Building a scenario step by step

Choosing Write it yourself when you create a scenario opens the editor, which guides you through choosing the AI behaviour, writing the script, adding a checklist and configuring how learners will interact with the AI character.

You can save your scenario as a draft at any time. This article explains each step so you can design effective and realistic learning experiences.

Key details

Start by entering the core information about your scenario.

AI behaviour

Choose the AI behaviour. This is the set of AI rules for the scenario: how the avatar plays its role, how the conversation is marked, and the style of feedback.

Every organisation starts with four, chosen from your industry: Generic and Interview for everyone, plus History taking and Counselling for healthcare organisations, or Customer service and Explanation for other industries.

Administrators can create custom AI behaviours if they need more control over how the AI acts. See Creating custom AI behaviours.

Title and description

Add a title and description. Both are shown on scenario cards and lists. The AI never sees the description, so use it to help learners find the right scenario rather than to brief the character.

Character name

Optional. The AI uses this name in every session. Leave it blank and the AI invents a plausible name each time.

Who can access this scenario?

Choose who can see the scenario once it is live:

• All users in this organisation
• Specific cohorts - then select at least one cohort. Learners in sub-cohorts of a selected cohort can access it too

You must choose this before the scenario can be published. You can change it later in Key details, or from the scenario list using Manage access.

Available modes

Select how learners can interact with the AI character. Any of the three can be turned on or off:

• Text mode - learners type their responses and receive text-based replies
• Audio mode - learners speak with the AI character in real time. Uses audio minutes
• Video mode - learners talk to an AI video avatar. Uses video minutes

When audio or video is on, you choose a voice, which is required and covers both. Video mode also needs a video avatar. See Choosing voices and video avatars.

Owners and administrators can check audio and video balances on the Minutes page in the sidebar.

Instructions

User instructions are shown before the scenario begins. They should clearly explain:

• The purpose of the scenario
• The learner's task or goal
• Any important context they need before starting

Clear instructions help learners understand what they are expected to do and make the scenario more focused.

Script

The scenario script guides the AI character during the conversation. Write it as you would for a human actor, describing:

• The character's personality and emotional state
• Their background and situation
• The context of the interaction
• How the AI should respond to different types of questions or approaches

Checklist

The checklist is the criteria the conversation is marked against. Checklist items should be:

• Specific
• Observable
• Directly linked to scenario objectives

Untick Mark users against the checklist if you don't want the conversation scored. It is always on for assessment scenarios.

Whether learners see the checklist, the marking and the model answers depends on the scenario's purpose - see Settings below.

Questions

You can add optional post-scenario questions to assess a learner's understanding or decision-making.

Learners answer these after the conversation ends. You can add a model answer to each question and enable self-assessment where appropriate. Tick Require users to answer all questions before completing the scenario if every question must be answered.

Resources

Add relevant links, and a walkthrough explaining how the scenario should have been approached. These help learners review and consolidate their understanding after the conversation.

Settings

In the Settings step you can:

• Choose the scenario's purpose - Practice or Assessment. See Practice and assessment scenarios
• Set a time limit, shown to the learner as a guide
• Set an attempt limit. Content creators are exempt, so you can keep testing your own scenario
• Assign the scenario to one or more collections
• Add tags. Administrators decide which tags are available
• Tag the scenario with curriculum topics, if you have curricula set up
• Choose Materials learners can view - which of the script, checklist, questions, resources and walkthrough a learner can open from the introduction page before they start

Learner visibility is set in Key details, not here. Which staff can see and edit the scenario follows from its cohorts - see How staff access to content works.

Adding images, video and documents

Any rich-text field in the editor has an Add media button. Use it to browse your organisation's media library or upload something new, then insert it into the instructions, script, resources or questions. See Using the media library.

Saving, previewing and publishing

Select Save draft as you go. After the first save, Preview opens the scenario's introduction page in a new tab so you can try it as a learner would.

When it is ready:

• Owners, administrators and assistant administrators select Publish
• Cohort leads publish scenarios aimed at the cohorts they staff
• Authors select Submit, and a reviewer publishes it or sends it back with feedback

See Submitting scenarios for review and publishing updates.

Updated on: 07/09/2026