Commentary on 'How Task Features Impact Evidence From Assessments Embedded in Simulations and Games' by Almond et al.

摘要

Before I start my commentary, I must first declare myself to be a confirmed advocate of the evidence-centered design (ECD) approach to the design of assessments. My own research has involved the use of embedded assessments using simulations in interactive learning environments, and the ECD approach has provided a solid framework for designing tasks that are a mix of traditional selected-response-type items and nontraditional tracing of learners' interactions with the features of the simulation. I like the way that it is represented in the Conceptual Assessment Framework (CAF) shown in Figure 3 of the article, but readers of the article will by now have realized that it is deceptive in its simplicity. So, the article "How Task Features Impact Evidence From Assessments Embedded in Simulations and Games" by Russell G. Almond, Yoon Jeon Kim, Gertrudes Velasquez, and Valerie J. Shute is a valuable insight into the many decisions that assessment developers need to make and the way those choices impact the value of the assessment.