Training Industry Magazine - January/February 2021 - 45

choices to give learners freedom,
but that don't change the state of the
world, such as asking an off-the-wall
question in a role-play. Then you can
play out the outcome - for example,
providing
characters'
reactions
and responses - and return the
learner to the current turn to make
another choice.
In our management simulation, the
learner is faced with a decision to
improve productivity and can choose
one of four actions. The setup and
choices are shown in the furthest left
oval and four lines above.
Here are the learners' choices:
* Restructure the team.
Not only does this technique prevent
the tree from becoming too bushy,
but you can work on each segment
independent of the others.

* Cut back on the deliverable.

* Automate the process.

* Get an extension.

* Bring in new talent.

* Seek a change order.

Technique 4:

Taking the first action increases cost
but also capacity. Taking the second
action reduces value to the customer
but reduces risk. Taking any of the
last three might anger the customer
but cover costs. In our simulation,
the latter three choices might lead
to the same follow-up turn, requiring
the learner to sell the customer on a
change in the project or reappraisal
of strategy.

* Institute
system.

NETWORKS
INSTEAD OF TREES

Interactive narratives are commonly
built as trees; each choice leads
to a unique outcome (screen) with
a unique set of follow-up choices.
An alternative approach is to
build networks, in which multiple
choices lead to the same follow-up
(Figure 3).
Instead of having 16 outcomes in
turn two, there are only seven, more
than halving content development
down the network.
The secret is to build turns that are
forward-looking and don't depend
on what has occurred beforehand
to present the next decision.
For example, in our management
simulation, a learner is asked to
meet a new project requirement by
making a decision:
* Increase staff.

As long as the content of the followup turn is written so it does not
depend on the route learners took
to it - the narrative is maintained,
and only one follow-up turn needs
to be crafted instead of three,
resulting in huge savings in time
and development

Technique 5:

TRANSPARENT
OUTCOMES

Another way to keep content
development manageable is to
use " transparent outcomes. " Add

employee

reward

If they choose to institute an employee
reward system, the outcome plays
out with few employees enrolling
and the program's intended impact
withering away. Then, we tell
the learner they need to boost
productivity and present the three
remaining choices. That's why the
outcome is transparent; it seems
to lead to another turn, but actually
loops back. This saves work since
nothing has to be further simulated
beyond it.

KEEP BUILDING THEM
By using and combining these
techniques,
you
can
produce
an immersive and manageable
interactive narrative in the authoring
environments you're most comfortable
in. And hopefully that motivates you to
create more of them, because they're
an excellent and engaging way to
teach learners.
John Cleave is a senior learning
engineer at SweetRush. Email John.

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Training Industry Magazine - January/February 2021

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