Level 4: Path Finder

Overview

In Path Finder, learners navigate their way through a scenario. When presented with a decision, the user is tasked with selecting the best answer, which will determine where he or she is taken next.

This Guide

This guide details the different elements of Path Finder and the best ways to organize its content into a fully functioning scenario script. Additionally, a word document is attached to this article that provides several scenario examples.
For additional assistance, please email support@mlevel.com.

Preparing Your Content

When preparing your MLevel content it is important to focus on these three elements:

Decision: The decision in Path Finder will serve as the question or scenario you intend for the user to answer. An example of a decision would be: Your first customer of the day comes up to you and says “Which device has the longest battery life? I am often times traveling for my job and need a phone with and exceptional battery.”

Choice: The choice(s) will serve as the answers to your decision. Path Finder allows for any number of choices to be created, however as a best practice, we tend to keep choices between 3-4. An example of some choice(s) would be:

1. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 or Google Nexus 5
2. Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro
3. Blackberry Z10 or iPhone 5C

Keep in mind that with the Path Finder game the administrator has the ability to assign a grade for each choice. Answers can be considered correct (100%), partially correct (50%), and incorrect (0%).

Feedback: The feedback will serve as the user’s guide in determining why the answer they chose was either correct, incorrect, or partially correct. This element grants the user the ability to now learn in real time why the choice he or she chose received a certain grade.

Defining your Path

Once you have familiarized yourself with the components of the Path Finder activity, it is now time to plan out your Path Finder structure. Once you have determined which type you would like to use the next step is laying it out in flowcharts like the ones below.

Building a Linear Path Finder:

  Key Points – A linear scenario:

• Puts a user down a prescribed path
• Allows the user to encounter multiple types of scenarios
• Provides the user with an instructive learning experience

Pathfinders can also have branching logic applied to direct the user through a specific experience depending on how they answer the questions. While we will not dive into that as part of this course, you can consult this article for more information.

Draw It Out

Once you have determined how you will lay out your content and goals, it is now time to “white board” it out. Here you may use any program such as Excel, Word, Power Point, or even good old-fashioned pen and paper!

Writing the Scenario Script

Once you have determined the structure and developed the flowchart, it is now time to begin scripting your Path Finder activity. When scripting your activity, we break down the flowchart into what we call scenes. In the Path Finder activity we have the option of creating three types of scenes:

1.) Question/Statement Scene: This scene will house your decisions along with your choices and feedback that we will be providing the user with.

2.) Non-Answer Scene: This scene will be used to drive navigation throughout the scenario that the user is engaging in. 

3.) End Scene: This scene will signify the end of the activity for the user

After choosing the scene we would like to create, we then have the ability to add slides to those scenes. All slides are contained within scenes, as illustrated by the gif below. The four types of slides are:

1.) Title Slide: Here you will give a title to your Path Finder mission. An example of this would be: “Selling Smartphones in Various Customer Scenarios”

2.) Text Slide: Here is where you will set the scene for the end user. Here the administrator should provide information that will reveal to the user what they will be experiencing in the game environment. This is also used to add a deeper understanding of the situation prior to a question being asked. An example of this would be: “In this activity you will learn how to assist customers in choosing a Smartphone that best suits their needs. Use what you've learned in previous activities to match up a device with what they are looking for.”

3.) Image Slide: Add any imagery that will enhance the user's overall experience.

4.) Video Slide: Allows you to include a video the user can watch to either enhance their knowledge or to ask questions on. For information please visit our video support article.

 Here is a gif of how an administrator would create a new question scene for their Pathfinder, and then add a Title Slide within that scene to illustrate to the learner that they are now addressing new content:

There is no limit to the number of scenes you can have within a Path Finder, or the number of slides that can be contained within a Path Finder scene. However, we advise that you limit your Path Finder to no more than twenty scenes. Beyond that, feel free to use your imagination in putting your content together within this activity!

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