Bridging Two Worlds: Principled Game-Based Assessment in Industry for Playful Learning at Scale

Abstract

In recent years, a large body of research in game-based assessment (GBA) has been rooted in the application of methodologies like evidence-centered design to digital game-based learning. This approach affords principled alignment of the target competency with evidence of learning and task design—thus enabling assessment to be embedded in the game experience, allowing student-responsive scaffolding and supporting engagement through formative feedback. Application of these principles to large-scale learning game production can be vital to expanding the benefits of GBA in practice for impact on playful, engaged learning at scale. Practices that support this application to game industry are therefore important, addressing challenges of implementing principled design on short production timelines, sustaining production values to support user adoption and financial sustainability, and integrating with “big data” industry culture to support learning insights (in which disciplines like educational data mining can be particularly relevant). In addressing these challenges, this chapter offers an example of a working GBA practice in an industry context, which implements ECD-based learning design—integrated with principles of educational data mining to inform corresponding event-stream data design—for the production of data-driven educational games to support learning for students at scale. These games can leverage this data-driven approach to support learning in a classroom setting, offering teacher-centered dashboard tools with visualization of student progress and yielding significant learning gains in a recent classroom pilot study with the target learner age group.