What is it about?
This study updates a major systematic review to examine how researchers are evaluating the validity, reliability, and fairness of game-based assessments (GBA). Covering 46 studies published between 2014 and 2021, the authors identify psychometric trends in how games are used to assess knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) in educational settings. The review introduces a living systematic review (LSR) model to ensure that new findings can be incorporated over time.
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Why is it important?
As video games become increasingly common in classrooms and training programs, it's essential to understand whether they offer valid, reliable, and fair methods for assessing learning. While games hold promise as assessment tools, early claims about their effectiveness were often based on limited or outdated evidence. This review reveals how the field has matured, demonstrating growth in the use of process data, increasing diversity in the types of games being assessed, and stronger alignment with psychometric frameworks, such as evidence-centered design. Still, gaps remain, particularly in areas such as fairness and real-world application. The findings can help guide future research, inform developers, and support policymakers working to adopt or regulate game-based learning tools.
Perspectives
As someone who works at the intersection of education, technology, and assessment, I see this review as a necessary reality check. It's easy to get swept up in the excitement of gamified learning, but excitement alone isn’t enough. We need rigorous, transparent, and equitable methods to evaluate what learners are actually doing inside these games. I’m particularly motivated by the shift from asking “can games assess learning?” to “how well do they assess learning, and for whom?” This work is part of a broader push to make our digital assessment tools not just innovative but also meaningful, inclusive, and accountable.
Dr Sam Leif
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Towards a Living Systematic Review, November 2023, IGI Global,
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3693-0568-3.ch002.
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