Developing Narratives for Branching Simulations

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Developing Narratives for Branching Simulations


Macro Structures
Dramatic Tension

• By Simon Puleo

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Branching Sims Short History
Designer Authoring
SimWriter Captivate Forio Smart
Builder 2004-2007
Developer Authoring
Flash Director Authorware Hypercard HTML/Javasc
ript 1990-2004
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Branching Sims Analysis
Guillaume Dufay
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Thinking about Thinking

• Episodic
• Experience
• Structure

• Propositional
• Knowledge
• Data

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3 Year Old Childs Birthday Party Decision
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3 Year Old Childs Birthday Party Decision
When should we leave?
Take it as it goes.
Posted party end time
10 Minutes After Cake
Immediately After Cake
Before Cake
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Simulation Planning

• Learning Design
• Simulation Design
• Scenario Design

http//x-learning.blogspot.com/
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Eliciting the Narrative

• How to capture your narrative
• Surveys
• Subject Matter Expert Interviews
• Shadowing an Expert
• Performing in the role
• What you are looking for
• Process.
• What happens when all is well
• What happens when there is a problem
• How are common situations handled
• How are complex situations handled
• Misconceptions from the users view
• Misconceptions from the program owners view
• The Wow Story!

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Basic Narrative Structure
Conclusion
Resolution
Exposition
Complication
Exposition
Coaching and Support
Crisis
Falling Action
Risingaction
Incitingincident
Climax
Dramatic Tension Over time
Dramatic Introduction
Problem Stated
Investigate Resolve
Restate Remediation
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Common Business Storylines
Teamwork Work Together to Solve Problem Project
Management Apply Business Process Conflict
Resolution Negotiation Skills Customer
Relations Project Management Sales Skills Support
Staff Customer Complaints
Selling Skills Consultative Selling Sales
Process Persuading Others Procedural Applying
Compliance or Regulations Project
Management Apply Business Process Analytical
Skills Investigating case Interviewing
skills Building a case
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Macro Structures

• Contingent Chapters

• Contingent Chapters with Critical Exit

Exit

• Multiple Endings

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Removable Scaffolding
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Micro Structures

• Basic Feedback Loop

Q1
Correct
Situation 1
Situation 2
Incorrect
Provide Feedback in Situation 2 Or independent
of situation 2
Feedback
or go to Q1
Easy to author Easy for a learner to get
through Feedback can break continuity of
story The story can feel overly like an
assessment
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Micro Structures

• Basic Feedback Loop (Double Assessment)

Q1A
Correct
Situation 1
Q1B
Correct
Situation 2
Incorrect
Incorrect
Feedback
This could also be to an exit path Or tracked and
go on
More challenging to author The double assessment
challenges the learner Use in conjunction with
single feedback loops so it is not overly
obvious Works well with an exit path Can become
complicated with over 3 distracters
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Micro Structures

• Narrowing Distracters

Correct
Situation 2
Situation 1
Medium
Q1
Correct
Situation 1a
Q1a
Incorrect
Incorrect
Feedback
More challenging to author The learner time in
the simulation varies The format does not feel
overly obvious Because the answers are reiterated
if you choose the medium choice for Situation 1a
the learner has a natural recall of S1 and Q1
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The Shoe That Fits
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Hidy Hank
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Leaders
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The Argument
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Here comes the Holodeck!
Sgt. John Blackwell
FlatWorld, a project of the Institute for
Creative Technologies. What you can do with big
resources.
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Summary

• Links and Resources
• More on Sgt. Blackwell http//www.signonsandiego.c
  om/news/features/20051106-9999-lz1a06ictech.html
• Authoring branching storylines for training
  applications. Andrew S. Gordon
  http//people.ict.usc.edu/gordon/ICLS04.PDF
• Presentation by Mark Riedel http//projects.ict.us
  c.edu/bc2006/schedule.html
• Nexlearn http//www.nexlearn.com
• Ninth House http//www.ninthhouse.com
• Jeremy Wolfe - MIT
• http//ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Brain-and-Cognitive-Scie
  nces/9-00Fall-2004/CourseHome/index.htm
• Contact
• Simon Puleo
• Simon_Puleo_at_yahoo.com
• 212 568 3926