Scenes are short one-off events ran by a DM. They last about an hour or two and involve such things as being introduced to plot or story elements, interactions with NPCs, or a quick single combat.
They are ran impromptu by DMs when the mood strikes, or as part of larger stories and may or may not be announced.
Scenes award a flat reward of 50 xp per level of the character. They do not usually award gold.