E-learning has taken all over the world as the need of the hour once you want to stay in sync with the most updated knowledge. But, preparing for such courses is a challenge for e-learning companies USA.

Branching scenarios are an important concept in any e-learning module which involves the reader making some pertinent choices.

Branching scenarios for tailored decisions

For example, a user clicks on a certain button and is then directed to a slide. The user is shown the aftermath of his actions. For example, he might be asked to conduct a task in a certain way and click on the apt button as per his thought process, but that decision might prove wrong and the resulting slide shows him the loopholes. For example, how would a user go about delegating tasks in his organization and he has various options available. He can look at the past experiences of all employees or ask them what task they would like to handle. A can choose any one of these options and be assessed according to them because both these options are not correct.

Branching scenarios related to sensitive employee issues

But there are many situations where users can’t go by the textbook rules. It’s because no management school teaches about such situations. For example, how to deal with an employee who is dealing with mental health issues, but refuses to do anything about them. Here, the concerned manager is responsible for the well-being of the employee. Hence, his decision can be conventional or completely iconoclastic depending on his attitude and how he wants to be perceived by others. He can refer the concerned employee to HR and completely detach himself from the situation which also depends on how important the employee is.

So, through such branching scenarios, the manager gets to learn by doing without really taking any action. These kinds of branching scenarios require highly animated videos so that the user finds him involved in the situation. At the end of it, the user also gets a synopsis of his own personality traits that are useful for him in acting in the future. When the branching scenario shows to the manager that the specific employee is not happy with his actions, he can rewind and choose a different course of action.

Branching scenarios as per roles

The branching scenarios can also be used to teach managers about specific role-based decisions. For example, if an employee does not work in HR, he will be directed to a different scenario. This way, all kinds of employees can be taught well about the company procedures depending on their position in the company. A quiz can be given to employees to make their choices when a subordinate asks them for an off and their answers should differ based on whether they are in the HR department or a departmental head. Hence, a branching scenario is useful in this case because a user does not need to navigate through the course to know the right role-based answers.

Here the branching scenario is in the form of a quiz that asks users to choose the right response after an employee requests them for parental leave.

Branching scenarios for effective call-related training?

Branching can also be used to make employee training better when they are given scores on a certain behavior chosen by them to make sales. They can be shown a demo, and asked how they will react to this situation in this form of an MCQ. For example, when the employees are contacted about a product by a customer and it’s not in inventory, what should be the latter’s action.

• Should he take the customer’s contact details?
• Should he just inform the inventory manager about it?

The employee can be given all outcomes in case he takes a decision. For example, if the customer does not buy the product in the future, then what’s the use of taking his contact details. The advantage of this kind of training is that since employees are timed for their decisions, they are motivated. Timing is also important because customers can get impatient on a long call. An employee can be engaged in a call simulation so that he knows how to deal with reality. The employees are given early feedback making them learn easily.

So branching scenarios are extremely useful for effective employee training.

Branching scenarios are an important part of an instructional design.

They set up the pace in an elearning design. The branching scenarios offer learners choices and then they have to wade through these choices to learn.
When an activity has scenarios the learners learn concepts which they can’t learn through theory. So, they are effectual.
Now, everyone is introducing branching scenarios in such designs, so how to make them with lesser time and more efficiency. Genially is the new tool in the market with which you can create such branching scenarios.
It has an easier learning curve due to which instructional designers prefer it. Therefore, you must also know how to use this tool.
Genially can offer you the possibility of creating 20 types of content which include a video presentation, interactive image, infographics and gamification. You can also include a lot of content in a branching scenario. These can be GIFs, videos, audio effects etc. All these can be added through the Insert option of the Genially software.
The Genially branching scenarios can be inserted in Storyline and you can use that to enhance your work portfolio.

How to create branching scenarios in Storyline

You can add triggers in the storyline. Triggers help you to move our slide to a next slide based on a certain outcome chosen in a quiz by the user. You can also make a slide go to another slid by including hyperlinks.
To create a branching scenario in captivate, you have to use variables. When the variable to visit a slide is set to 1, it implies that the user can choose the next scenario from the menu slide option. Then, he can click on the next scenario and it can begin. The user can set Advanced actions in Captivate which can guide the user to where he should go based on whether he has completed a certain scenario.

Benefits of branching scenarios in elearning

More interactive for the learner

The best part is that they add a ton of fun to the module. The users don’t have to go through the entire course if they don’t want to. They can move from one scenario to another. This teaches them that their decisions can have an impact. It allows learners to expand their skillsets easily. Through branching scenarios, the information in an elearning module is not scattered but it is controlled by the learner.

Compliance training becomes easier

With them, compliance training becomes easier because when they are shown the impact of their decisions, they learn. When the content is tough, the learners learn the decision-making process quite quickly. First, the information is served to them about the process and they learn the results of their decisions. Then they are taken to the branching scenario, and then they learn what effect their decisions will have in terms of safety. They don’t commit mistakes and learn how to deal with the real problem at the workplace. Since learners are given rewards when they take the correct decisions, they remember what is to be done in a certain situation.