How might student learning improve if assessments were innovative, authentic, and playful?

Learning can — and should — be fun, but when it comes to assessment, teachers can be very serious. However, there’s no need for the fun to stop when the assessments come out.

On this episode of Tch Talks, Dr. Yoon Jeon Kim, a research scientist at MIT Teaching Systems Lab, and Louisa Rosenheck, a designer and researcher of educational technologies in the MIT Education Arcade, come together to discuss how thoughtful design of authentic, creative, and playful assessments can engage students, help them to learn and grow, and allow them an opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities in a more personalized and meaningful way. YJ & Louisa — both self-proclaimed "assessment nerds" — discuss types of playful assessment, assessment tools, connections between assessment and social and emotional learning, and their shared goal of empowering teachers with assessment literacy. Perhaps, moving away from traditional assessments and embracing a little whimsy in the classroom just might be a key leverage point to impacting the way students learn in schools. Listen in to find out more.

Resources

• MIT Teaching Systems Lab
• MIT Education Arcade
• Overview: Playful Assessment
• MetaRubric Activity
• Beyond Rubrics: Assessment in Making
• Game-Based Assessment
• Follow YJ Kim on Twitter: @yjkimchee
• Follow Louisa Rosenheck on Twitter: @skiptomylouisa

Tch Resources

Tch Videos

• The Work of Play
• Project Earth Game
• Performance as a Culminating Activity
• Museum Exhibition as a Culminating Event
• Living Wax Museum: Researching & Portraying Influential People
• Student Profile: Portfolio Defense
• Calibration: Assessing Portfolio Defenses

Tchers' Voice Blog Posts

• #TchWellness: Incorporating Play Into Your Life As An Educator
• Tch Tips: Creative Assessment Strategies
• Tch Talks 22: Intention & Critical Creativity in the Classroom
• Minecraft: Education Edition