Concept dictionary
Scenario
A scenario is a described situation, worked out in enough detail that people can reason about it — used for practice, planning or evaluation rather than as a record of something that happened. In the Learning Lab a scenario is always fictional, sanitized, or used with consent, so that no real client, colleague or customer is exposed by the exercise.
- Review state
- Reviewed in POC
- Freshness
- Current
- Version
- 4
Also called
- scenario
Remember it this wayA safe story for practicing real judgment.
In plain language
A scenario gives learners a made-up or safely adapted situation where they can practice noticing problems, asking questions, and making decisions without exposing real client information.
Why it matters
Scenarios let learners practice discovery and mapping without exposing sensitive client details.
Good scenarios include enough ambiguity that learners must identify follow-up questions.
Example
A fictional HVAC company receives customer requests through phone, email, and a website form, then schedules technicians using a mix of CRM, calendar, and spreadsheet tracking.
Common misconception
A scenario is not a prediction, a complete case record, or a lightly disguised client story. It is a bounded learning situation built for a specific kind of practice.
Related terms
Sources
- NIST SP 800-50 Rev. 1, "Building a Cybersecurity and Privacy Learning Program"scenario-based exercises as situation-driven learning activities.
- NIST AI 700-2, "Assessing Risks and Impacts of AI: Pilot Evaluation Report"scenarios as the context for structured AI evaluation activities.