CIRCA:Assessment Tools
From CIRCA
This page gathers together a variety of techniques for evaluating and assessing video games.
Contents |
General List of Assessment Techniques
Note: See the Assessment Framework for more information regarding the assessment frameworking we're developing
Qualitative Assessment Techniques
Qualitative techniques are likely to dominate video game assessment, for the success of a video game experience is often predicated upon difficult to quantify human elements such as "fun" and "enjoyment".
Evaluation by Game Creators
Evaluation by Game Players
Game players may be asked to evaluate a game in a variety of ways.
Quantitative Assessment Techniques
Quantitative assessment of video games generally entails analyzing data collected about the progress of players through the game.
Quantitative assessment can involve the measurement of:
- of tickets/tokens purchased
- Success/failure rates
- Journaling
- Time in-game
- Amount of content interacted with
- Locations the game was accessed from
- specific times the game was accessed
Specific approaches to projects
Draft Revised List For Methods/Techniques
Note: Below is a list of some methods that may be used to assess parts of game design and assessment. Each method includes a brief explanation why it may be relevant to design as well as a few associated sources from our literature review. Please feel free to add or the revise to the list.
Guidelines for Methods:
- Add only relevant methods.
- Use a brief description to define the method.
- Link it to relevant literature in the Literature Review & Precises section when possible.
- Use proper citation
- Alphabetical order is preferred.
- Link to the Grand Assessment Framework for which method may be useful for which section of the framework. For example, Interviewing can be linked to Stakeholders and Expectations as '1.0', under recommended use with framework.
Developmental Evaluation: Developmental Evaluation makes use of a developmental evaluator to inquire into developments, track developments, facilitate interpretation of developments and their significance, and engages with multiple parties engaged in and affected by the product regarding making judgements about what is being developing, how long it is being developed, and the consequences and impacts of what has been developed, and what are the next stages of development.
- Patton, Michael. Developmental Evaluation: Applying Complexity Concepts to Enhance Innovation and Use . New York: Guiford, 2011.
Play-Testing: Play-testing focuses on measuring the product’s quality and functionality.
- Warren, Scott, Greg Jones, and Line Lin. "Usability and Play Testing: The Often Missed Assessment." In Serious Educational Game Assessment: Practical Methods and Models for Educational Games, Simulations and Virtual Worlds . Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2011. 131-146.
Usability-Testing: Usability-testing focuses on measuring the capacity for the product to meet its intended purposes with the use of user-centered interaction.
- Perry, David., Rusel DeMaria, and Safari Books Online (Firm). Benson, L., D. Elliott, M. Grant, D. Holschuh, B. Kim, H. Kim, E. Lauber, S. Loh, and T.C. Reeves. "Usability and Instructional Design Heuristics for E-Learning Evaluation." Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2002 . Chesapeake: AACE, 2002. 1615-1621
- Perry, David., Rusel DeMaria, and Safari Books Online (Firm). David Perry On Game Design: A Brainstorming Toolbox. Boston: Charles River Media, 2009
- Warren, Scott, Greg Jones, and Line Lin. "Usability and Play Testing: The Often Missed Assessment. Serious Educational Game Assessment: Practical Methods and Models for Educational Games, Simulations and Virtual Worlds . Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2011. 131-146.
Standardized Criteria: Including checklists and rubrics, standardized criteria sets expectations and a focus on measuring specific objectives.
- Hjartarson, Paul. Note. Project Design Checklist.
- Rice, J. "Assessing Higher Order Thinking in Video Games."Journal of Technology and Teacher Education. 1.15 (2007): 87-100.
- Schell, Jesse. The art of game design: a book of lenses. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers Inc., 2008.
- Annetta, Leonard A., Richard Lamb, and Marcus Stone. “Assessing Serious Educational Games: The Development of a Scoring Rubric”. In Serious Educational Game Assessment: Practical Methods and Models for Educational Games, Simulations and Virtual Worlds . Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2011. 75-94
- Javier, Ricardo and Mena, Rademacher. “Game Assessment Using the E/E Grid”. In Serious Educational Game Assessment: Practical Methods and Models for Educational Games, Simulations and Virtual Worlds . Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2011. 95-118.