Summative Game-Based Assessment

Abstract

The interplay between games, assessment, and learning has so far been considered primarily within a formative setting and with particular focus on how design frameworks from these fields are connected and disconnected. The purpose of this chapter is to extend what has been developed and learned about formative game-based assessments (GBAs) into summative assessment practices. The objective is to answer questions about design principles, good or best practices, and application opportunities for summative game-based assessments, including a critical analysis of how they can or cannot improve summative assessment practices more generally. After introducing some foundations, we will discuss motivations for GBA, provide design trade-offs for various use cases, and develop considerations for designing summative GBAs. Careful review shows that this is a very challenging space with some limited, though worthwhile opportunities.