In this paper, we take a designer's look at how the activities and data of learning and assessment can be structured in immersive virtual game environments called Massively Multi-Player Online Games (MMOG). In doing so, we examine the channels of evidence through which learning and assessment activities are derived in MMOGs, offering examples of how multiple evidence channels in operation through game-based activities can be utilised to construct rich data trails for assessment.
Currently there are few pedagogical models available for mathematics teachers who are interested in digital game-based learning. The Play Curricular-activity Reflection and Discussion (PCaRD) model attempts to address this, but lacks the needed exploratory research on its implementation within formal mathematics classrooms. Through the use of semi-structured interviews, this study examined three middle school teachers' initial experience using PCaRD, the influence of this experience on their digital gamebased learning knowledge, and their perceptions on how teaching with digital games impacts student achievement. The findings showed teachers feel PCaRD is a sound Pedagogical model, but needed more practice using it to fully realize its usefulness. Also teachers felt the need to make adaptions to PCaRD based on the composition of their class, and had difficulty implementing the reflection and discussion phases. Finally, teachers felt their low achieving students benefitted most from the use of digital games. Future directions for research are also discussed.
There has been a steady rise in the support for games as learning environments. This support is largely based on the strong levels of engagement and motivation observed during gameplay. What has proven difficult is the ability to consistently design and develop learning games that are both engaging and educationally viable. Those in the game-based learning community contend the solution is to tightly integrate instructional objective(s) within the game's mechanics. In order to investigate whether or not intrinsic integration would aid in game design, an experimental study was conducted with 111 fourth and fifth graders in which three versions of a game were designed in order to determine which approach would have a more significant impact on conceptual understanding of the associative and distributive properties. It was found that those who played the intrinsic version of the game (properties mapped to game mechanics) had significant learning gains compared with those who played the extrinsic version. Perceptions of the game are also discussed, along with future directions.
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