Chapter 1: Teaching with Branching Scenarios
1.1 What is a Branching Scenario?
Engaging learners and fostering deeper, more authentic learning experiences are top priorities for university educators. One effective way to achieve these goals is through the use of branching scenarios – interactive narrative simulations that enable learners to explore decision-making processes and see the outcomes of their choices in a structured and immersive way. But what exactly is a branching scenario, and why should you consider incorporating it into your teaching practice?
1.1.1 Defining Branching Scenarios
A branching scenario is a form of digital or analog simulation. It is a structured, interactive learning experience where learners navigate through a narrative story and make decisions at key points. Like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” story, each decision leads to multiple possible outcomes, creating a “branching” tree of possible pathways.
These scenarios are designed to reflect real-world challenges and dilemmas, allowing learners to:
- Develop critical thinking and decision-making skills
- Engage in authentic and context-rich situations or scenarios
- Learn through exploration and discovery
- Receive targeted feedback based on their choices
Unlike traditional assessments, which often test recall, branching scenarios focus on application. They represent a shift from asking the learners questions regarding “what do you know?” to instead focusing on “what are you going to do with that knowledge?”
Key features of branching scenarios include:
- Decision points: Learners encounter choices at specific points that shape the scenario’s progression.
- Feedback loops: Immediate consequences help learners understand the impact of their decisions.
- Multiple pathways: Scenarios showcase various outcomes, encouraging learners to think critically about their options.
- Authenticity: Scenarios are rooted in realistic contexts, often including narratives and characters relevant to the subject matter.
Example Branching Scenario
Imagine a scenario where a commuter is trying to get to work on time. What choices do they have as their day is getting started?
- Driving: Could lead to arriving on time, but unexpected traffic may cause delays. If they’re late too often, they risk getting fired.
- Taking the bus: Usually a reliable option but missing the bus or dealing with delays could mean arriving late or even losing their job if it happens repeatedly.
- Taking the train: Faster than the bus but requires careful timing. A missed train could set them back significantly, possibly costing them their job.
These choices each lead to different outcomes, offering immediate feedback and reinforcing the importance of decision-making in an authentic context.
Try the following quick Morning Commute Branching Scenario to get an idea of what a simple branching scenario can look and feel like. Both of these are based on the same Word document outline but were developed using different digital platforms (which you can learn more about later in this guide):
1.1.2 Examples Across Disciplines
Branching scenarios are versatile and can be tailored to suit diverse academic disciplines. Possible examples where branching scenarios could be applied include:
- Ethical Decision-Making in Commerce: You’re hired to work on a marketing campaign for a product with potential environmental concerns.
- Laboratory Safety in Biology: A lab partner accidentally spills a chemical during an experiment.
- Interpreting Primary Sources in History: You’re researching for a paper and come across a conflicting account in two primary sources about the same historical event.
- Patient Communication & Care in Nursing: A patient refuses a necessary procedure due to personal beliefs.
- Classroom Management in Education: A learner is frequently interrupting class and distracting peers.
- Debugging a Codebase in Computer Science: A team project’s code isn’t running, and the deadline is approaching.
🌐 Web Resources
Explore the following real exemplars for a more hands-on experience with branching scenarios:
- Veterinary Medicine – “Interactive Cases in VetMed” (Dr. Jen Loewen, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan) — this collection of scenarios allows the learner to take on the role of a veterinarian working in an emergency hospital and asks them to respond to symptoms of incoming patients by ordering the appropriate tests and treatments. (You will see screenshot examples from these scenarios throughout this guide!)
- Nursing / Social Work – “Skills Practice: A Home Visit” (Toronto Metropolitan University, Centennial College, and George Brown College) — an award-winning “serious game” that uses a video-based scenario to allow the learner to take on the role of a community-health nurse visiting a patient in their home.
- Nursing – “Health History Interview” (Toronto Metropolitan University, Centennial College, and George Brown College) — allows the learner to practice performing a health history interview with a client moving into a retirement home. This resource also includes follow-up feedback and post-scenario reflection questions.
- Nursing – Various Open RN Virtual Simulations (Chippewa Valley Technical College) — a collection of 12 scenarios for nursing learners to practice demonstrating various skills, which have been released with an open (Creative Commons) license.
1.1.3 Looking Ahead
In the following sections, you will explore how to teach with, design, and develop branching scenarios. This guide will provide:
- Strategies for creating authentic scenarios that align with course outcomes.
- Methods to incorporate meaningful learner practice and feedback opportunities.
- Approaches to scaffold reflection moments that deepen learning and connect scenarios with effective assessment strategies.
- Guidance on how to develop and deploy branching scenarios using digital tools and platforms.
Whether you are looking to enhance a single lesson or transform an entire course, this guide will provide you with the practical tools and strategies to design engaging, immersive learning experiences.
Let’s get started!
