CCSSO-National Conference on Student Assessment 2013 National Harbor, MD– June 21, 2013 Girlie C. Delacruz, Eva L. Baker, Gregory K. W. K. Chung Solving The Puzzle: Designing Games And Assessment For Young Children’s Physics Learning

2 / 9 Overview Design and development Research study Games for learning and assessment

3 / 9 Part One Games for learning and assessment

4 / 9 Mastery and challenge Why Do Kids Like To Play (Good) Games? Learning Escape Intuitive activities

5 / 9 Why Use Games For Learning? Escape… Frictionless Environment Place them in situations that are not easily experienced or easy to manipulate Sloping Hills

6 / 9 Why Use Games For Learning? Mastery And Challenge… Scaffolded sequencing Support complex problem-solving through guided exploration Non-player game characters

7 / 9 Why Use Games For Learning? Intuitive Activities Free body diagram to control motion Explore innovative learning and assessment mechanics Draw predicted path -

8 / 9 Why Do Kids Like To Play (Good) Games? Assessment Adaptivity Evaluation of performance

9 / 9 Why Use Games For Assessment? Evaluation of Performance Formative Assessment: Use and interpretation of task performance information with intent to adapt learning, such as provide feedback. (Baker, 1974; Scriven, 1967) Games: Use and interpretation of game performance information with intent to adapt learning, such as provide feedback.

10 / 9 Why Use Games For Assessment? Adaptivity Rich data source Front-end efforts support ability to identify key events to capture Capture process of learning

11 / 9 Part Two Design and development

12 / 9 Assessment requirements Technology requirements Instructional requirements Integrated Assessment, Learning, and Technology

13 / 9 Evolution Of Design Process - c

14 / 9 What We Have Done Determined targeted concepts and types of thinking Instructional sequence and task specifications

15 / 9 Challenges Driving Assessment Innovation 2. Classroom and online context - 1.Children in grades K-3 3. Integrated science content, cognition, and SEL Gamelike Graphical icons Nonverbal prompts New combinatorial design Assessment mechanics Automated scoring Comparable tasks

16 / 9 Innovative Learning and Assessment Game Mechanics Comparison using contrasting cases Complex problem-solving through guided exploration Active reflection through graphic prompts Free body diagram to control motion Graphical formalizations of underlying physics laws Physics and SEL integration

17 / 9 Part Three Research study

18 / 9 What Did We Want Kids To Learn? Improved understanding of physics concepts: force and motion Force magnitude Force direction Friction Mass Gravity Slope

19 / 9 How Were They Going To Learn? Play a set of physics games Go Vector Go RoboBall

20 / 9 Meaningful gameplay data How Would We Know They Learned? Kid-friendly assessments

21 / 9 Timeline of Activities - Pretests Gameplay Posttests

22 / 9 Results (Go Vector Go) Scores increased significantly after playing the game Even the kindergarten and 1 st grade students!

23 / 9 Results (RoboBall) Third graders got further and advanced more quickly between two gameplay sessions.

24 / 9 Conclusions And Next Steps Conclusions Results are promising… Improved student performance on science assessments even for the kindergarten and 1 st grade students! Next Steps Crowdsource different adaptivity rules Test games in multiple contexts including closer classroom integration

25 / 9 Thank You!

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