Research Goals and Theoretical Framework. The SAVE Science project is focused on creating, implementing, and evaluating assessment modules designed to capture evolving patterns of scientific understanding among middle-school students based on data collected from their interactions in a virtual environment. In this presentation, we report on findings from implementations of our first assessment module. In particular, we focus on how the module can reveal misconceptions held by students about scientific phenomena, and describe student perceptions of virtual environment-based activities designed primarily as assessments rather than as learning environments.