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Real-world Problems and Assessment Tools

October 26, 2009

David Williamson Shaffer and colleagues have won $4.5 million in federal grants to devise new ways to use computer games to teach and to assess what students have learned. A new research consortium of three universities will develop technology for teaching real-world problem-solving with educational games. The study will include using the game "Urban Science," in which middle- and high-school students learn about mathematics, science and technology by working as urban planners. Guided by adult mentors, students develop plans for sustainable land use.  The research team also is developing an assessment system to provide instant feedback on students' learning without using traditional standardized tests. Shaffer says standardized tests are limited in that they show whether students have learned basic facts and basic skills, but not whether they can solve real problems.