4 Stunning Examples Of Branching Scenarios In E-Learning

For past some days, I was doing my groundwork on branching scenarios in e-learning and I was very keen to experience some of the best examples of branching scenarios. I found some really interesting share worth a look and read and hence I decided to share it with my fellow e-learning enthusiasts.

If you are a seasoned e-learning professional, you already know the significance of branching scenarios in e-learning and if you have just started off in this field, I suggest you read my other blog on branching scenarios in e-learning.

So let’s get going with the topic…

1.Connect with Haji Kamal

Connect with Haji Kamal, is a decision making scenario developed for the US army.
The module enables the player to be US Army sergeant in Afghanistan and it throws up the task to help the young lieutenant make a good impression on a Pashtun leader
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The module was built to bring rapport across cultures i.e. between the US army in the Afghanistan and Afghan natives to strengthen soldiers’ cross-cultural and peacekeeping skills with the people of Afghanistan.

What I liked ?

1.Clever use of the branching scenarios
The developers here have cleverly chosen the branching scenarios for the learning process which has effectively twelve paths through the module. The best part about branching is the way paths cross at several points, so one bad choice doesn’t lead to a bad ending.
This makes the learners think and evaluate their choices and actions during the learning process.

2.The Visual appeal of the module
While some audiences might feel the lack of high end graphics or motion graphics, I am of the opinion that it was more than made up by the use of sketched characters.
In Fact, the use of richer graphics could have led to distraction for learners and would have compromised on the seriousness of the topic.

What could be improved?

In my opinion a slight use of gamification mechanics like rewards, points and badges could further contribute to the enhancement of learner experience.

2.Lifesaver: Crisis Simulation

The award-winning Lifesaver learning module by the Resuscitation Council & Unit 9 teaches CPR by throwing the learners into the live action.
It is a live-action film with interactive branching scenarios enabled to fully immerse the users to give the feel of a real life experience and show you how to respond to heart attacks and choking.

What did I like?

I have already talked about this award winning e-learning module in my previous blog and I am bringing it back as it is one of the very popular and one of my favorite examples of an excellent branching scenario.

1.Style of live action film and an interactive video
It was a unique and thrilling experience of user engagement provided by the use of interactive video in the elearning module.

2.Very carefully branched out scenarios
The learning module carefully branches out to connected scenarios that help the learners feel that they are in control of the learning process.

3.The use of elements like a timer
In any medical emergency, time is of essence and this e-learning branching scenario has wonderfully captured this element and ensured that the learners are never disengaged during the module.

An area of improvement

I was very charged up with the life saving experience provided in the module, that I wished there was an option to practice it again.

3.BBC: Finance for non-financial managers

This little old, elearning game is part of the offering which bagged the BBC a gold and a bronze Elearning Age award in 2011. It has effective branching logic designed inside the levels of the elearning game to unlock more options while the player make good selections or choices.

The users are thrown a challenge at each point, provided with a series of decisions and scored according to the decision they make based on 4 scoring criteria: budget, staff satisfaction, quantity and quality of output.

What did I like?

1.Strong logical scoring system
The gamified module has a dynamic scoring structure i.e the learner can both gain and lose points based on his decisions and choices.

2.Visual look and feel of the module
The good use of a limited visual multimedia graphics,animations etc was a strong point to enjoy the experience in a fun and engaging way.

4.The Job Interview Branched Scenario

An elearning branching scenario module which helps the job aspirants to prepare for job interview.

What did I like?

1.The neat and clean visual appeal .

The layout, design and the multimedia elements used in the branching scenarios are very well structured to reflect the seriousness of the topic.

2.The human avatar and the changing expressions

The scenario displayed the avatar of an interviewer who asks several commonly asked questions in the interview. The human avatar used in the module gives the users various expressions according to the choices that are made.

For example, when I made a wrong choice, the expression on the face of the character was like, ‘oh how could you chose that ?’

These are some interesting examples of branching scenarios in e-learning which, I have shared with you. What’s been your experience with branching scenarios? I would love to hear some examples which you liked. Please feel free to comment in the box below.