Learning Science Through Computer Games and Simulations (2011) / Chapter Skim
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5 The Role of Simulations and Games in Science Assessment
5 The Role of Simulations and Games in Science Assessment
Pages 87-104
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From page 87... ...
This chapter focuses on assessment of the learning outcomes of simulations and games and their potential to both assess and support student science learning. The first section uses the lens of contemporary assessment theory to identify weaknesses in the assessment of student learning resulting from interaction with simulations and games, as well as weaknesses of science assessment more generally.
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From page 88... ...
the learning goals, as specified in a model of student cognition; (2) an evidence model specifying the student responses or performances that would represent the desired learning outcomes; and (3)
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From page 89... ...
The lack of description of the desired learning goals and how the tasks were related to these goals made it impossible to evaluate the depth of conceptual understanding or the nature of science process skills measured in the studies of simulations (Quellmalz, Timms, and Schneider, 2009)
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From page 90... ...
The states administer summative assessments to measure student science achievement. These assessments reflect current state science standards, which frequently give greater weight to conceptual understanding than other learning goals and typically include long lists of science topics that students are expected to master each year (Duschl, 2004; National Research Council, 2006)
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From page 91... ...
. Simulations are being designed to measure deep conceptual understanding and science process skills that are difficult to assess using paper and pencil tests or hands-on laboratory tasks.
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From page 92... ...
. These examples demonstrate the capacity of simulations to generate evidence of students' summative science achievement levels, including measures of science process skills and other science learning goals seldom tapped in paper-based tests (Quellmalz and Pellegrino, 2009)
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From page 93... ...
Propelled by these trends, technology-based science tests are in creasingly appearing in state, national, and international testing programs. The area of science assessment is perhaps leading the way in exploring the presentation and interpretation of complex, multifaceted problem types and assessment approaches.
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From page 94... ...
First, it assesses science process skills as well as other learning goals beyond the science content emphasized in current science tests. Second, it is designed to increase coherence in assessment systems.
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From page 95... ...
5-3 Bitmapped to create balanced systems in which district, classroom, and state tests are nested, mutually informed, and aligned. An Example of an Integrated Environment for Problem Solving Another example of assessment embedded in a simulation-based learning environment illustrates how the resulting data on student learning can be made useful and accessible in the classroom (Stevens, Beal, and Sprang, 2009)
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From page 96... ...
This example illustrates the potential of simulations to facilitate formative assessment by rapidly providing feedback that teachers can use to tailor instruction to meet individual learning needs. ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN GAMES Although assessment of the learning outcomes of games is still at an early stage, work is under way to embed assessment in games in ways that support both assessment and learning.
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From page 97... ...
investigated whether machine learning techniques could be applied to create measurement models that use information from student notes to successfully predict the note-taking
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From page 98... ...
And the work on Crystal Island shows the potential of carefully designed assessment methods (in this case, scoring of student notes) to yield information that can inform design of online learning environments to support development of science process skills.
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From page 99... ...
The Cisco Networking Academy includes a comprehensive assessment authoring interface that allows instructors both to use simulation-based assessment and to customize or create their own assessment items. Technical Challenges and Emerging Solutions Perhaps the most important technical challenge to embedding assessment in simulations and games is how to make use of the rich stream of data and complex patterns generated as learners interact with these technologies to reliably and validly interpret their learning.
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From page 100... ...
As illustrated by these four characteristics, engaging students in complex tasks yields diverse sequences of student behaviors and performances. Assessment requires drawing inferences in real time about student learning from these diverse behaviors and performances.
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From page 101... ...
IRT models place estimates of student ability and item difficulty on the same linear scale, so that the difference between a student's ability estimate and the item difficulty can be used to interpret student performance. This method could be useful in determining how much help students need when solving problems in an intelligent learning environment, by measuring the gap between item difficulty and current learner ability (Timms, 2007)
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From page 102... ...
Improved assessments are needed for research purposes -- to more clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of simulations and games to advance various science learning goals -- and for teaching and learning. Continued research and development of promising approaches that embed assessment and learning scaffolds directly into simulations and games holds promise to strengthen science assessment and support science learning.
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From page 103... ...
This chapter provides examples of current work to provide such summative assessment results, by embedding assessment in game play. These examples suggest that it is valuable to clearly specify the desired learning outcomes of a game, so that assessment tasks can be designed to provide evidence aligned with these learning outcomes.
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From page 104... ...
Continued research and development is critical to improve assessment of the learning outcomes of simulations and games. Improved assessments are needed for research purposes -- to more clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of simulations and games to advance various science learning goals -- and to support improvements in teaching and learning.
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