Our jobs require far more than knowledge. We have to skillfully apply that knowledge to complex situations. We have to use it to make good decisions on the job.

Practice activities help people practice making those decisions in a safe place, where they can learn from the consequences. These activities break out of the school model because they require people to make realistic decisions, not just store and retrieve information.

It's a branching scenario if a decision you made earlier affects what you can do later in the story. Many activities that appear at first to be branching scenarios are actually linked mini-scenarios.

Ask what they’re currently measuring that will improve when the problem is solved. It’s "a measure we already use" for two reasons: it's easier, and the fact that someone is already measuring shows that it (probably) matters.

Here's an approach I stole from the world of interactive fiction. First, we add links to some important elements.

A goal that describes how the organization will benefit from your project. Recommended format: A measure we already use will increase / decrease number % by date as people DO something on the job

"What are we trying to do? What shows us that we have a performance problem? What's causing the problem? Is it really a lack of knowledge, or is something else going on? Is training even the solution? If training is part of the solution, what should it do?"

A practice activity as I'm defining it meets these criteria: Decision: The activity asks people to decide what to do, not show what they know. Context: The activity has people with names in a specific place, doing specific things. Realism: The context is the same as the learner's job. It's not a fantasy land or game show. The decision is one that t

You might also ask, "Is there anyone besides you who needs to approve this project or any content?" Include them now if you can, so you get their buy-in to the goal.