Design Principles for Interactive Learning Environments with Embedded Formative Assessments
The new technology-enhanced conception of assessment stands in contrast to the traditional view of assessments as tests of a learner’s ability to recall facts. Because technology mediates learning in new ways, it engenders new forms of knowledge as well as possibilities for documentation and analysis. Many have noted that games, simulations, and cases are engaging for learners and thus warrant further development for their expanded use. Research on learning and assessment suggests design principles that developers should follow when investing such effort in order to capitalize on how the interactive aspects of these tools can serve as assessments about what, how, and when learning is occurring. The ETIPS application described here serves as an example of how such principles can be used to guide priorities and decisions for developers as well as applied as criteria for determining the quality of such digital tools as learning environments and assessment tools.