Typically if you told me I had to take a test on DNA replication, I am sure there would be about a million other things I could think of that sounded better to do. I have never been the best science student, and I get quite anxious I wont do well. It has also been a very long time since I have taken any sort of science class and have probably not heard these terms in over 10 years. When I think about how I feel as I prepare myself for this DNA Game Based Assessment I am about to take, I think about the student that may feel like this in class. There are always 1 or a few students who do not feel ready or confident in their abilities when they are faced with an assessment. As I play the game… I mean take the assessment I am channeling my inner student to see if this assessment checks all the boxes and engages me in the topic, and enhance my learning.
As I enter the game PLAY shows up in many large letter which immediately takes a bit of the anxiety away. This no longer has the look of a test which makes me feel a bit at ease. In the game I am given the role of a super hero which can look at cells more closely, my mission is to replicate a DNA cell. When I begin, I am tasked with finding the first step in replicating DNA. I am given three options, I guess correct. Key word guess, and it takes me to the next challenge, had I gotten it incorrect I would have some feedback and a chance to retry which was very helpful. I find the DNA molecule though and am able to move on. I answer the next challenge I get wrong right off the bat, but with the feedback tells me where I will need the step next. As I progress through the game you need a solid background in the terminology and process to be able to answer the questions right the first time. Although I could guess my way through, there is opportunities for self reflection if you want to watch a youtube video which explains the replication process. Playing the game with my husband who is much better with science and terminology than myself, I aided some help from him. We were both wanting more at the end when we were hit with a to be continued and even ended up googling Watson and Crick Fragments, as well as Okazaki Fragments to see if we were correct.
This game is both a challenge and a learning experience. The creator (my classmate) did a great job of making this a time for leanring, and I felt no frustration while progressing through the adventure. The feedback on answers was so helpful, when knowing what cam e next. Giving the opportunities to take time and watch videos brought a a great multimedia component to the game which made it very engaging. I can honestly say I did not feel defeated by this game once as I was playing for as many answers as I got wrong.
When comparing it to my ADC 3.0 though there are some components I would want to see. The assessment did have a clear objective which is stated at the beginning, and there were lesson type components in it that could have directly came from lessons taught. That being said, There was not a clear success criteria that I saw. Perhaps I could see that the steps to replicate could be a success criteria, and if I had more knowledge of the content that may have been more visible. As far as feedback and self reflection it is throughout the whole game as you get steps right and you need more work. When you are able to pick between going on or taking time to learn the students are self reflecting, and each step gives a tid bit of feedback to consider before you move on.
When thinking about assessment design and this game, it is off to a great start. I think as the game progresses in design it will check more of the assessment design boxes I was looking for. As it is though it gives some great feedback to students as well as opportunities to improve their understanding. I do think that there is opportunities for students to just guess their way through, however with Twine I do not think that is something you can help right now.
I was taken back to my high school days with this DNA replication game, and think that I would have had more success had my teacher had a game like this.
Learning with Lindsay 