Designing Assessments and Assessing Designs in Virtual Educational Environments

Designing Assessments and Assessing Designs in Virtual Educational Environments

This study used innovative assessment practices to obtain and document broad learning outcomes for a 15-hour game-based curriculum in Quest Atlantis, a multiuser virtual environment that supports school-based participation in socio scientific inquiry in ecological sciences. Design-based methods were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of science education and technology Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 187 - 208
Main Authors: Hickey, Daniel T., Ingram-Goble, Adam A., Jameson, Ellen M.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Dordrecht Springer 01-04-2009
Springer Netherlands
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Achievement Tests
Assessments
Computer Assisted Instruction
Computer Simulation
Curricula
Curriculum design
Curriculum Development
Design
Ecology
Education
Educational Assessment
Educational Environment
Educational Games
Educational research
Educational Technology
Elementary School Science
Environmental Education
Feedback
Feedback (Response)
Formative Evaluation
Grade 6
Instructional Design
Learning
Outcomes of Education
Performance tests
Problem Solving
Program Effectiveness
Science Education
Science Instruction
Science Teachers
Statistical significance
Student Evaluation
Taigas
Teachers
Test Items
Video Games
Virtual Classrooms
Virtual environments
Formative assessment
Educational videogaming
Design-based research
Formative feedback
Virtual environments
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Summary:This study used innovative assessment practices to obtain and document broad learning outcomes for a 15-hour game-based curriculum in Quest Atlantis, a multiuser virtual environment that supports school-based participation in socio scientific inquiry in ecological sciences. Design-based methods were used to refine and align the enactment of virtual narrative and scientific investigations to a challenging problem solving assessment and indirectly to achievement test items that were independent of the curriculum. In study one, one-sixth grade teacher used the curriculum in two of his classes and obtained larger gains in understanding and achievement than his two other classes, which used an expository text to learn the same concepts and skills. Further treatment refinements were carried out, and two forms of virtual formative feedback were introduced. In study two, the same teacher used the curriculum in all four of his classes; the revised curriculum resulted in even larger gains in understanding and achievement. Gains averaged 1.1 SD and 0.4 SD, respectively, with greater gains shown for students who engaged more with formative feedback. Principles for assessing designs and designing assessments in virtual environments are presented.
ISSN:1059-0145
1573-1839
DOI:10.1007/s10956-008-9143-1