This talk introduced the panel "Beyond Badges & Points: Gameful Assessment Systems for Engagement in Formal Education" at Games Learning Society 9.0.

1. mapping the design space
of assessment in gameful
classrooms
sebastian deterding
Games Learning Society 9.0
June 12, 2013
c b

2. 1 Assessment is only one
part of a gameful design

3. • Modelling the learning domain (skill
trees, unlocks, etc.)
• Co-structuring the learning space (for
scaffolded, self-directed learning)
• Transporting the narrative (via naming,
visual design, structure)
• Reframing situation as »gaming«
Assessment as systemic part

4. 2It is mainly accumulative
grading & feedback so far

5. • Start at 0 points/grade F
• Amount & quality of tasks > points,
point amounts = levels/grades
• (Each level/grade change requires
progressively more points)
• (Learners can choose between many
tasks, redo tasks)
accumulative grading

6. • Sense of progress and current state
• Match of skill & challenge
• Declining grading = loss framing
• Averaging grading = continued
punishment for early failure
• Evaluative grading of every activity =
performance, not mastery/effort framing
Why accumulative grading?

7. • Timely & frequent
• Juicy & varied
• Non-controlling
• Informative
• current action & improvement
• current state & future paths
feedback

8. • Goal-setting (via levels, badges, ...)
• Self-directed learning > autonomy
• Purely formative assessment
• Full transparency
• Competition & collaboration
Further characteristics

9. 3 This is basic psychology/
design/education,
nothing game-specific

10. 4There are multiple
rationales for gameful
assessment

11. • Informational
• Motivational (rational choice,
behaviourist, need-based)
• Educational
Rationales for gameful assessment

12. 5 This may reinforce not
break the instrumental
framing of grading

13. sebastian@codingconduct.cc
@dingstweets
codingconduct.cc
Thank you.