222+Godsall

Engaging Students with Scenario Based Learning in Online Environments || Lyndon Godsall, Kaplan Univeristy School of Criminal Justice, Florida, United States, LGodsall@kaplan.edu Amy Hilbelink, Kaplan University School of Nursing, Florida, United States, AHilbelink@kaplan.edu || This forum will demonstrate and discuss two examples of scenario-based learning (SBL) in an online environment.
 * **Submission ID 222** ||
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The first example demonstrates a criminal justice course that scaffolds students through the mechanisms to solving a murder based on evidence they acquire each week. The SBL is fast-paced, engaging and game-based. The second example is an introductory nursing course in health assessment and wellness and uses “virtual families” that students get to know throughout the ten weeks of the course. In both cases the storyline builds each week as different factors come into play.

SBL is not new in traditional classroom environments. Merrill (2007) suggests using everyday examples which later introduce students to smaller, more complex problems. In this forum we are addressing the use of SBL in an online environment. Boundaries of the scenarios are established using behavior-based learning objectives as opposed to knowledge-based learning objectives. Scenarios can be most effective when they have a game-like appearance, according to Hmelo-Silver, Duncan, & Chinn (2006). SBL can reinforce learning, overcome learning blocks, change behavior, and save time and/or money by replacing complex or expensive experiments.

SBL can be adapted to any subject and is a natural fit within the development of online environments. This presentation will demonstrate how two different approaches were used to engage students in similar ways, and those differences will be discussed along with similarities and how this impacts retention.

References: Merrill, M.D. (2007) A Task-Centered Instructional Strategy. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 40 (1), 33-50.

Hmelo-Silver, C. E. & Barrows, H. S. (2006). Goals and strategies of a problem-based learning facilitator. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 1. 21-39. || General Session Forum Intermediate ||
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