ScBL Technologies
As World War II began, the United States was determined to stay out of it; at the time it was a European War, and European countries had a history of warfare for centuries. The U.S. view changed in an instant when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, destroying much of the U.S. Pacific fleet and attacking U.S. soil. The U.S. military was not prepared for war. U.S. ships, tanks, and planes were of old designs, and its small number of pilots and air crews were not well trained. A herculean effort to enlist and train air crews launched a series of creative approaches that cut training time more than half. Collectively, it was the birth of instructional design.
The new training methods had to work for both highly and minimally educated recruits. They had to be engaging and effective. The training videos used realistic scenarios to both motivate the trainees and introduce them to the vital, complex skills they will need to survive. Humor was used as well as a contrasting training duo made up of an alert cadet and a confused one. The trainees could relate to one or the other in these scenarios. One of the most successful methods was an aircraft model where the trainee could sit in the cockpit to simulate the actual controls, operation, and movement of the plane. The best known was the Link Trainer: Original Flight Simulator that Helped Win WW2. Watch the 2-min video to see this moving scenario-based learning system in action:
The Birth of Instructional Design:
A team of psychologists and education experts developed the curriculum and teaching methods for the U.S. military training. Their efforts slowly changed the model of instructional design from an ad-hoc craft to a disciplined field of engineering and scientific principles. One of the psychologists developing these training materials, Robert Gagné, distilled these principles into a well-structured theory of instruction. His fundamental work, The Conditions of Learning and Theory of Instruction (1965), forms the basis of nearly all instructional design theories today. Gagné taught instructional design theory to a doctoral student, Lee Tuscher, at Florida State University. Dr. Tuscher later became a professor at Lehigh University’s College Education where he created the nation’s first Master’s in Educational Technology program. Instructional design was deeply integrated into this innovative program (and still is).
Theories that Explain the Effectiveness of ScBL
Scenario-Based Learning predated learning theories by thousands of years (my estimate: 50,000 years), but theory helps explain why ScBL is so effective. ScBL is clearly one way to improve student learning from early childhood through adult years. There are three relevant theories: Situated Learning, Situated Cognition, and Constructivism. Here’s what they say in a nutshell (none are complex):
- Situated Learning is simply learning within an authentic context. Realistic scenarios mirror situations in the real world outside of the classroom.
- Situated Cognition states that learning naturally happens in context. ScBL provide contextual activities that help student remember and apply their learning.
- Constructivism states that students actively construct their own knowledge. ScBL provides opportunities to make decisions, solve problems, and reflect on their learning.
Interactive Scenario-Based Learning Examples
Lehigh University College of Education Professor, Dr. Alec Bodzin, has worked with environmental science faculty and local environmental organizations for over 15 years. The fruits of this labor, developed through his Environmental Learning Initiative (ELI), are available to the public. They showcase environmental learning activities through the local scenario of the Lehigh River watershed and Lehigh Gap. His team’s latest and current work are immersive projects that work on a computer screen and with VR headsets. Explore this ongoing research project here:
https://eli.lehigh.edu/immersive-learning-experiences
