Game-Based Assessment

Game-based assessment (GBA) refers to the use of games, both video games and other types of games, to assess learners’ various competencies—skills, knowledge, and dispositions. Practical implementations of GBA can vary from context to context. Different GBA models have varying levels of assessment capacity, and the foci depend on how much the role of assessment is emphasized in the process of designing the game. For example, if both assessment and learning designers are involved in the early design stages, it is more likely that assessment and game mechanics will be seamlessly integrated (i.e., stealth assessment). However, even if a game is developed without explicitly supporting assessment, educators can still use it to create GBA activities.

Well-designed GBA can (a) provide engaging and authentic contexts, (b) elicit ...