Goal-based scenarios (GBS) can best be defined as "a learn-by-doing simulation approach that encourages learners to pursue goals using assistance and guidance provided by the interactive system" (Hsu & Moore, 2010, p. 58). GBS is what many people would call a "learn-by-doing" strategy that focuses students on key target skills that are taught through real-life problem solving scenarios. As such, GBS falls under the branch of Constructivist learning theory. Constructivist learning theory is highlighted by the belief that learning happens when students are able to construct their own meaning of new topics by connecting them back to past experiences. GBS models share many of the same characteristics as those found in Constructivist theory. For example, for a GBS model to be effective, students must be presented with a real-world scenario, where they are expected to use realistic approaches to solve complex problems. Additionally, in the GBS model of instruction, the teacher is merely a facilitator or, "guide-on-the-side", and plays the role of exposing the students to their goal then letting them discover the best way to solve it. A more thorough discussion on the characteristics of Constructivism can be found here:
Process for developing a GBS:
To further understand how a GBS connects to Constructivism, and how it can lead students to a deeper comprehension of the desired learning, it is beneficial to look at the essential features of a quality GBS. As is described here, there are seven essential features of a GBS, further described below:
- Learning Goals: well-defined goals are necessary to help students understand what they are going to be connecting to prior knowledge. This should include the target skills they are expected to learn.
- Mission: what are the students going to accomplish? Should be a real-world scenario and be relevant to the students' backgrounds.
- Cover Story: Sets the stage for the mission. Why do the students need to accomplish this task? What is the need for this mission?
- Role: Identifies the character that the student will take on.
- Scenario Operations: this is where you describe the exact steps students need to take in order to complete their mission.
- Resources: this will contain a list of resources students will need to in order to complete their mission.
- Feedback: Reflective feedback provided by teacher on how students accomplished learning goals/target skills.
By connecting the learning goals/target skills to relevant, real-life scenarios, students can form solid connections in their heads between stuff they already knew and information they are expected to learn. The model forces students to be the driving force behind their own learning and not rely on a teacher merely introducing the facts to them and expecting them to recall them later. As stated before, the students will be required to access knowledge of previous skills to complete the mission presented to them, all of which is a key characteristic of Constructivist learning theory.
Based on the information found at engines4ed.org, there is fairly straight forward process for designing a GBS. The process can be followed as such:
- Identifying target skills: the instructor first needs to identify what skills they want the students to acquire by the end of the task. These skills should be relevant to the role the students are expected to take. For example, if the students are taking on the role of a political scientist and their mission is to analyze the impact of debate performances on polling numbers, the target skills they are expected to achieve could be recognizing bias, understanding propaganda, analyzing the role of the media, etc. The target skills are not meant for facts or content, but more for skills they students may need once they leave K-12 education.
- Developing a mission requiring the target skills: the mission needs to be explicit in it's goal and incorporate multiple skills in order to have a successful GBS. The mission should not be a skill, but should motivate students to use multiple skills to achieve success in their task.
- Choose a focus: within this step, the instructor is choosing what type of process the students will follow in order to achieve their mission. Are the students designing campaign propaganda? Are they discovering the bias implicit in human nature and prevalent in politics? Etc. The focus should tell you and your students what kind of task they are going to be completing.
- Create a cover story: developing a significant cover story gives the students context to their mission and connects the target skills to prior knowledge. The cover story will help students identify why they need to accomplish their task, yet also give them insight into the significance of the target skills they are expected to acquire.
- Plan the scenario operations: This gives the students clear, step-by-step directions on how to complete their mission. Can include such things as whether or not they are working in groups, the resources they are expected to utilize, what type of assessment will they need to achieve to prove their comprehension, etc.
- Build a learning environment to support the target skills: This last step is much more of a reflection step for the instructor than anything else. If the guidelines above were followed and the GBS was designed with care, this step is fairly easy to accomplish. Teachers should make sure that their design has supported the target skills sufficiently and make adjustments as needed.
Example of a GBS at work:
The Economic Advisor: In this lesson, students will take part in a research based, group paper where the students will take on the role of an economic advisor to the President of the United States. The key target skills they will work towards acquiring include the analysis of collected data, research methods, and connecting data to real-world experiences.
Learning goals: This GBS is designed to teach students about the impact of key macroeconomic data and how that data is analyzed and interpreted. The students will know what changes in Gross Domestic Product, Unemployment, and Inflation mean to our economy and public policy.
Mission: The mission for the students is to interpret macroeconomic data and provide a policy recommendation to the President that could potentially have a huge national impact.
Cover Story: The cover story explains to the students that they have been appointed to the Council of Economic Advisers, the main group of economist who advise the President, and have been asked by the President to provide him with a policy recommendation. The students will be required to back up their recommendation with key macroeconomic data they have collected and then present their findings to the President in the form of a PowerPoint and a paper compiled as a group.
Role: Students will take on the role of an economic policy adviser to the President.
Scenario Operations: Students will use two websites to compile their data: http://www.bls.gov/ and http://www.bea.gov/. Students will be required to compile data on Gross Domestic Product, Unemployment, and Inflation to argue for the recommendation they make to the President. Students will use Google Docs to develop a well-designed essay. Lastly, students will create a PowerPoint to present a concise version of their recommendation to the President (aka the class).
Resources: Listed within the operation, students will use two sites: http://www.bls.gov/ & http://www.bea.gov/. Students will also need access to a Chromebook & Google Drive. Within Google Drive, students will use Docs and Presentation to complete their assignment. Students will then need access to a projector in order to display their presentation to the class.
Feedback: Students will be provided feedback by their peers and the instructor. Students will be able to provide feedback to each other within their collaborative effort to create and paper. The instructor will have access to all Google Docs and Presentations and will be able to provide feedback throughout the development process.
Reference List
Hsu, C.Y. & Moore, D.R. (2010). An Example Implementation of Schank's Goal-Based Scenarios. TechTrends, 54 (1), 58-61. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.nu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? sid=fde2c65f-d9cb-4e83-b419-3bb4bfa584cb%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=124
Instructional Design: Goal-based Scenarios. (n.d.). Retrieved October 8, 2015 from Learning Theories Wiki: http://teorije-ucenja.zesoi.fer.hr/doku.php? id=instructional_design:goal_based_scenarios
Schank, R. Engines for Education. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.engines4ed.org/hyperbook/nodes/NODE-233-pg.html
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