Stealth Assessment and Digital Learning Game Design

Stealth Assessment and Digital Learning Game Design

Stealth Assessment and Digital Learning Game Design

By Ginny L. Smith, Valerie J. Shute, Seyedahmad Rahimi, Chi-Pu Dai, and Renata Kuba

Abstract

“Digital games, commonly referred to as video games, are hugely popular around the world. According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA, 2021), about 211 million Americans of all ages play video games, which is dwarfed by the estimated 1.52 billion players in the Asia Pacific region. Such games are often well designed, highly engaging, and require the players to apply various competencies to succeed (e.g., problem solving skills, creativity, and relevant content knowledge). Digital games can induce a state of flow, where players only attend to their gameplay and all else fades into the background (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). At the turn of the century, the Federation of American Scientists (2006) along with other academics, like Vogeland colleagues (2006) and Gee (2003), recognized the potential of harnessing the powerful engagement of video games to support learning. However, adding purposefully designed learning content, supports, and assessment into a medium known for entertainment is challenging—especially with the goal of not ruining the fun factor or disrupting flow. More than a decade ago, challenges like this prompted the development of stealth assessment (Shute, 2011), as well as the now burgeoning field of digital game-based learning design.”

Reference

Smith, G. L., Shute, V. J., Rahimi, S., Dai, C., & Kuba, R. (2022). Stealth Assessment and Digital Learning Game Design. Retrieved June 27, 2022, from https://myweb.fsu.edu/vshute/pdf/game_design.pdf

Keyword

Digital games, engaging, gameplay, learning, video games, game-based learning, research