Using a Three-Act Structure to Create Simple and Effective Scenarios for eLearning

The rise of scenario-based training and gamification ineLearning demands creative writing skills that were not necessary in yearspast. Writers, designers, and developers are being tasked to stretch theirwriting skills far beyond technical content writing in order to createstorylines for characters.

Though it may seem that having a degree in writing or apublished novel is quickly becoming a necessity for designers and developers,this level of creative writing experience is not a prerequisite for creatingengaging learning. Simply developing simple scenarios with the basic three-actstructure used in screenwriting can create a valid framework for content. Thethree-act structure consists of the setup,confrontation, and resolution.

The setup is thebeginning of the story where you describe the existing world and reveal themain characters. In training, you would most likely model this world after thereal world in which the learner operates. For example, if the task at hand isto create scenario-based training that teaches a warehouse employee how to legallyaddress a chemical spill according to EPA regulations, then the world you wouldcreate in the setup is a warehouse where hazardous materials are stored. Youcould introduce this world through the main characters by creating a new-hiresituation where a seasoned employee is onboarding the new employee. Once thescene is set with the world and characters, a problem occurs that ends the firstact and begins the second.

In the second act, known as the confrontation, the characters encounter and resolve problems. Theinciting incident is the first problem, and often the overarching problem, thatchallenges the world as they know it. The characters either resolve the issueor resign themselves to the new status quo the issue created. In training, the problemis directly related to an objective and the character ultimately resolves theissue. For example, in the warehouse scenario, the inciting incident could be achemical spill that prompts the characters to take action. In this example, youwould use the seasoned employee character to address the steps of the process withthe new-hire character. This allows you, the designer, to explain each step anemployee takes when encountering a chemical spill.

Because most of the story exists in the second act, so willthe bulk of the content. The second act most likely will include multipleproblems, with each problem addressing one or more objectives in the course.For instance, while investigating the spill, the character discovers two typesof chemicals that, according to regulations, should not be stored together.This revelation allows you to address another learning objective through thestory. Once you have addressed all the objectives by allowing the characters tosolve the problems, the second act concludes.

Finally, the third act, the resolution, is the end of the story where the main issue (usuallythe problem introduced by the inciting incident) is resolved. This resolution ushersin the lessons learned in the story. In training, the designer recaps importantinformation and objectives addressed in the course, using the characters toreiterate key points while closing out the scenario.

Applying the three-act structure to scenario-based trainingenables designers to structure the content in a familiar storytelling format withouthaving to dive deep into backstories, plotlines, and more complicatedstorytelling techniques. This basic structure includes an introduction to thecharacters and their world, the problems they must face and resolve, and theresults of resolving those problems. In a drive to create more engagingtraining for a learner, the three-act structure is the perfect vehicle todeliver story-driven content.