Social and emotional learning (SEL) expert and 3C Institute CEO Melissa DeRosier, PhD, explains the top five benefits of game-based assessment in the spring/summer issue of The Voice, from our partners at PENC (Professional Educators of North Carolina). Find a summary below or read the full article on their website.
- Games provide unique opportunities for social interaction.
It may seem counterintuitive to use games to teach social and emotional skills, but an online game provides a safe space for children to explore different behavior choices. - Games are well suited for assessment of SEL and 21st-century skills.
There’s a growing emphasis in education on SEL and 21st-century skills development, along with the recognition that it’s not just what children know but what they do with that knowledge. - Games are ideal vehicles for formative assessment.
Formative assessment helps educators and counselors adjust, inform, and plan instruction. When we know where children are having difficulty, we can intervene and focus attention on problem areas. - Games provide unique opportunities for “stealth” assessment.
When children are aware they’re being assessed, they may behave differently than they would in typical circumstances. - Games can take advantage of adaptive assessment.
The technology used in computerized adaptive assessments tailors instruction to each student, adjusting the level of difficulty based on the child’s responses.