergey Snegirev’s LUC 2016 session on branching scenarios

Sergey also shared with attendees a great case study story on how one company used branching scenarios to train employees—and why they were successful. Here are a few tips from that case study:

  • Games really work!
  • Non-linear plot in a scenario enables learners to play multiple times
  • Use realistic situations
  • Keep your scenario short and simple (under 20 minutes)

Thanks for a fantastic breakout session, Sergey!Interested in reading more of Sergey’s great ideas? Swing by the Trivantis® Community to see some past webinars with Sergey, or check out his guest blogs for the Everything eLearning Blog on jQuery, custom fonts, and more.