Embedded standards-based digital gaming assessments: Pilot study with teachers

Although the research on digital gaming has recently shown that collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking are in evidence with K-12 students who design games; researchers still need to make the case that digital game design content meets rigorous new Common Core standards for Language Arts and mathematics. No class time will be devoted to game design unless proponents of digital gaming can develop and demonstrate this argument. This preliminary data focus on a feasibility implementation of an assessment designed to embed these standards. Three elementary level classroom teachers and their students used the process and demonstrated that (1) teachers can learn to design and use this process and (2) their students demonstrate elements of computational thinking that not only includes the Common Core standards but extends them.