My Favorite Assessment
Introduction
Throughout K-12, undergraduate school, and graduate school, I have had many different types of assessments. Since I went to an art school, the primary assessments were class critiques and portfolio reviews. However, during my junior year of college, I took an elective storycrafting class. It was by far my favorite class that year and the primary reason was that it was a fun and fulfilling experience. A large part of that was the innovative assessment structure. This included my favorite assessment; a collaborative role-playing writing game called StoriumEDU (StoriumEDU, n.d.). In small groups, we took turns to create a fun story and build our storycrafting skills. The game offered us prompts to overcome writing blocks. We were challenged to apply the knowledge we were learning in class, like how to structure stories, write good characters, and utilize other literary devices. The assessment aligned with our learning objectives and encouraged play. It was not for a grade, so it was a stress-free experience. It utilized digital technology that aided in our learning. The collaborative nature was also an example of social learning and situative perspective (Lave & Wagner, 1991).
Alignment and Low-Stakes Assessment
A core principle of good pedagogy, and by extension good assessment practices, is that that assessment aligns with the learning objectives (Quality Matters, 2023). The learning objectives for the storycrafting course included developing writing skills, applying creativity, and exploring western and non-western storytelling techniques. The role-playing game (RPG) offered us an opportunity to apply new knowledge and demonstrate our understanding of the content. While the professor read and provided feedback for our stories, he did not grade the assignments. This was partially because the technology was new and experimental, but it was also because he wanted to create a low-stress environment. This was especially important at an art college where other classes were five to six hours long and assignments were a serious time commitment. I deeply appreciate the low-stress space he crafted among the otherwise stressful environment.
Digital Technology and TPACK
The storycrafting assessment was so successful because it incorporated the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006).
The writing RPG-style assessment utilized digitaltechnology by providing a platform for creativity, fun prompts, and cards that helped learners when they got writer's block.
My professor applied pedagogical strategies for the assessment by providing feedback without grades, carving out time during class to collaborate with our peers, and encouraging exploration of content.
We applied content knowledge of story structure, worldbuilding, character arcs, and other techniques to develop our writing skills.
Finally, the context we were working in was that most, if not all, of us were burnt-out art students dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19. My professor understood this, so he created a fun space for learning and exploration without the stress of traditional assessments like tests and quizzes.
Collaboration and Social Learning
One of the most important components of the storycrafting assessment was collaboration between my peers and me. We took turns writing sections of the story from different character perspectives, building off of each other to develop a coherent story. This method not only required us to work together, but fostered creativity and inspiration. This environment created a community of practice where my peers and I developed our storytelling skills together through social learning (Lave & Wagner, 1991). Our collaboration was key to creating a meaningful assessment, and by extension, meaningful learning.
Conclusion
There are many factors that contribute to the success of the writing RPG assessment from my storycrafting class. It aligned with our learning objectives and allowed us to practice what we were learning. My professor applied the TPACK framework to enhance our learning, and it was a collaborative effort that made for a more impactful experience. Arguably the most important part of the assessment was that it was fun.
References
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation.https://bibliotecadigital.mineduc.cl/bitstream/handle/20.500.12365/17387/cb419d882cd5bb5286069675b449da38.pdf?sequence=1
Quality Matters. (2023). Specific review standards from the QM higher education rubric. Seventh Edition. https://www.qualitymatters.org/sites/default/files/PDFs/StandardsfromtheQMHigherEducationRubric.pd
StoriumEDU. (n.d.) Gamify creative writing.https://storiumedu.com/
