Video-based simulations with Branching Scenario ~
I’m really excited about the H5P platform, and especially so about its Branching Scenario content type. Read on to find out why.
In the mid 1990s, I had the privilege of working with Roger Schank and his team on a project to assess the feasibility of implementing their Goal Based Scenario (GBS) methodology into a training program of a government organisation. “GBSs are computer simulations that comprise a clear, concrete goal to be achieved, a set of target skills to be learned and practised in service of this goal, and a task environment in which to work.” (Schank et al., 1993, p. 306).
The US military was an early adopter of Schank’s GBS system. One such implementation contained numerous video clips of military strategy experts reflecting on how their decisions and actions in specific situations worked out. The system would evaluate the learner’s response at each point and play a relevant video clip to provide feedback.
Schank’s GBS simulations have their roots in social constructionism because the learner is able to use their computer-based constructions to interrogate their existing schema and correct misconceptions. (Swan, 2005, p. 16). The provision of feedback from a variety of experts may be considered a form of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development or ZPD (Swan, 2005, p. 17). This simulated personalised coaching from experts (in the form of video clips) is intended to make the learner feel like they belong in a community of practice.
The cost of developing GBSs was prohibitively high, and the organisation that I worked for did not proceed with the project. However, that experience left me wondering if there could be a far less costly way of developing video simulations. Fast forward to the present day, and the Branching Scenario content type of the H5P platform has significantly reduced the cost of producing video-based simulations and simultaneously increased their accessibility. H5P is a javascript library that allows developers of learning products to create interactive web content without coding. And the Branching Scenario content type is but one of many content types available in H5P.
Here’s a really fine example of a video-based simulation created by the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing at Ryerson University, Centennial College, and the Sally Horsfall Eaton School of Nursing at George Brown College. All three institutions are located in Toronto, Canada. https://h5p.org/branching-scenario
How can you use video-based simulations in your training programs?
Schank, R. C., Fano, A., Bell, B., & Jona, M. (1993). The Design of Goal-Based Scenarios. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 3(4), 305-345.
Swan, K. (2005). A constructivist model for thinking about learning online. In Elements of Quality Online Education: Engaging Communities (pp. 13-30). Sloan-C.is intend
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