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Got Game? A Choice-Based Learning Assessment of Data Literacy and Visualization Skills Doris B. Chin1 • Kristen P. Blair1 • Daniel L. Schwartz1

 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016

Abstract In partnership with both formal and informal learning institutions, researchers have been building a suite of online games, called choicelets, to serve as interactive assessments of learning skills, e.g. critical thinking or seeking feedback. Unlike more traditional assessments, which take a retrospective, knowledge-based view of learning, choicelets take a prospective, process-based view and focus on students’ choices as they attempt to solve a challenge. The multi-level challenges are designed to allow for players’ ‘‘free choice’’ as they explore and learn how to solve the challenge. The system provides them with various learning resources, and tracks whether, what, how, and when they choose to learn. This paper briefly describes a partner’s curriculum focused on data literacy and visualization, the design of a choice-based assessment for their program, and reports on an initial study of the curriculum and game with 10th grade biology students. Results are presented in the context of the design research questions: Do student choices in the game predict their learning from the game? Does the curriculum teach the students to choose more effectively with respect to data visualization? Future work for choice-based assessments is also discussed. Keywords Educational technology
Learning assessment
Educational assessment
Game-based assessment
science education

1 Introduction How should we measure learning? There is a growing call to shift the focus of assessment from a retrospective, mastery model to a more prospective, process-based model (Schwartz and Arena 2009; Shute et al. 2009). This call hails in large part from the growth of

& Doris B. Chin [email protected]; http://www.aaalab.stanford.edu 1

Stanford Graduate School of Education, Stanford, CA, USA

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technology as an increasingly ubiquitous and driving force for the discovery of new knowledge. Knowledge must be treated as a fluid entity, rapidly and constantly evolving, and our children must learn how to navigate this river of information as independent travelers, without the guidance of their teachers or parents. Therefore, the argument is that we should assess not only what have kids learned, but also what are they prepared to learn as they encounter new challenges in the future. The move toward a more prospective, process-based view of learning is reflected in the newly adopted Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards, both of which explicitly incorporate standards of practices and skills, e.g. ‘‘integrating multiple sources of information’’ and ‘‘obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information’’ (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010; NGSS Lead States 2013). Learning skills and practices are also the focus of such organizations