By Adam Turteltaub

A good, juicy case study is great for compliance training. An artfully created scenario can also be remarkably effective, especially for ethics training.

What makes them so appealing, and how do you use them best? Colin May, Adjunct Professor at Stevenson University, explains that problem-based learning is very effective for adults both for knowledge transfer and retention. It also helps people apply what they have learned.

Case studies, which are based on actual incidents, and scenarios, which are fictional, also benefit from a human love of stories.

When determining whether to use a case study, scenario or some other learning method, he advises first thinking about the outcome: what do you want people to take away from the training. Next, think about the debriefing after employees have had a chance to either read the case study or act out a scenario. That subsequent conversation may prove to be the most valuable part of the learning exercise.

Be sure, too, to keep your case studies and scenarios current. They do have an expiration date. Even big, juicy ones can seem dated after a few years. Even something as big as Enron can get old: it happened 24 years ago, before a significant portion of your workforce was born.

Finally, be sure to listen to the podcast and reach out to him through LinkedIn if you would like the tool that he referred to.

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