Validating Students' Performance and Assessment Items by Analyzing Embedded Data in an Educational Game

• In Event: Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning SIG. Assessment With Technology: Diverse Data, Collection, and Use

Abstract

This research investigated the value of the embedded data in educational video games to help the researchers understand learners/players’ actual performance and determine the validity of assessment items. The data were taken from a previous study participated by 473 students from a college mathematics class at a public university in the southwest of the United States. Patterns of students working with the mathematics problems were triangulated with the embedded data collected from the video game system, including mistakes and number of attempts made by players. The results indicated that embedded assessment provided rich information about learners’ behaviors and performance while playing the game, and that the embedded data were valuable data source to help us understand learners’ performance holistically.

Authors

• William Thompson, University of Oklahoma

• Xun Ge, The University of Oklahoma

• Keri Kornelson, University of Oklahoma

• Stacy Reeder, University of Oklahoma

• Scott Neal Wilson, University of Oklahoma

• Javier Elizondo, University of Oklahoma